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Sikkim

Sikkim (/ˈsɪkɪm/; Nepali pronunciation: [ˈsikːim]) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siliguri Corridor, which borders Bangladesh. Sikkim is the least populous and second smallest among the Indian states. Situated in the Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim is notable for its biodiversity, including alpine and subtropical climates, as well as being a host to Kangchenjunga, the highest peak in India and third highest on Earth.[8] Sikkim's capital and largest city is Gangtok. Almost 35% of the state is covered by Khangchendzonga National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[9]

Sikkim
(clockwise from top) Kangchenjunga; Gurudongmar Lake; Temi Tea Garden; Siddheshwar Dham Temple complex at Namchi; Rumtek Monastery
Motto(s): 
Kham sum wangdu
(Conqueror of the three worlds)
Anthem: Jahan Bagcha Teesta Rangeet
(Where Teesta and Rangeet flow)
Coordinates (Gangtok): 27°33′N 88°30′E / 27.550°N 88.500°E / 27.550; 88.500
Country India
Admission to Union 16 May 1975
CapitalGangtok
Largest cityGangtok
Districts6
Government
 • GovernorGanga Prasad
 • Chief MinisterPrem Singh Tamang (SKM)
 • LegislatureUnicameral (32 seats)
 • Parliamentary constituencyRajya Sabha 1
Lok Sabha 1
 • High CourtSikkim High Court
Area
 • Total7,096 km2 (2,740 sq mi)
 • Rank27th
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total610,577
 • Rank28th
 • Density86/km2 (220/sq mi)
DemonymSikkimese
Languages[2][3]
 • Official
 • Additional official
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 codeIN-SK
HDI (2019) 0.717 (High) •10th
Literacy82.6% (13th)
Websitewww.sikkim.gov.in
Symbols of Sikkim
Emblem
Emblem of Sikkim
Motto༄༅།ཁམས་གསུམ་དབང་འདུས

Kham-sum-wangdu

(Conqueror of the three worlds)
SongJahan Bagcha Teesta Rangeet
Mammal
Red Panda
Bird
Blood Pheasant[4]
Fish
Copper Mahseer(locally called Katley).[5]
Flower
Noble dendrobium (Dendrobium nobile)[6][7]
Tree
Rhododendron
^† The Assembly of Sikkim abolished monarchy and resolved to be a constituent unit of India. A referendum was held on these issues and a majority of voters voted yes. On 15 May 1975 the President of India ratified a constitutional amendment that made Sikkim the 22nd state of India.

The Kingdom of Sikkim was founded by the Namgyal dynasty in the 17th century. It was ruled by Buddhist priest-kings known as the Chogyal. It became a princely state of British India in 1890. Following Indian independence, Sikkim continued its protectorate status with the Union of India after 1947, and the Republic of India after 1950. It enjoyed the highest literacy rate and per capita income among Himalayan states. In 1973, anti-royalist riots took place in front of the Chogyal's palace. In 1975, after the Indian Army took over the city of Gangtok, a referendum was held that led to the dissolution of the monarchy and Sikkim joining India as its 22nd state.[10]

Modern Sikkim is a multiethnic and multilingual Indian state. The official languages of the state are English, Nepali, Sikkimese and Lepcha.[2] Additional official languages include Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Mukhia, Newari, Rai, Sherpa and Tamang for the purpose of preservation of culture and tradition in the state.[3] English is taught in schools and used in government documents. The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Sikkim's economy is largely dependent on agriculture and tourism. As of 2019, the state had the fifth-smallest GDP among Indian states,[11] although it is also among the fastest-growing.[12][13]

Sikkim accounts for the largest share of cardamom production in India, which is the world's second largest producer of the spice after Guatemala. Sikkim achieved its ambition to convert its agriculture to fully organic between 2003 and 2016, and became the first state in India to achieve this distinction.[14][15][16][17] It is also among India's most environmentally conscious states, having banned plastic water bottles "in any government functions and meetings" and polystyrene products (throughout the state).[18][19]

Toponymy

The origin theory of the name Sikkim is that it is a combination of two Limbu words: su, which means "new", and khyim, which means "palace" or "house".[20] The Tibetan name for Sikkim is Drenjong (Wylie-transliteration: 'bras ljongs), which means "valley of rice",[21] while the Bhutias call it Beyul Demazong, which means '"the hidden valley of rice".[22] According to folklore, after establishing Rabdentse as his new capital, Bhutia king Tensung Namgyal built a palace and asked his Limbu Queen to name it. The Lepcha people, the original inhabitants of Sikkim, called it Nye-mae-el, meaning "paradise".[22] In historical Indian literature, Sikkim is known as Indrakil, the garden of the war god Indra.[23]

History

The Lepchas are considered to be the earliest inhabitants of Sikkim.[24] However the Limbus and the Magars also lived in the inaccessible parts of West and South districts as early as the Lepchas perhaps lived in the East and North districts.[25] The Buddhist saint Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, is said to have passed through the land in the 8th century.[26] The Guru is reported to have blessed the land, introduced Buddhism, and foretold the era of monarchy that would arrive in Sikkim centuries later.[citation needed]

Foundation of the monarchy

 
Flag of Sikkim during its independent monarchy.

According to legend, Khye Bumsa, a 14th-century prince from the Minyak House in Kham in eastern Tibet, received a divine revelation instructing him to travel south to seek his fortunes. A fifth-generation descendant of Khye Bumsa, Phuntsog Namgyal, became the founder of Sikkim's monarchy in 1642, when he was consecrated as the first Chogyal, or priest-king, of Sikkim by the three venerated lamas at Yuksom.[27] Phuntsog Namgyal was succeeded in 1670 by his son, Tensung Namgyal, who moved the capital from Yuksom to Rabdentse (near modern Pelling). In 1700, Sikkim was invaded by the Bhutanese with the help of the half-sister of the Chogyal, who had been denied the throne. The Bhutanese were driven away by the Tibetan people, who restored the throne to the Chogyal ten years later. Between 1717 and 1733, the kingdom faced many raids by the Nepalese in the west and Bhutanese in the east, culminating with the destruction of the capital Rabdentse by the Nepalese.[28] In 1791, China sent troops to support Sikkim and defend Tibet against the Gorkha Kingdom. Following the subsequent defeat of Gorkha, the Chinese Qing dynasty established control over Sikkim.[29]

During the British Raj

 
An 1876 map of Sikkim, depicting Chomto Dong Lake in northern Sikkim.[30] However, the whole of Chumbi and Darjeeling are not depicted as part of Sikkim in the map.

Following the beginning of British rule in neighbouring India, Sikkim allied with Britain against their common adversary, Nepal. The Nepalese attacked Sikkim, overrunning most of the region including the Terai. This prompted the British East India Company to attack Nepal, resulting in the Gurkha War of 1814.[31] Treaties signed between Sikkim and Nepal resulted in the return of the territory annexed by the Nepalese in 1817. However, ties between Sikkim and the British weakened when the latter began taxation of the Morang region. In 1849, two British physicians, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker and Dr. Archibald Campbell, the latter being in charge of relations between the British and Sikkimese governments, ventured into the mountains of Sikkim unannounced and unauthorised.[32] The doctors were detained by the Sikkimese government, leading to a punitive British expedition against the kingdom, after which the Darjeeling district and Morang were annexed to British India in 1853. The Chogyal of Sikkim became a titular ruler under the directive of the British governor as a result of the invasion.[33]

Sikkim became a British protectorate in the later decades of the 19th century, formalised by a convention signed with China in 1890.[34][35][36] Sikkim was gradually granted more sovereignty over the next three decades,[37] and became a member of the Chamber of Princes, the assembly representing the rulers of the Indian princely states, in 1922.[36]

Indian protectorate

Prior to Indian independence, Jawaharlal Nehru, as the Vice President of the Executive Council, pushed through a resolution in the Indian Constituent Assembly to the effect that Sikkim and Bhutan, as Himalayan states, were not 'Indian states' and their future should be negotiated separately.[38] A standstill agreement was signed in February 1948.[39]

Meanwhile, Indian independence and its move to democracy spurred a fledgling political movement in Sikkim, giving rise to the formation of Sikkim State Congress (SSC), a pro-accession political party. The party sent a plate of demands to the palace, including a demand for accession to India. The palace attempted to defuse the movement by appointing three secretaries from the SSC to the government and sponsoring a counter-movement in the name of Sikkim National Party, which opposed accession to India.[40]

The demand for responsible government continued and the SSC launched a civil disobedience movement. The Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal asked India for help in quelling the movement, which was offered in the form of a small military police force and an Indian Dewan. In 1950, a treaty was agreed between India and Sikkim which gave Sikkim the status of an Indian protectorate. Sikkim came under the suzerainty of India, which controlled its external affairs, defence, diplomacy and communications.[41] In other respects, Sikkim retained administrative autonomy.[citation needed]

A state council was established in 1953 to allow for constitutional government under the Chogyal. Despite pressures from an India "bent on annexation", Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal was able to preserve autonomy and shape a "model Asian state" where the literacy rate and per capita income were twice as high as neighbouring Nepal, Bhutan and India.[42] Meanwhile, the Sikkim National Congress demanded fresh elections and greater representation for Nepalis in Sikkim. People marched on the palace against the monarchy.[42] In 1973, anti-royalist riots took place in front of the Chogyal's palace.

