The tiny and beautiful state of Sikkim lies just south of Tibet, sanwiched between Nepal to the west and and Bhutan to the east.Sikkim, braided in its magic and charm is not just a travel destination, but is truly a dream land where beauty drops its shadow on its innocent tribes, on the lofty snow capped Kanchenjungha which stands at a height of 8586 m, the third high mountain peak in the world and on its pea green woodlands. Enlaced with its sheer mystery and tranquility, Sikkim invites all who want to spend those quiet moments in the lap of nature. Sikkim is the land of colors, lakes and flowers. The cryptic waterfalls, the clear lakes and the white patina of the huge glaciers shed their eternal charm forever. Kissed with its celestial thrill Sikkim caters to all the need of the travelers whilst assuring few days break amidst the wilderness of nature. The capital city is Gantok which invits travel lovers to a world of scenic splendor.

The word ` Sikkim` combines of two words Su and Khyim. Su means "new", and Khyim, means "palace"or house. Therefore the word means new palace or house, in reference to the palace built by the state`s first ruler, Phuntsok Namgyal. The Tibetan name for Sikkim is `Denjong, which means the "valley of rice".

History of Sikkim The original inhabitants were the Lepchas or the "raven folks" who came to the area from Assam and Burma.From the 1200`s the Bhutias or the Tibetan people moved into Sikkim. Buddhism which arrived from Tibet took its distinctive Sikkimese form four centuries later. tibetan monks of the old Nyingmapa order, disenchanted with the rise of the reformist Gelugpas, migrated south and gathered at Yoksum in western Sikkim. The other migrants included the Namgyal clan who arrived in the 1400`s and gradually won political control over Sikkim. In 1642,Phintsok Namgyal (1604-1670) became the first Chogyal (King). His descendents ruled Sikkim for more than 330 years. During the 1700`s Sikkim suffered massive invasion from Nepal and Bhutan and lost much territory as a result. The Nepalese also migrated to Sikkim and settled as farmers. Sikkim assisted the British in a successful war against Nepal in the year 1814-1815 and won back some of its land. The British India Company purchased the health resort of Darjeeling from Sikkim. During the mid 1800`s, Sikkim violently resisted attempts to bring it under British Rule, but in 1861 it finally became a protectorate. The Indian government took responsibility of Sikkim`s external affairs, defense and communication of Sikkim in the year 1950. In 1973, India took Sikkim into the union as an associate member. In 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state of India.

Geography of Sikkim Sikkim is a gorgeous and beautiful state nestled in the Himalayas. Sikkim is thumb-shaped and has a mountainous terrain. The state is hilly and as a result is unfit for agriculture. Certain hill slopes have been converted into farm lands using terrace farming techniques and is used for cultivation. The summit of the Kanchenjunga is the highest point in Sikkim. Numerous streams from the west and south of the state combine into the river Teesta and its tributary, the Rangeet. The Teesta is described as the "lifeline of Sikkim", which flows through the state from north to south.

Economy of Sikkim
The economy of Sikkim is lrgely agrarian. The people in the rural ares grow cardamom, ginger, oranges, apples, tea and orchids. Rice is grown on the hillsides of the southern areas. Sikkim is the biggest producer of cardamom in India. The minerals mined in Sikkim are copper, dolomite, limestone, graphite, mica, iron and coal.

Government and politics in Sikkim
The head of the state government of Sikkim is the governor who is appointed by the Central Government. His main role is to oversee the swearing in of the Chief Minister. Pawan Kumar Chamling" border="1">The governor appoints the cabinet ministers on the advice of the Chief Minister. Sikkim has a unicameral legislature. Sikkim is allocated one seat in each of both chambers of the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha. There are 32 state assembly seats and one seat is reserved for the Sangha. The Sikkim High Court is the smallest high court in the country. In 1977, the Congress Party won the largest majority in the elections. In 1979, after a period of instability, the ministry headed by Nar Bahadur Bhandari, leader of the Sikkim Sangram Parishad Party was sworn in. In the 1994 elections Pawan Kumar Chamling from the Sikkim Democratic Front become the Chief Minister of the state. The party has since held on to power by winning the 1999 and 2004 elections. Sikkim is divided into three major Assembly Constituencies as Lachen-Mangshila which covers the area from Lachen to Mangshila, Kiba-Tingda which ranges from east district boarder to Phodong and Dzongu-Lying in the south-west boarder.