Merger and statehood

In 1975, the Prime Minister of Sikkim appealed to the Indian Parliament for Sikkim to become a state of India. In April of that year, the Indian Army took over the city of Gangtok and disarmed the Chogyal's palace guards. Thereafter, a referendum was held in which 97.5 per cent of voters supported abolishing the monarchy, effectively approving union with India. India is said to have stationed 20,000–40,000 troops in a country of only 200,000 during the referendum.[43] On 16 May 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union, and the monarchy was abolished.[44] To enable the incorporation of the new state, the Indian Parliament amended the Indian Constitution. First, the 35th Amendment laid down a set of conditions that made Sikkim an "Associate State", a special designation not used by any other state. A month later, the 36th Amendment repealed the 35th Amendment, and made Sikkim a full state, adding its name to the First Schedule of the Constitution.[45]

Recent history

In 2000, the seventeenth Karmapa, Urgyen Trinley Dorje, who had been confirmed by the Dalai Lama and accepted as a tulku by the Chinese government, escaped from Tibet, seeking to return to the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim. Chinese officials were in a quandary on this issue, as any protests to India would mean an explicit endorsement of India's governance of Sikkim, which China still recognised as an independent state occupied by India. The Chinese government eventually recognised Sikkim as an Indian state in 2003, in return for India declaring Tibet as a "part of" the territory of China;[46][47] New Delhi had accepted Tibet as part of China way back in 1954, but China appears to have believed that the agreement had lapsed.[48][49] The 2003 agreement led to a thaw in Sino-Indian relations.[50] On 6 July 2006, the Sikkimese Himalayan pass of Nathu La was opened to cross-border trade, becoming the first open border between India and China.[51] The pass, which was first opened during the 1904 Younghusband Expedition to Tibet,[52] had remained closed since the 1962 Sino-Indian War.[51]

On 18 September 2011, a magnitude 6.9Mw earthquake struck Sikkim, killing at least 116 people in the state and in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Tibet.[53] More than 60 people died in Sikkim alone, and the city of Gangtok suffered significant damage.[54]

Geography

Situated in the Himalayan mountains, the state of Sikkim is characterised by mountainous terrain. Almost the entire state is hilly, with an elevation ranging from 280 metres (920 ft) in the south at the border with West Bengal to 8,586 metres (28,169 ft) in northern peaks near Nepal and Tibet. The summit of Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, is the state's highest point, situated on the border between Sikkim and Nepal.[55] For the most part, the land is unfit for agriculture because of the rocky, precipitous slopes. However, some hill slopes have been converted into terrace farms.[citation needed]

 
Sikkim is in lower center of image of the Tibetan Plateau- (NASA Satellite photo).

Numerous snow-fed streams have carved out river valleys in the west and south of the state. These streams combine into the major Teesta River and its tributary, the Rangeet, which flow through the state from north to south.[56] About a third of the state is heavily forested. The Himalayan mountains surround the northern, eastern and western borders of Sikkim. The Lower Himalayas, lying in the southern reaches of the state, are the most densely populated.[citation needed]

The state has 28 mountain peaks, more than 80 glaciers,[57] 227 high-altitude lakes (including the Tsongmo, Gurudongmar and Khecheopalri Lakes), five major hot springs, and more than 100 rivers and streams. Eight mountain passes connect the state to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal.[58]

Sikkim's hot springs are renowned for their medicinal and therapeutic value. Among the state's most notable hot springs are those at Phurchachu, Yumthang, Borang, Ralang, Taram-chu and Yumey Samdong. The springs, which have a high sulphur content, are located near river banks; some are known to emit hydrogen.[59] The average temperature of the water in these hot springs is 50 °C (122 °F).[60]

Geology

 
A waterfall in Sikkim

The hills of Sikkim mainly consist of gneiss and schist[61] which weather to produce generally poor and shallow brown clay soils. The soil is coarse, with large concentrations of iron oxide; it ranges from neutral to acidic and is lacking in organic and mineral nutrients. This type of soil tends to support evergreen and deciduous forests.[62]

The rock consists of phyllites and schists, and is highly susceptible to weathering and erosion. This, combined with the state's heavy rainfall, causes extensive soil erosion and the loss of soil nutrients through leaching. As a result, landslides are frequent, often isolating rural towns and villages from the major urban centres.[63]

Climate

The state has five seasons: winter, summer, spring, autumn, and monsoon season. Sikkim's climate ranges from sub-tropical in the south to tundra in the north. Most of the inhabited regions of Sikkim experience a temperate climate, with temperatures seldom exceeding 28 °C (82 °F) in summer. The average annual temperature for most of Sikkim is around 18 °C (64 °F).[citation needed]

Sikkim is one of the few states in India to receive regular snowfall. The snow line ranges from 6,100 metres (20,000 ft) in the south of the state to 4,900 metres (16,100 ft) in the north.[64] The tundra-type region in the north is snowbound for four months every year, and the temperature drops below 0 °C (32 °F) almost every night.[59] In north-western Sikkim, the peaks are frozen year-round;[65] because of the high altitude, temperatures in the mountains can drop to as low as −40 °C (−40 °F) in winter.

During the monsoon, heavy rains increase the risk of landslides. The record for the longest period of continuous rain in Sikkim is 11 days. Fog affects many parts of the state during winter and the monsoons, making transportation perilous.[66]

Flora and fauna

 
 
Noble orchid (top) is Sikkim's state flower. Rhododendron is its state tree; about 40 species of Rhododendron bloom late April – mid May across the state.[67]

Sikkim is situated in an ecological hotspot of the lower Himalayas, one of only three among the ecoregions of India.[68][69] The forested regions of the state exhibit a diverse range of fauna and flora. Owing to its altitudinal gradation, the state has a wide variety of plants, from tropical species to temperate, alpine and tundra ones, and is perhaps one of the few regions to exhibit such a diversity within such a small area. Nearly 81 per cent of the area of Sikkim comes under the administration of its forest department.[70]

Sikkim is home to around 5,000 species of flowering plants, 515 rare orchids, 60 primula species, 36 rhododendron species, 11 oak varieties, 23 bamboo varieties, 16 conifer species, 362 types of ferns and ferns allies, 8 tree ferns, and over 900 medicinal plants.[68][8] A relative of the Poinsettia, locally known as "Christmas Flower", can be found in abundance in the mountainous state. The Noble Dendrobium is the official flower of Sikkim, while the rhododendron is the state tree.[71]

Orchids, figs, laurel, bananas, sal trees and bamboo grow in the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests of the lower altitudes of Sikkim. In the temperate elevations above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) there are Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests, where oaks, chestnuts, maples, birches, alders, and magnolias grow in large numbers, as well as Himalayan subtropical pine forests, dominated by Chir pine. Alpine-type vegetation is typically found between an altitude of 3,500 to 5,000 metres (11,500 to 16,400 ft). In lower elevations are found juniper, pine, firs, cypresses and rhododendrons from the Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. Higher up are Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows and high-altitude wetlands, which are home to a wide variety of rhododendrons and wildflowers.[69][8]

 
The red panda is the state animal of Sikkim.

The fauna of Sikkim include the snow leopard,[72] musk deer, Himalayan tahr, red panda, Himalayan marmot, Himalayan serow, Himalayan goral, muntjac, common langur, Asian black bear, clouded leopard,[73] marbled cat, leopard cat,[74] dhole, Tibetan wolf, hog badger, binturong, and Himalayan jungle 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 include the impeyan pheasant, crimson horned pheasant, snow partridge, Tibetan snowcock, bearded vulture and griffon vulture, as well as golden eagles, quails, plovers, woodcocks, sandpipers, pigeons, Old World flycatchers, babblers and robins. Sikkim has more than 550 species of birds, some of which have been declared endangered.[69]

Sikkim also has a rich diversity of arthropods, many of which remain unstudied.[69] Some of the most understudied species are Sikkimese arthropods, specifically butterflies. Of the approximately 1,438 butterfly species found in the Indian subcontinent, 695 have been recorded in Sikkim.[75] These include the endangered Kaiser-i-hind, the Yellow Gorgon and the Bhutan Glory.[76]

National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

List of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Sikkim:

Government and politics

According to the Constitution of India, Sikkim has a parliamentary system of representative democracy for its governance; universal suffrage is granted to state residents. The government structure is organised into three branches:

  • Executive: As with all states of India, a governor stands at the head of the executive power of state, just as the president is the head of the executive power in the Union, and is appointed by the President of India. The governor's appointment is largely ceremonial, and his or her main role is to oversee the swearing-in of the chief minister. The chief minister, who holds the real executive powers, is the head of the party or coalition garnering the largest majority in the state elections. The governor also appoints cabinet ministers on the advice of the chief minister.
  • Legislature: Sikkim has a unicameral legislature, the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, like most other Indian states. Its state assembly has 32 seats, including one reserved for the Sangha. Sikkim is allocated one seat in each of the two chambers of India's national bicameral legislature, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
  • Judiciary: The judiciary consists of the Sikkim High Court and a system of lower courts. The High Court, located at Gangtok, has a Chief Justice along with two permanent justices. The Sikkim High Court is the smallest state high court in the country.[77]