Transport in Sikkim
Tourists can visit Sikkim by means of air, rail and road transport. The closest airport, Bagdogra Airport, is near the town of Siliguri, West Bengal. The airport is about 124 km away from Gangtok. A regular helicopter service run by the Sikkim Helicopter Service connects Gangtok to Bagdogra The flight is takes only thirty minutes and operates only once a day, and can carry 4 people.The Gangtok helipad(landing area for helicopter) is the only civilian helipad in the state. The closest railway station is New Jalpaiguri which is situated 16kms from Siliguri.

National Highway 31A links Siliguri to Gangtok. The highway metalled and is suitable for all weathers. There are public and private bus and jeep services that connect the airport and railway station. Within the state there are four wheel drives which are the popular means of transport. Mini-buses link the smaller towns to the state and district headquarters.

Districts of Sikkim
The districts are headed by the District Collector\ District Magistrate. He is resposible for maintaining law and order in the State. Sikkim has four districts. The four districts are East Sikkim, West Sikkim, North Sikkim and South Sikkim. The district capitals are Gangtok, Geyzing, Mangan and Namchi respectively.These four districts are further divided into Sub-Divisions. "Pakyong" is the sub-division of East District. "Soreng" is the sub-division of West District. "Chungthang" is the sub-division of North District and "Ravongla" is the sub-division of South District.

Demogarphics of Sikkim
Sikkim is the least populated of India`s States. Sikkim has only 540,493 inhabitants with 288,217 males and 252,276 females. It is one of the least densely populated states with only 76 persons per square kilometre. Its growth rate is only 32.98% . The sex ratio is 875 females per 1000 males. The urban population in Sikkim is 11.06%. The per capital income is Rs. 11,356, which is one of the highest in the country.

The majority of Sikkim`s residents are of Nepali origin ,who came to the province in the 19th century. The native Sikkimese are the Bhutias, who migrated from the Kham district of Tibet in the 14th Century, and the Lepchas migrated from the far east. Tibetans live in the northern and eastern areas of the state. The non native communities include the Marwaris, the Biharis and the Bengalis. Hinduism and Buddhism are the major religions of the Sikkimese. Sikkim has a very small Christian population, who are mainly of the Lepcha origin. They converted to the faith after British missionaries started preaching in the region in the late 19th century. The state has never had inter-religious strife. There are Mosques in the downtown of Gangtok.

Nepali is the lingua franca of Sikkim. English and Hindi are also spoken and understood in most of Sikkim. Other languages spoken in Sikkim include Bhutia, Dzongkha, Groma, Gurung, Lepcha, Limbu, Magar, Majhi, Majhwar, Nepal Bhasa, Rai, Sherpa, Sunuwar, Tamang, Thulung, Tibetan, and Yakha.

Festivals of Sikkim
The residents of Sikkim celebrate major Indian festivals as Diwali and Dussera. As the people of Sikkim mostly follow Buddhism, the festivals celebrated here are associated to the Buddhist festivals. Mostly the festivals are celebrated in the Gompas or Monasteries of Sikkim, where people gather in large number to commemorate the occasion. The popular festivals they celebrate are Losar , Saga Dawa ,LhababDhuechein , Phang Lhabsol-,Drupka Teshi, Bumchu , Losoong, Tendong Lho Rum Faat ,Tihaar- , Dasain, Christmas .

Flora and Fauna of Sikkim
Sikkim is situated in the lower Himalayas, which is one of the only three among the Ecoregions of India. The forested regions of the state exhibit a wide range of fauna and flora. The state has a wide variety of plants, from tropical to temperate to alpine and tundra.

The flora of Sikkim includes the rhododendron( the state tree) ,orchids, figs, laurel, bananas, sal trees and bamboo in the lower altitudes of Sikkim. In the temperate elevations above 1,500 metres, oaks, chestnuts, maples, birchs, alders, and magnolias grow in large numbers. The alpine type vegetation includes juniper, pine, firs, cypresses and rhododendrons, and is typically found between an altitude of 3,500 metres to 5,000 m. Sikkim boasts around 5,000 flowering plants, 515 rare orchids, 60 primulas species, 36 rhododendrons species, 11 oaks varieties, 23 bamboos varieties, 16 conifer species, 362 types of ferns and ferns allies, 8 tree ferns, and over 424 medicinal plants. The orchid Dendrobium nobile is the official flower of Sikkim.

The fauna of Sikkim includes the snow leopard, the musk deer, the Bhoral, the Himalayan Tahr, the red panda, the Himalayan marmot, the serow, the goral, the barking deer, the common langur, the Himalayan Black Bear, the clouded leopard, the Marbled Cat, the leopard cat, the wild dog, the Tibetan wolf, the hog badger, the binturong, the jungle cat and the civet cat. Among the animals more commonly found in the alpine zone are yaks, mainly reared for their milk, meat, and as a beast of burden.

The avifauna of Sikkim is comprised of the Impeyan pheasant, the crimson horned pheasant, the snow partridge, the snow cock, the lammergeyer and griffon vultures, as well as golden eagles, quail, plovers, woodcock, sandpipers, pigeons, Old World flycatchers, babblers and robins. A total of 550 species of birds have been recorded in Sikkim, some of which have been declared endangered.


Food in Sikkim Sikkimese cuisine is melange of Nepalese, Tibetan and Indian influences. RIce is a staple food and dhal is readily available, while Gyakho is a traditional chimney stew served on special occasions. Sikkimese delicacies include ningro (fern rings), shisnu (nettle soup), phing (glass noodles) and churpi (yak cheese) cooked with chillies. Education in Sikkim
The literacy of Sikkim is 69.6percent ,which breaks up into 76.7 percent for males and 61.46 percent for females. There are a 1545 government-run educational institutions and about 18 private schools located in the towns.There are about twelve that offer higher education.

The largest institution is the Sikkim Manipal University of Health Medical and Technological Sciences , which offers higher education in engineering, medicine and management. There are 2 state-run polytechnic institutions: Advanced Technical Training Centre (ATTC) and Centre for Computers and Communication Technology (CCCT) that offer diploma courses in various branches of engineering.

Media in Sikkim
The people in the urban areas read English, Nepali and Hindi newspapers. The newspapers that are printed locally are in Nepali language. The Haalkhabar is the only International standard daily news portal from Sikkim.

The English newspapers include The Statesman and The Telegraph which are printed in Siliguri, as well as The Hindu and The Times of India, printed in Calcutta are received with a day`s delay in the towns of Gangtok, Jorethang, Melli and Geyzing. The Sikkim Herald a weekly publication of the government.

Cyber cafés are well established in the district capitals, but there is no broadband connectivity . The main service providers are Sikkim Cable, Dish TV, Doordarshan and Nayuma. The area is well serviced by cellular companies such as BSNL, Airtel, Reliance and Infocomm. BSNL has an advantage of state wide coverage, whereas Reliance Infocomm and Airtel have coverage only in urban areas. The national All India Radio is the only radio station in the state.

Sports in Sikkim
The major sports of Sikkim are trekking, camping , swimming and mountain climbing. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, at Yuksam is the mountain for climbing courses. Many people join here for the course. No technical climbing experience is necessary as most of thetreks are between 6000 and 14000 feet. All one needs is to be in fit shape. The ideal time to go trekking is mid February to late May and between October and mid December. Camping and trekking equipments are provided on hire from the tourism department.

The important sport stadiums of Sikkim are Baichung Bhutia Stadium at Namchi and the Paljor Stadium at Gantok.


The best time to visit Sikkim is between mid-March and June but especially March, April and May when the rhododendrons and orchids bloom-although temperatures can be high at this time of year, especially in the valleys. More on Sikkim
Cities of Sikkim
Costumes of Sikkim