In 1975, after the abrogation of Sikkim's monarchy, the Indian National Congress gained a majority in the 1977 elections. In 1979, after a period of instability, a popular ministry headed by Nar Bahadur Bhandari, leader of the Sikkim Sangram Parishad Party, was sworn in. Bhandari held on to power in the 1984 and 1989 elections. In the 1994 elections, Pawan Kumar Chamling of the Sikkim Democratic Front became the Chief Minister of the state. Chamling and his party had since held on to power by winning the 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections.[33][78][79] However, the 2019 legislative assembly elections were won by the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party and the chief minister since then is Prem Singh Tamang.[80][81] The current Governor of Sikkim is Ganga Prasad.[82]

Subdivisions

Sikkim has six districts – Gangtok District, Mangan District, Namchi District, Pakyong District, Geyzing District and Soreng District. The district capitals are Gangtok, Mangan, Namchi, Pakyong, Gyalshing and Soreng respectively.[83] These six districts are further divided into 16 subdivisions; Pakyong, Rongli, Rangpo and Gangtok are the subdivisions of the Gangtok and Pakyong Districts. Soreng, Yuksom, Gyalshing and Dentam are the subdivisions of the Geyzing and Soreng district. Chungthang, Dzongu, Kabi and Mangan are the subdivisions of the Mangan district. Ravongla, Jorethang, Namchi and Yangyang are the subdivisions of the Namchi district.[84]

Each of Sikkim's districts is overseen by a state government appointee, the district collector, who is in charge of the administration of the civilian areas of the district. The Indian Army has control over a large part of the state, as Sikkim forms part of a sensitive border area with China. Many areas are restricted to foreigners, and official permits are needed to visit them.[85]

Economy

Sikkim's nominal state gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US$4.6 billion in 2019, with GDP per capita being $7,530 (₹ 5,50,000) thus constituting the third-smallest GDP among India's 28 states.[12] The state's economy is largely agrarian based on the terraced farming of rice and the cultivation of crops such as maize, millet, wheat, barley, oranges, tea, and cardamom.[86][87] Sikkim produces more cardamom than any other Indian state and is home to the largest cultivated area of cardamom.[88]

Because of its hilly terrain and poor transport infrastructure, Sikkim lacks a large-scale industrial base. Brewing, distilling, tanning and watchmaking are the main industries and are mainly located in the southern regions of the state, primarily in the towns of Melli and Jorethang. In addition, a small mining industry exists in Sikkim extracting minerals such as copper, dolomite, talc, graphite, quartzite, coal, zinc, and lead.[89] Despite the state's minimal industrial infrastructure, Sikkim's economy has been among the fastest-growing in India since 2000; the state's GDP expanded by 89.93% in 2010 alone.[90] In 2003, Sikkim decided to fully convert to organic farming and achieved this goal in 2015 becoming India's first "organic state".[15][16][17][14]

In recent years, the government of Sikkim has extensively promoted tourism. As a result, state revenue has increased 14 times since the mid-1990s.[91] Sikkim has furthermore invested in a fledgling gambling industry promoting both casinos and online gambling. The state's first casino, the Casino Sikkim, opened in March 2009.[92] In the year 2010 the government subsequently issued three gambling licenses for casinos and online sports betting in general.[93] The Playwin lottery has been a notable success in the state.[94][95]

The opening of the Nathu La pass on 6 July 2006, connecting Lhasa, Tibet, to India, was billed as a boon for Sikkim's economy. Trade through the pass remains hampered by Sikkim's limited infrastructure and government restrictions in both India and China, though the volume of traded goods has been steadily increasing.[96][97]

Transport

Air

 
Runway at Pakyong Airport, is the first greenfield airport to be constructed in the Northeast India.[98]
 
Teesta River is considered the state's key waterway.

Sikkim did not have any operational airport for a long time because of its rough terrain. However, in October 2018, Pakyong Airport, the state's first airport, located in Pakyong Town at a distance of 30 km (19 mi) from Gangtok, became operational after a four-year delay.[99][100] It has been constructed by the Airports Authority of India on 200 acres of land. At an altitude of 4,700 feet (1,400 m) above sea level, it is one of the five highest airports in India.[101][102] The airport is capable of operating ATR aircraft.[103]

Before October 2018, the closest operational airport to Sikkim was Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri in northern West Bengal. The airport is located about 124 km (77 mi) from Gangtok, and frequent buses connect the two.[104] A daily helicopter service run by the Sikkim Helicopter Service connects Gangtok to Bagdogra; the flight is thirty minutes long, operates only once a day, and can carry four people.[78] The Gangtok helipad is the only civilian helipad in the state.

Roads

 
Gangtok to Siliguri Bus

National Highway 10 (NH 10; formerly NH 31A) links Siliguri to Gangtok. Sikkim Nationalised Transport runs bus and truck services. Privately run bus, tourist taxi, and jeep services operate throughout Sikkim and also connect it to Siliguri. A branch of the highway from Melli connects western Sikkim. Towns in eastern, southern and western Sikkim are connected to the hill stations of Kalimpong and Darjeeling in northern West Bengal.[105] The state is furthermore connected to Tibet by the mountain pass of Nathu La.

List of National Highways of Sikkim:

Number Length (km)[106] Length (mi) Southern or western terminus Northern or eastern terminus Formed Removed Notes
  NH 10 52 32 Gangtok – Singtam – Rangpo – West Bengal Border.
  NH 310 87 54 Ranipool (NH-31A) – Burtuk – Menla – Nathula
  NH 310A 55 34 Tashi view point – Phodong – Mangan
  NH 510 70 43 Singtam – Damthang- Legship – Gyalshing
  NH 710 45 28 Melli- Manpur- Namchi- Damthang- Tarku
  NH 717A 112 70 West Bengal Border-Reshi- Rhenock, Rorathang Pakyong a-junction with new NH No. 10 at Ranipool near Gangtok
  NH 717B 42 26 Junction with NH No. 717A at Rhenock – Rongli, Rolep -junction with NH No. 310 near Menla at Serethang

Rail

Sikkim lacks significant railway infrastructure. The closest major railway stations are Siliguri Junction and New Jalpaiguri in neighbouring West Bengal.[107] However, the New Sikkim Railway Project has been launched to connect the town of Rangpo in Sikkim with Sevoke on the West Bengal border. This line is Sevoke-Rangpo Railway Line from Sivok railway station to Rangpo railway station.[108] The five-station line is intended to support both economic development and Indian Army operations and was initially planned to be completed by 2015,[109][110] though as of 2013 its construction has met with delays.[111] The railway line up to Rangpo is expected to be completed in 2021.[112] In the second phase the line will be extended up to Gangtok.[113] In addition, the Ministry of Railways proposed plans in 2010 for railway lines linking Mirik in West Bengal to Namchi, Daramdin, Ranipool, and Gangtok.[114]

Infrastructure

 
Nathu La Pass – Indo-China Border

Sikkim's roads are maintained by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), an offshoot of the Indian Army. The roads in southern Sikkim are in relatively good condition, landslides being less frequent in this region. The state government maintains 1,857 kilometres (1,154 mi) of roadways that do not fall under the BRO's jurisdiction.[115]

Sikkim receives most of its electricity from 19 hydroelectric power stations.[91] Power is also obtained from the National Thermal Power Corporation and Power Grid Corporation of India.[116] By 2006, the state had achieved 100 per cent rural electrification.[117] However, the voltage remains unstable and voltage stabilisers are needed. Per capita consumption of electricity in Sikkim was approximately 182 kWh in 2006. The state government has promoted biogas and solar power for cooking, but these have received a poor response and are used mostly for lighting purposes.[118] In 2005, 73.2 per cent of Sikkim's households were reported to have access to safe drinking water,[115] and the state's large number of mountain streams assures a sufficient water supply.

On 8 December 2008, it was announced that Sikkim had become the first state in India to achieve 100 per cent sanitation coverage, becoming completely free of public defecation, thus attaining the status of "Nirmal State".[119][120]

Demographics

 
A little girl from Kaluk Bazaar
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
190159,014—    
191187,920+4.07%
192181,721−0.73%
1931109,808+3.00%
1941121,520+1.02%
1951137,725+1.26%
1961162,189+1.65%
1971209,843+2.61%
1981316,385+4.19%
1991406,457+2.54%
2001540,851+2.90%
2011610,577+1.22%
source:[121]

Sikkim is India's least populous state, with 610,577 inhabitants according to the 2011 census.[1] Sikkim is also one of the least densely populated Indian states, with only 86 persons per square kilometre. However, it has a high population growth rate, averaging 12.36% per cent between 2001 and 2011. The sex ratio is 889 females per 1,000 males, with a total of 321,661 males and 286,027 females recorded in 2011. With around 98,000 inhabitants as of 2011, the capital Gangtok is the most significant urban area in the mostly rural state; in 2005, the urban population in Sikkim constituted around 11.06 per cent of the total.[115] In 2011, the average per capita income in Sikkim stood at 81,159 (US$1,305).[122]

Languages

Languages of Sikkim (2011 census)[123]

  Nepali (62.6%)
  Sikkimese (6.86%)
  Limbu (6.34%)
  Lepcha (6.27%)
  Hindi (5.58%)
  Sherpa (2.24%)
  Tamang (1.92%)
  Bhojpuri (1.63%)
  Rai (1.22%)
  Bengali (1.14%)
  Other (4.2%)

The official languages of the state are Nepali, Sikkimese, Lepcha and English. Additional official languages include Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Mukhia, Newar, Rai, Sherpa and Tamang for the purpose of preservation of culture and tradition in the state.

Nepali is the lingua franca of Sikkim, while Sikkimese (Bhutia) and Lepcha are spoken in certain areas.[124] English is also spoken and understood in most of Sikkim. Other languages include Dzongkha, Groma, Hindi, Majhi, Majhwar, Thulung, Tibetan, and Yakha.[125]

Ethnicity

The majority of Sikkim's residents are of Nepali ethnic origin.[126] The native Sikkimese consist of the Bhutias, who migrated from the Kham district of Tibet in the 14th century, and the Lepchas, who are believed to pre-date the Bhutias and are the oldest known inhabitants. Tibetans reside mostly in the northern and eastern reaches of the state. Migrant resident communities include Bengalis, Biharis and Marwaris, who are prominent in commerce in South Sikkim and Gangtok.[127]

Religion

Religion in Sikkim (2011)[128]

  Hinduism (57.76%)
  Buddhism (27.39%)
  Christianity (9.91%)
  Islam (1.62%)
  Sikhism (0.31%)
  Jainism (0.05%)
  Other faith like Kirat Mundhum, Bon, Mun (2.67%)
  No religion (0.3%)
Religious
group
Population
% 1991[129]
Population
% 2001[130]
Population
% 2011[128]
Hinduism 68.36% 60.93% 57.76%
Buddhism 27.15% 28.11% 27.39%
Christianity 3.29% 6.67% 9.91%
Islam 0.94% 1.42% 1.62%
Sikhism 0.09% 0.21% 0.31%
Jainism 0.001% 0.03% 0.05%
Other religions 0.04% 2.38% 2.67%
No religion 0.3%

According to the 2011 census, 57.8% follow Hinduism, making it the state's majority religion. Buddhism is followed by 27.4% of the population, while Christianity is followed by 9.9%.[131] Between 2001 and 2011, Christianity was the fastest growing religion in the state, going from 6.67% to 9.91% of the population.[131] It was thus the fourth state with the highest Christian growth in the period, behind only Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya.[130][132] As of 2014, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sikkim is the largest Christian denomination in Sikkim.[133] Hinduism, on the other hand, declined from 60.93% to 57.76% of the population in the same period.[130][131] Sikkim was the fourth state with the biggest decline in the percentage of Hindus, behind only Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Assam.[132] Vajrayana Buddhism, which accounts for 27.3% of the population, is Sikkim's second-largest, yet most prominent religion. Prior to Sikkim's becoming a part of the Indian Union, Vajrayana Buddhism was the state religion under the Chogyal. Sikkim has 75 Buddhist monasteries, the oldest dating back to the 1700s.[134] The public and visual aesthetics of Sikkim are executed in shades of Vajrayana Buddhism and Buddhism plays a significant role in public life, even among Sikkim's majority Nepali Hindu population. Other religious minorities include Muslims of Bihari ethnicity and Jains, who each account for roughly 1% of the population.[135] The traditional religions of the native Sikkimese account for much of the remainder of the population.

Although tensions between the Lepchas and the Nepalese escalated during the merger of Sikkim with India in the 1970s, there has never been any major degree of communal religious violence, unlike in other Indian states.[136][137] The traditional religion of the Lepcha people is Mun, an animist practice which coexists with Buddhism and Christianity.[138]

Districts

There are 6 districts in Sikkim, each overseen by a Central Government appointee, the district collector, who is in charge of the administration of the civilian areas of the districts. The Indian army has control of a large territory, as the state is a sensitive border area. Many areas are restricted and permits are needed to visit them. The four districts are:

Code District Headquarters Population (2011)[139] Area (km²) Density (/km²)
GD Gangtok district Gangtok 281,293 954 257
MD Mangan district Mangan 43,354 4,226 10
ND Namchi district Namchi 146,742 750 175
GD Gyalshing district Geyzing 136,299 1,166 106
PD Pakyong District Pakyong 74,583 404 180
SD Soreng District Soreng na na na

Culture

Festivals and holidays

 
The traditional Gumpa dance being performed in Lachung during the Buddhist festival of Losar.

Sikkim's Nepalese majority celebrate all major Hindu festivals, including Tihar (Diwali) and Dashain (Dashera). Traditional local festivals, such as Maghe Sankranti, Ramnavmi, Janmastami, Holi, Shivaratri, Navratri, Sakela, Chasok Tangnam and Bhimsen Puja, are popular.[140] Losar, Saga Dawa, Lhabab Duechen, Drupka Teshi and Bhumchu are among the Buddhist festivals celebrated in Sikkim. During the Losar (Tibetan New Year), most offices and educational institutions are closed for a week.[141]

Sikkimese Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr and Muharram.[142] Christmas has been promoted in Gangtok to attract tourists during the off-season.[143]

Western rock music and Indian pop have gained a wide following in Sikkim. Nepali rock and Lepcha music are also popular.[144] Sikkim's most popular sports are football and cricket, although hang gliding and river rafting have grown popular as part of the tourism industry.[145]

 
Famous Bollywood actor Danny Denzongpa is from Sikkim.

Cuisine

Noodle-based dishes such as thukpa, chow mein, thenthuk, fakthu, gyathuk and wonton are common in Sikkim. Momos – steamed dumplings filled with vegetables, chicken, mutton, beef or pork and served with soup – are a popular snack.[146]

Beer, whiskey, rum and brandy are widely consumed in Sikkim,[147] as is tongba, a millet-based alcoholic beverage that is popular in Nepal and Darjeeling. Sikkim has the third-highest per capita alcoholism rate amongst all Indian states, behind Punjab and Haryana.[148]

Media

 
The Dro-dul Chorten Stupa in Gangtok.

In 1957, a Nepali monthly magazine Kanchenjunga became the first news outlet for the masses in Sikkim.[149]

The southern urban areas of Sikkim have English, Nepali and Hindi daily newspapers. Nepali-language newspapers, as well as some English newspapers, are locally printed, whereas Hindi and English newspapers are printed in Siliguri. Important local dailies and weeklies include Hamro Prajashakti (Nepali daily), Himalayan Mirror (English daily), the Samay Dainik, Sikkim Express (English), Kanchanjunga Times (Nepali weekly), Pragya Khabar (Nepali weekly) and Himali Bela.[150] Furthermore, the state receives regional editions of national English newspapers such as The Statesman, The Telegraph, The Hindu and The Times of India. Himalaya Darpan, a Nepali daily published in Siliguri, is one of the leading Nepali daily newspapers in the region. The Sikkim Herald is an official weekly publication of the government. Online media covering Sikkim include the Nepali newspaper Himgiri, the English news portal Haalkhabar and the literary magazine Tistarangit. Avyakta, Bilokan, the Journal of Hill Research, Khaber Khagaj, Panda, and the Sikkim Science Society Newsletter are among other registered publications.[151]

Internet cafés are well established in the district capitals, but broadband connectivity is not widely available. Satellite television channels through dish antennae are available in most homes in the state. Channels served are largely the same as those available in the rest of India, although Nepali-language channels are also available. The main service providers include Airtel digital TV, Tata Sky, Dish TV, DD Free Dish and Nayuma.

Education

 
Sikkim Manipal University Campus, Gangtok

In 2011, Sikkim's adult literacy rate was 82.2 per cent: 87.29 per cent for males and 76.43 per cent for females.[152] There are a total of 1,157 schools in the state, including 765 schools run by the state government, seven central government schools and 385 private schools.[153] There is one Institute of National Importance,[154] one central university[155] and four private universities[156] in Sikkim offering higher education.

Recently, Government of Sikkim has approved the open school board named Board of Open Schooling and Skill Education,[157] BOSSE to provide Secondary Education, Senior Secondary as well as Skill & Vocational Education up to pre-degree level and to provide opportunity to continue education to such students who have missed the opportunity of school education. Sikkim has a National Institute of Technology, currently operating from a temporary campus in Ravangla, South Sikkim,[158] which is one among the ten newly sanctioned NITs by the Government of India under the 11th Five year Plan, 2009.[159] The NIT Sikkim also has state of art super computing facility named PARAM Kanchenjunga which is said to be fastest among all 31 NITs.[160] Sikkim University is the only central university in Sikkim. The public-private funded institution is the Sikkim Manipal University of Technological Sciences, which offers higher education in engineering, medicine and management. It also runs a host of distance education programs in diverse fields.[161]

There are two state-run polytechnic schools – the Advanced Technical Training Centre (ATTC) and the Centre for Computers and Communication Technology (CCCT) – which offer diploma courses in various branches of engineering. ATTC is situated at Bardang, Singtam, and CCCT at Chisopani, Namchi.

Sikkim University began operating in 2008 at Yangang, which is situated about 28 kilometres (17 mi) from Singtam.[162] Many students, however, migrate to Siliguri, Kolkata, Bangalore and other Indian cities for their higher education.

The campus of the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT), under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology of the Government of India, is at Pakyong in East Sikkim, and offers formal and informal education in the IT/ITES sector.

Towns and cities

 
Jorethang at night time.

The major towns and cities of Sikkim are as follows:

Gangtok, Pakyong, Namchi, Jorethang, Rangpo, Singtam, Gyalshing, Mangan, Soreng, Pelling, Rhenock, Rongli, Rorathang, Ravangla, Chungthang, Ranipool, Lachen, Nayabazar, Lachung, Dikchu, Majitar, Legship, Melli, Yuksom, Sherathang, Namthang, Rinchenpong, Singhik, Hee Burmiok, Tashiding, Kumrek, Makha, Yangang, and Damthang.

Sports

The popular sports played in Sikkim include football, cricket, archery, volleyball, tennis, badminton, and athletics. Adventure sports like paragliding, Hiking and mountain biking are also popular in Sikkim. The stadiums of Sikkim are as follows:

See also

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Further reading and bibliography

  • Bareh, Hamlet (2001). "Introduction". Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim. Mittal Publications. ISBN 978-81-7099-794-8. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  • Choudhury, Maitreyee (2006). Sikkim: Geographical Perspectives. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. ISBN 978-81-8324-158-8.
  • Duff, Andrew (2015), Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom, Birlinn, ISBN 978-0-85790-245-0
  • Evans, W. H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society. ASIN B00086SOSG.
  • Forbes, Andrew; Henley, David (2011). 'The Tea Horse Road from Lhasa to Sikkim'. China's Ancient Tea Horse Road. Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books.ASIN B005DQV7Q2.
  • Kandell, Alice S. (1971). Sikkim: The Hidden Kingdom (2nd ed.). Doubleday. ISBN 978-03-8502-206-4.
  • Hooker, Joseph Dalton (1854). Himalayan Journals: notes of a naturalist in Bengal, the Sikkim and Nepal Himalayas, the Khasia mountains etc. Ward, Lock, Bowden & Co.
  • Haribal, Meena (2003) [1994]. Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural History. Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation. Natraj Publishers. ISBN 978-81-85019-11-6.
  • Ray, Arundhati; Das, Sujoy (2001). Sikkim: A Traveller's Guide. Orient Blackswan, New Delhi. ISBN 81-7824-008-4.
  • Rose, Leo E. (1978), "Modernizing a Traditional Administrative System: Sikkim 1890–1973", in James F. Fisher (ed.), Himalayan Anthropology: The Indo-Tibetan Interface, Walter de Gruyter, pp. 205–, ISBN 978-90-279-7700-7
  • Sinha, A. C., "Sikkim" (PDF), in Mayumi Murayama; Kyoko Inoue; Sanjoy Hazarika (eds.), Sub-Regional Relations in the Eastern South Asia: With Special Focus on India's North Eastern Region, Institute of Developing Economies
  • Holidaying in Sikkim and Bhutan. Nest and Wings. ISBN 81-87592-07-9.
  • Sikkim – Land of Mystic and Splendour. Sikkim Tourism.[ISBN missing]
  • Manorama Yearbook 2003. ISBN 81-900461-8-7.

External links

Government

  • Official website  
  • Official website of Sikkim Tourism

General information

sikkim, other, uses, disambiguation, nepali, pronunciation, ˈsikːim, state, northeastern, india, borders, tibet, autonomous, region, china, north, northeast, bhutan, east, province, nepal, west, west, bengal, south, also, close, siliguri, corridor, which, bord. For other uses see Sikkim disambiguation Sikkim ˈ s ɪ k ɪ m Nepali pronunciation ˈsikːim is a state in Northeastern India It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast Bhutan in the east Province No 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south Sikkim is also close to the Siliguri Corridor which borders Bangladesh Sikkim is the least populous and second smallest among the Indian states Situated in the Eastern Himalaya Sikkim is notable for its biodiversity including alpine and subtropical climates as well as being a host to Kangchenjunga the highest peak in India and third highest on Earth 8 Sikkim s capital and largest city is Gangtok Almost 35 of the state is covered by Khangchendzonga National Park a UNESCO World Heritage Site 9 SikkimState clockwise from top Kangchenjunga Gurudongmar Lake Temi Tea Garden Siddheshwar Dham Temple complex at Namchi Rumtek MonasteryEmblemMotto s Kham sum wangdu Conqueror of the three worlds Anthem Jahan Bagcha Teesta Rangeet Where Teesta and Rangeet flow Coordinates Gangtok 27 33 N 88 30 E 27 550 N 88 500 E 27 550 88 500Country IndiaAdmission to Union 16 May 1975CapitalGangtokLargest cityGangtokDistricts6Government GovernorGanga Prasad Chief MinisterPrem Singh Tamang SKM LegislatureUnicameral 32 seats Parliamentary constituencyRajya Sabha 1 Lok Sabha 1 High CourtSikkim High CourtArea Total7 096 km2 2 740 sq mi Rank27thPopulation 2011 1 Total610 577 Rank28th Density86 km2 220 sq mi DemonymSikkimeseLanguages 2 3 OfficialNepaliSikkimeseLepchaEnglish Additional officialGurungLimbuMagarMukhiaNewariRaiSherpaTamangTime zoneUTC 05 30 IST ISO 3166 codeIN SKHDI 2019 0 717 High 10thLiteracy82 6 13th Websitewww sikkim gov inSymbols of SikkimEmblemEmblem of SikkimMotto ཁམས གས མ དབང འད ས Kham sum wangdu Conqueror of the three worlds SongJahan Bagcha Teesta RangeetMammalRed PandaBirdBlood Pheasant 4 FishCopper Mahseer locally called Katley 5 FlowerNoble dendrobium Dendrobium nobile 6 7 TreeRhododendron The Assembly of Sikkim abolished monarchy and resolved to be a constituent unit of India A referendum was held on these issues and a majority of voters voted yes On 15 May 1975 the President of India ratified a constitutional amendment that made Sikkim the 22nd state of India The Kingdom of Sikkim was founded by the Namgyal dynasty in the 17th century It was ruled by Buddhist priest kings known as the Chogyal It became a princely state of British India in 1890 Following Indian independence Sikkim continued its protectorate status with the Union of India after 1947 and the Republic of India after 1950 It enjoyed the highest literacy rate and per capita income among Himalayan states In 1973 anti royalist riots took place in front of the Chogyal s palace In 1975 after the Indian Army took over the city of Gangtok a referendum was held that led to the dissolution of the monarchy and Sikkim joining India as its 22nd state 10 Modern Sikkim is a multiethnic and multilingual Indian state The official languages of the state are English Nepali Sikkimese and Lepcha 2 Additional official languages include Gurung Limbu Magar Mukhia Newari Rai Sherpa and Tamang for the purpose of preservation of culture and tradition in the state 3 English is taught in schools and used in government documents The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism Sikkim s economy is largely dependent on agriculture and tourism As of 2019 update the state had the fifth smallest GDP among Indian states 11 although it is also among the fastest growing 12 13 Sikkim accounts for the largest share of cardamom production in India which is the world s second largest producer of the spice after Guatemala Sikkim achieved its ambition to convert its agriculture to fully organic between 2003 and 2016 and became the first state in India to achieve this distinction 14 15 16 17 It is also among India s most environmentally conscious states having banned plastic water bottles in any government functions and meetings and polystyrene products throughout the state 18 19 Contents 1 Toponymy 2 History 2 1 Foundation of the monarchy 2 2 During the British Raj 2 3 Indian protectorate 2 4 Merger and statehood 2 5 Recent history 3 Geography 3 1 Geology 3 2 Climate 3 3 Flora and fauna 3 3 1 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries 4 Government and politics 4 1 Subdivisions 5 Economy 6 Transport 6 1 Air 6 2 Roads 6 3 Rail 7 Infrastructure 8 Demographics 8 1 Languages 8 2 Ethnicity 8 3 Religion 9 Districts 10 Culture 10 1 Festivals and holidays 10 2 Cuisine 11 Media 12 Education 13 Towns and cities 14 Sports 15 See also 16 References 17 Further reading and bibliography 18 External links 18 1 Government 18 2 General informationToponymyThe origin theory of the name Sikkim is that it is a combination of two Limbu words su which means new and khyim which means palace or house 20 The Tibetan name for Sikkim is Drenjong Wylie transliteration bras ljongs which means valley of rice 21 while the Bhutias call it Beyul Demazong which means the hidden valley of rice 22 According to folklore after establishing Rabdentse as his new capital Bhutia king Tensung Namgyal built a palace and asked his Limbu Queen to name it The Lepcha people the original inhabitants of Sikkim called it Nye mae el meaning paradise 22 In historical Indian literature Sikkim is known as Indrakil the garden of the war god Indra 23 HistoryMain article History of Sikkim Guru Rinpoche patron saint of Sikkim The Lepchas are considered to be the earliest inhabitants of Sikkim 24 However the Limbus and the Magars also lived in the inaccessible parts of West and South districts as early as the Lepchas perhaps lived in the East and North districts 25 The Buddhist saint Padmasambhava also known as Guru Rinpoche is said to have passed through the land in the 8th century 26 The Guru is reported to have blessed the land introduced Buddhism and foretold the era of monarchy that would arrive in Sikkim centuries later citation needed Foundation of the monarchy Main article Kingdom of Sikkim Flag of Sikkim during its independent monarchy According to legend Khye Bumsa a 14th century prince from the Minyak House in Kham in eastern Tibet received a divine revelation instructing him to travel south to seek his fortunes A fifth generation descendant of Khye Bumsa Phuntsog Namgyal became the founder of Sikkim s monarchy in 1642 when he was consecrated as the first Chogyal or priest king of Sikkim by the three venerated lamas at Yuksom 27 Phuntsog Namgyal was succeeded in 1670 by his son Tensung Namgyal who moved the capital from Yuksom to Rabdentse near modern Pelling In 1700 Sikkim was invaded by the Bhutanese with the help of the half sister of the Chogyal who had been denied the throne The Bhutanese were driven away by the Tibetan people who restored the throne to the Chogyal ten years later Between 1717 and 1733 the kingdom faced many raids by the Nepalese in the west and Bhutanese in the east culminating with the destruction of the capital Rabdentse by the Nepalese 28 In 1791 China sent troops to support Sikkim and defend Tibet against the Gorkha Kingdom Following the subsequent defeat of Gorkha the Chinese Qing dynasty established control over Sikkim 29 During the British Raj The neutrality of this section is disputed Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met April 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message An 1876 map of Sikkim depicting Chomto Dong Lake in northern Sikkim 30 However the whole of Chumbi and Darjeeling are not depicted as part of Sikkim in the map Following the beginning of British rule in neighbouring India Sikkim allied with Britain against their common adversary Nepal The Nepalese attacked Sikkim overrunning most of the region including the Terai This prompted the British East India Company to attack Nepal resulting in the Gurkha War of 1814 31 Treaties signed between Sikkim and Nepal resulted in the return of the territory annexed by the Nepalese in 1817 However ties between Sikkim and the British weakened when the latter began taxation of the Morang region In 1849 two British physicians Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker and Dr Archibald Campbell the latter being in charge of relations between the British and Sikkimese governments ventured into the mountains of Sikkim unannounced and unauthorised 32 The doctors were detained by the Sikkimese government leading to a punitive British expedition against the kingdom after which the Darjeeling district and Morang were annexed to British India in 1853 The Chogyal of Sikkim became a titular ruler under the directive of the British governor as a result of the invasion 33 Sikkim became a British protectorate in the later decades of the 19th century formalised by a convention signed with China in 1890 34 35 36 Sikkim was gradually granted more sovereignty over the next three decades 37 and became a member of the Chamber of Princes the assembly representing the rulers of the Indian princely states in 1922 36 Indian protectorate Prior to Indian independence Jawaharlal Nehru as the Vice President of the Executive Council pushed through a resolution in the Indian Constituent Assembly to the effect that Sikkim and Bhutan as Himalayan states were not Indian states and their future should be negotiated separately 38 A standstill agreement was signed in February 1948 39 Meanwhile Indian independence and its move to democracy spurred a fledgling political movement in Sikkim giving rise to the formation of Sikkim State Congress SSC a pro accession political party The party sent a plate of demands to the palace including a demand for accession to India The palace attempted to defuse the movement by appointing three secretaries from the SSC to the government and sponsoring a counter movement in the name of Sikkim National Party which opposed accession to India 40 The demand for responsible government continued and the SSC launched a civil disobedience movement The Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal asked India for help in quelling the movement which was offered in the form of a small military police force and an Indian Dewan In 1950 a treaty was agreed between India and Sikkim which gave Sikkim the status of an Indian protectorate Sikkim came under the suzerainty of India which controlled its external affairs defence diplomacy and communications 41 In other respects Sikkim retained administrative autonomy citation needed A state council was established in 1953 to allow for constitutional government under the Chogyal Despite pressures from an India bent on annexation Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal was able to preserve autonomy and shape a model Asian state where the literacy rate and per capita income were twice as high as neighbouring Nepal Bhutan and India 42 Meanwhile the Sikkim National Congress demanded fresh elections and greater representation for Nepalis in Sikkim People marched on the palace against the monarchy 42 In 1973 anti royalist riots took place in front of the Chogyal s palace Merger and statehood See also 1975 Sikkimese monarchy referendum In 1975 the Prime Minister of Sikkim appealed to the Indian Parliament for Sikkim to become a state of India In April of that year the Indian Army took over the city of Gangtok and disarmed the Chogyal s palace guards Thereafter a referendum was held in which 97 5 per cent of voters supported abolishing the monarchy effectively approving union with India India is said to have stationed 20 000 40 000 troops in a country of only 200 000 during the referendum 43 On 16 May 1975 Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union and the monarchy was abolished 44 To enable the incorporation of the new state the Indian Parliament amended the Indian Constitution First the 35th Amendment laid down a set of conditions that made Sikkim an Associate State a special designation not used by any other state A month later the 36th Amendment repealed the 35th Amendment and made Sikkim a full state adding its name to the First Schedule of the Constitution 45 Recent history In 2000 the seventeenth Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje who had been confirmed by the Dalai Lama and accepted as a tulku by the Chinese government escaped from Tibet seeking to return to the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim Chinese officials were in a quandary on this issue as any protests to India would mean an explicit endorsement of India s governance of Sikkim which China still recognised as an independent state occupied by India The Chinese government eventually recognised Sikkim as an Indian state in 2003 in return for India declaring Tibet as a part of the territory of China 46 47 New Delhi had accepted Tibet as part of China way back in 1954 but China appears to have believed that the agreement had lapsed 48 49 The 2003 agreement led to a thaw in Sino Indian relations 50 On 6 July 2006 the Sikkimese Himalayan pass of Nathu La was opened to cross border trade becoming the first open border between India and China 51 The pass which was first opened during the 1904 Younghusband Expedition to Tibet 52 had remained closed since the 1962 Sino Indian War 51 On 18 September 2011 a magnitude 6 9Mw earthquake struck Sikkim killing at least 116 people in the state and in Nepal Bhutan Bangladesh and Tibet 53 More than 60 people died in Sikkim alone and the city of Gangtok suffered significant damage 54 GeographyKangchenjunga Kangchenjunga the third highest mountain in the world near the Zemu Glacier Situated in the Himalayan mountains the state of Sikkim is characterised by mountainous terrain Almost the entire state is hilly with an elevation ranging from 280 metres 920 ft in the south at the border with West Bengal to 8 586 metres 28 169 ft in northern peaks near Nepal and Tibet The summit of Kangchenjunga the world s third highest peak is the state s highest point situated on the border between Sikkim and Nepal 55 For the most part the land is unfit for agriculture because of the rocky precipitous slopes However some hill slopes have been converted into terrace farms citation needed Sikkim is in lower center of image of the Tibetan Plateau NASA Satellite photo Numerous snow fed streams have carved out river valleys in the west and south of the state These streams combine into the major Teesta River and its tributary the Rangeet which flow through the state from north to south 56 About a third of the state is heavily forested The Himalayan mountains surround the northern eastern and western borders of Sikkim The Lower Himalayas lying in the southern reaches of the state are the most densely populated citation needed The state has 28 mountain peaks more than 80 glaciers 57 227 high altitude lakes including the Tsongmo Gurudongmar and Khecheopalri Lakes five major hot springs and more than 100 rivers and streams Eight mountain passes connect the state to Tibet Bhutan and Nepal 58 Sikkim s hot springs are renowned for their medicinal and therapeutic value Among the state s most notable hot springs are those at Phurchachu Yumthang Borang Ralang Taram chu and Yumey Samdong The springs which have a high sulphur content are located near river banks some are known to emit hydrogen 59 The average temperature of the water in these hot springs is 50 C 122 F 60 Geology A waterfall in Sikkim The hills of Sikkim mainly consist of gneiss and schist 61 which weather to produce generally poor and shallow brown clay soils The soil is coarse with large concentrations of iron oxide it ranges from neutral to acidic and is lacking in organic and mineral nutrients This type of soil tends to support evergreen and deciduous forests 62 The rock consists of phyllites and schists and is highly susceptible to weathering and erosion This combined with the state s heavy rainfall causes extensive soil erosion and the loss of soil nutrients through leaching As a result landslides are frequent often isolating rural towns and villages from the major urban centres 63 Climate The state has five seasons winter summer spring autumn and monsoon season Sikkim s climate ranges from sub tropical in the south to tundra in the north Most of the inhabited regions of Sikkim experience a temperate climate with temperatures seldom exceeding 28 C 82 F in summer The average annual temperature for most of Sikkim is around 18 C 64 F citation needed Sikkim is one of the few states in India to receive regular snowfall The snow line ranges from 6 100 metres 20 000 ft in the south of the state to 4 900 metres 16 100 ft in the north 64 The tundra type region in the north is snowbound for four months every year and the temperature drops below 0 C 32 F almost every night 59 In north western Sikkim the peaks are frozen year round 65 because of the high altitude temperatures in the mountains can drop to as low as 40 C 40 F in winter During the monsoon heavy rains increase the risk of landslides The record for the longest period of continuous rain in Sikkim is 11 days Fog affects many parts of the state during winter and the monsoons making transportation perilous 66 Flora and fauna Noble orchid top is Sikkim s state flower Rhododendron is its state tree about 40 species of Rhododendron bloom late April mid May across the state 67 Sikkim is situated in an ecological hotspot of the lower Himalayas one of only three among the ecoregions of India 68 69 The forested regions of the state exhibit a diverse range of fauna and flora Owing to its altitudinal gradation the state has a wide variety of plants from tropical species to temperate alpine and tundra ones and is perhaps one of the few regions to exhibit such a diversity within such a small area Nearly 81 per cent of the area of Sikkim comes under the administration of its forest department 70 Sikkim is home to around 5 000 species of flowering plants 515 rare orchids 60 primula species 36 rhododendron species 11 oak varieties 23 bamboo varieties 16 conifer species 362 types of ferns and ferns allies 8 tree ferns and over 900 medicinal plants 68 8 A relative of the Poinsettia locally known as Christmas Flower can be found in abundance in the mountainous state The Noble Dendrobium is the official flower of Sikkim while the rhododendron is the state tree 71 Orchids figs laurel bananas sal trees and bamboo grow in the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests of the lower altitudes of Sikkim In the temperate elevations above 1 500 metres 4 900 ft there are Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests where oaks chestnuts maples birches alders and magnolias grow in large numbers as well as Himalayan subtropical pine forests dominated by Chir pine Alpine type vegetation is typically found between an altitude of 3 500 to 5 000 metres 11 500 to 16 400 ft In lower elevations are found juniper pine firs cypresses and rhododendrons from the Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests Higher up are Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows and high altitude wetlands which are home to a wide variety of rhododendrons and wildflowers 69 8 The red panda is the state animal of Sikkim The fauna of Sikkim include the snow leopard 72 musk deer Himalayan tahr red panda Himalayan marmot Himalayan serow Himalayan goral muntjac common langur Asian black bear clouded leopard 73 marbled cat leopard cat 74 dhole Tibetan wolf hog badger binturong and Himalayan jungle 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 include the impeyan pheasant crimson horned pheasant snow partridge Tibetan snowcock bearded vulture and griffon vulture as well as golden eagles quails plovers woodcocks sandpipers pigeons Old World flycatchers babblers and robins Sikkim has more than 550 species of birds some of which have been declared endangered 69 Sikkim also has a rich diversity of arthropods many of which remain unstudied 69 Some of the most understudied species are Sikkimese arthropods specifically butterflies Of the approximately 1 438 butterfly species found in the Indian subcontinent 695 have been recorded in Sikkim 75 These include the endangered Kaiser i hind the Yellow Gorgon and the Bhutan Glory 76 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message List of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Sikkim Khangchendzonga National Park Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary Shingba Rhododendron SanctuaryGovernment and politicsSee also Elections in Sikkim and History of Sikkim Sikkim Legislative Assembly According to the Constitution of India Sikkim has a parliamentary system of representative democracy for its governance universal suffrage is granted to state residents The government structure is organised into three branches Executive As with all states of India a governor stands at the head of the executive power of state just as the president is the head of the executive power in the Union and is appointed by the President of India The governor s appointment is largely ceremonial and his or her main role is to oversee the swearing in of the chief minister The chief minister who holds the real executive powers is the head of the party or coalition garnering the largest majority in the state elections The governor also appoints cabinet ministers on the advice of the chief minister Legislature Sikkim has a unicameral legislature the Sikkim Legislative Assembly like most other Indian states Its state assembly has 32 seats including one reserved for the Sangha Sikkim is allocated one seat in each of the two chambers of India s national bicameral legislature the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha Judiciary The judiciary consists of the Sikkim High Court and a system of lower courts The High Court located at Gangtok has a Chief Justice along with two permanent justices The Sikkim High Court is the smallest state high court in the country 77 In 1975 after the abrogation of Sikkim s monarchy the Indian National Congress gained a majority in the 1977 elections In 1979 after a period of instability a popular ministry headed by Nar Bahadur Bhandari leader of the Sikkim Sangram Parishad Party was sworn in Bhandari held on to power in the 1984 and 1989 elections In the 1994 elections Pawan Kumar Chamling of the Sikkim Democratic Front became the Chief Minister of the state Chamling and his party had since held on to power by winning the 1999 2004 2009 and 2014 elections 33 78 79 However the 2019 legislative assembly elections were won by the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party and the chief minister since then is Prem Singh Tamang 80 81 The current Governor of Sikkim is Ganga Prasad 82 Subdivisions Sikkim has six districts Gangtok District Mangan District Namchi District Pakyong District Geyzing District and Soreng District The district capitals are Gangtok Mangan Namchi Pakyong Gyalshing and Soreng respectively 83 These six districts are further divided into 16 subdivisions Pakyong Rongli Rangpo and Gangtok are the subdivisions of the Gangtok and Pakyong Districts Soreng Yuksom Gyalshing and Dentam are the subdivisions of the Geyzing and Soreng district Chungthang Dzongu Kabi and Mangan are the subdivisions of the Mangan district Ravongla Jorethang Namchi and Yangyang are the subdivisions of the Namchi district 84 Each of Sikkim s districts is overseen by a state government appointee the district collector who is in charge of the administration of the civilian areas of the district The Indian Army has control over a large part of the state as Sikkim forms part of a sensitive border area with China Many areas are restricted to foreigners and official permits are needed to visit them 85 EconomySikkim s nominal state gross domestic product GDP was estimated at US 4 6 billion in 2019 with GDP per capita being 7 530 5 50 000 thus constituting the third smallest GDP among India s 28 states 12 The state s economy is largely agrarian based on the terraced farming of rice and the cultivation of crops such as maize millet wheat barley oranges tea and cardamom 86 87 Sikkim produces more cardamom than any other Indian state and is home to the largest cultivated area of cardamom 88 Because of its hilly terrain and poor transport infrastructure Sikkim lacks a large scale industrial base Brewing distilling tanning and watchmaking are the main industries and are mainly located in the southern regions of the state primarily in the towns of Melli and Jorethang In addition a small mining industry exists in Sikkim extracting minerals such as copper dolomite talc graphite quartzite coal zinc and lead 89 Despite the state s minimal industrial infrastructure Sikkim s economy has been among the fastest growing in India since 2000 the state s GDP expanded by 89 93 in 2010 alone 90 In 2003 Sikkim decided to fully convert to organic farming and achieved this goal in 2015 becoming India s first organic state 15 16 17 14 In recent years the government of Sikkim has extensively promoted tourism As a result state revenue has increased 14 times since the mid 1990s 91 Sikkim has furthermore invested in a fledgling gambling industry promoting both casinos and online gambling The state s first casino the Casino Sikkim opened in March 2009 92 In the year 2010 the government subsequently issued three gambling licenses for casinos and online sports betting in general 93 The Playwin lottery has been a notable success in the state 94 95 The opening of the Nathu La pass on 6 July 2006 connecting Lhasa Tibet to India was billed as a boon for Sikkim s economy Trade through the pass remains hampered by Sikkim s limited infrastructure and government restrictions in both India and China though the volume of traded goods has been steadily increasing 96 97 Elaichi or cardamom is the chief cash crop of Sikkim Temi Tea Garden Namchi Sikkim Tea garden at Temi Sikkim Terraced rice paddy fields of Sikkim TransportAir Runway at Pakyong Airport is the first greenfield airport to be constructed in the Northeast India 98 Teesta River is considered the state s key waterway Sikkim did not have any operational airport for a long time because of its rough terrain However in October 2018 Pakyong Airport the state s first airport located in Pakyong Town at a distance of 30 km 19 mi from Gangtok became operational after a four year delay 99 100 It has been constructed by the Airports Authority of India on 200 acres of land At an altitude of 4 700 feet 1 400 m above sea level it is one of the five highest airports in India 101 102 The airport is capable of operating ATR aircraft 103 Before October 2018 the closest operational airport to Sikkim was Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri in northern West Bengal The airport is located about 124 km 77 mi from Gangtok and frequent buses connect the two 104 A daily helicopter service run by the Sikkim Helicopter Service connects Gangtok to Bagdogra the flight is thirty minutes long operates only once a day and can carry four people 78 The Gangtok helipad is the only civilian helipad in the state Roads Gangtok to Siliguri Bus National Highway 10 NH 10 formerly NH 31A links Siliguri to Gangtok Sikkim Nationalised Transport runs bus and truck services Privately run bus tourist taxi and jeep services operate throughout Sikkim and also connect it to Siliguri A branch of the highway from Melli connects western Sikkim Towns in eastern southern and western Sikkim are connected to the hill stations of Kalimpong and Darjeeling in northern West Bengal 105 The state is furthermore connected to Tibet by the mountain pass of Nathu La List of National Highways of Sikkim Number Length km 106 Length mi Southern or western terminus Northern or eastern terminus Formed Removed Notes NH 10 52 32 Gangtok Singtam Rangpo West Bengal Border NH 310 87 54 Ranipool NH 31A Burtuk Menla Nathula NH 310A 55 34 Tashi view point Phodong Mangan NH 510 70 43 Singtam Damthang Legship Gyalshing NH 710 45 28 Melli Manpur Namchi Damthang Tarku NH 717A 112 70 West Bengal Border Reshi Rhenock Rorathang Pakyong a junction with new NH No 10 at Ranipool near Gangtok NH 717B 42 26 Junction with NH No 717A at Rhenock Rongli Rolep junction with NH No 310 near Menla at Serethang Rail Sikkim lacks significant railway infrastructure The closest major railway stations are Siliguri Junction and New Jalpaiguri in neighbouring West Bengal 107 However the New Sikkim Railway Project has been launched to connect the town of Rangpo in Sikkim with Sevoke on the West Bengal border This line is Sevoke Rangpo Railway Line from Sivok railway station to Rangpo railway station 108 The five station line is intended to support both economic development and Indian Army operations and was initially planned to be completed by 2015 109 110 though as of 2013 its construction has met with delays 111 The railway line up to Rangpo is expected to be completed in 2021 112 In the second phase the line will be extended up to Gangtok 113 In addition the Ministry of Railways proposed plans in 2010 for railway lines linking Mirik in West Bengal to Namchi Daramdin Ranipool and Gangtok 114 Infrastructure Nathu La Pass Indo China Border This section needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information May 2022 Sikkim s roads are maintained by the Border Roads Organisation BRO an offshoot of the Indian Army The roads in southern Sikkim are in relatively good condition landslides being less frequent in this region The state government maintains 1 857 kilometres 1 154 mi of roadways that do not fall under the BRO s jurisdiction 115 Sikkim receives most of its electricity from 19 hydroelectric power stations 91 Power is also obtained from the National Thermal Power Corporation and Power Grid Corporation of India 116 By 2006 the state had achieved 100 per cent rural electrification 117 However the voltage remains unstable and voltage stabilisers are needed Per capita consumption of electricity in Sikkim was approximately 182 kWh in 2006 The state government has promoted biogas and solar power for cooking but these have received a poor response and are used mostly for lighting purposes 118 In 2005 73 2 per cent of Sikkim s households were reported to have access to safe drinking water 115 and the state s large number of mountain streams assures a sufficient water supply On 8 December 2008 it was announced that Sikkim had become the first state in India to achieve 100 per cent sanitation coverage becoming completely free of public defecation thus attaining the status of Nirmal State 119 120 DemographicsFurther information Sikkimese people A little girl from Kaluk Bazaar Historical populationYearPop p a 190159 014 191187 920 4 07 192181 721 0 73 1931109 808 3 00 1941121 520 1 02 1951137 725 1 26 1961162 189 1 65 1971209 843 2 61 1981316 385 4 19 1991406 457 2 54 2001540 851 2 90 2011610 577 1 22 source 121 Sikkim is India s least populous state with 610 577 inhabitants according to the 2011 census 1 Sikkim is also one of the least densely populated Indian states with only 86 persons per square kilometre However it has a high population growth rate averaging 12 36 per cent between 2001 and 2011 The sex ratio is 889 females per 1 000 males with a total of 321 661 males and 286 027 females recorded in 2011 With around 98 000 inhabitants as of 2011 the capital Gangtok is the most significant urban area in the mostly rural state in 2005 the urban population in Sikkim constituted around 11 06 per cent of the total 115 In 2011 the average per capita income in Sikkim stood at 81 159 US 1 305 122 Languages Languages of Sikkim 2011 census 123 Nepali 62 6 Sikkimese 6 86 Limbu 6 34 Lepcha 6 27 Hindi 5 58 Sherpa 2 24 Tamang 1 92 Bhojpuri 1 63 Rai 1 22 Bengali 1 14 Other 4 2 The official languages of the state are Nepali Sikkimese Lepcha and English Additional official languages include Gurung Limbu Magar Mukhia Newar Rai Sherpa and Tamang for the purpose of preservation of culture and tradition in the state Nepali is the lingua franca of Sikkim while Sikkimese Bhutia and Lepcha are spoken in certain areas 124 English is also spoken and understood in most of Sikkim Other languages include Dzongkha Groma Hindi Majhi Majhwar Thulung Tibetan and Yakha 125 Ethnicity The majority of Sikkim s residents are of Nepali ethnic origin 126 The native Sikkimese consist of the Bhutias who migrated from the Kham district of Tibet in the 14th century and the Lepchas who are believed to pre date the Bhutias and are the oldest known inhabitants Tibetans reside mostly in the northern and eastern reaches of the state Migrant resident communities include Bengalis Biharis and Marwaris who are prominent in commerce in South Sikkim and Gangtok 127 Religion Religion in Sikkim 2011 128 Hinduism 57 76 Buddhism 27 39 Christianity 9 91 Islam 1 62 Sikhism 0 31 Jainism 0 05 Other faith like Kirat Mundhum Bon Mun 2 67 No religion 0 3 Religiousgroup Population 1991 129 Population 2001 130 Population 2011 128 Hinduism 68 36 60 93 57 76 Buddhism 27 15 28 11 27 39 Christianity 3 29 6 67 9 91 Islam 0 94 1 42 1 62 Sikhism 0 09 0 21 0 31 Jainism 0 001 0 03 0 05 Other religions 0 04 2 38 2 67 No religion 0 3 According to the 2011 census 57 8 follow Hinduism making it the state s majority religion Buddhism is followed by 27 4 of the population while Christianity is followed by 9 9 131 Between 2001 and 2011 Christianity was the fastest growing religion in the state going from 6 67 to 9 91 of the population 131 It was thus the fourth state with the highest Christian growth in the period behind only Arunachal Pradesh Manipur and Meghalaya 130 132 As of 2014 the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sikkim is the largest Christian denomination in Sikkim 133 Hinduism on the other hand declined from 60 93 to 57 76 of the population in the same period 130 131 Sikkim was the fourth state with the biggest decline in the percentage of Hindus behind only Arunachal Pradesh Manipur and Assam 132 Vajrayana Buddhism which accounts for 27 3 of the population is Sikkim s second largest yet most prominent religion Prior to Sikkim s becoming a part of the Indian Union Vajrayana Buddhism was the state religion under the Chogyal Sikkim has 75 Buddhist monasteries the oldest dating back to the 1700s 134 The public and visual aesthetics of Sikkim are executed in shades of Vajrayana Buddhism and Buddhism plays a significant role in public life even among Sikkim s majority Nepali Hindu population Other religious minorities include Muslims of Bihari ethnicity and Jains who each account for roughly 1 of the population 135 The traditional religions of the native Sikkimese account for much of the remainder of the population Although tensions between the Lepchas and the Nepalese escalated during the merger of Sikkim with India in the 1970s there has never been any major degree of communal religious violence unlike in other Indian states 136 137 The traditional religion of the Lepcha people is Mun an animist practice which coexists with Buddhism and Christianity 138 Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple in Legship is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva Rumtek Monastery Vishwa Vinayak Temple at RhenockDistrictsThere are 6 districts in Sikkim each overseen by a Central Government appointee the district collector who is in charge of the administration of the civilian areas of the districts The Indian army has control of a large territory as the state is a sensitive border area Many areas are restricted and permits are needed to visit them The four districts are Code District Headquarters Population 2011 139 Area km Density km GD Gangtok district Gangtok 281 293 954 257MD Mangan district Mangan 43 354 4 226 10ND Namchi district Namchi 146 742 750 175GD Gyalshing district Geyzing 136 299 1 166 106PD Pakyong District Pakyong 74 583 404 180SD Soreng District Soreng na na naCultureSee also Music of Sikkim Festivals and holidays The traditional Gumpa dance being performed in Lachung during the Buddhist festival of Losar Sikkim s Nepalese majority celebrate all major Hindu festivals including Tihar Diwali and Dashain Dashera Traditional local festivals such as Maghe Sankranti Ramnavmi Janmastami Holi Shivaratri Navratri Sakela Chasok Tangnam and Bhimsen Puja are popular 140 Losar Saga Dawa Lhabab Duechen Drupka Teshi and Bhumchu are among the Buddhist festivals celebrated in Sikkim During the Losar Tibetan New Year most offices and educational institutions are closed for a week 141 Sikkimese Muslims celebrate Eid ul Fitr and Muharram 142 Christmas has been promoted in Gangtok to attract tourists during the off season 143 Western rock music and Indian pop have gained a wide following in Sikkim Nepali rock and Lepcha music are also popular 144 Sikkim s most popular sports are football and cricket although hang gliding and river rafting have grown popular as part of the tourism industry 145 Famous Bollywood actor Danny Denzongpa is from Sikkim Cuisine Main article Sikkimese cuisine Noodle based dishes such as thukpa chow mein thenthuk fakthu gyathuk and wonton are common in Sikkim Momos steamed dumplings filled with vegetables chicken mutton beef or pork and served with soup are a popular snack 146 Beer whiskey rum and brandy are widely consumed in Sikkim 147 as is tongba a millet based alcoholic beverage that is popular in Nepal and Darjeeling Sikkim has the third highest per capita alcoholism rate amongst all Indian states behind Punjab and Haryana 148 Media The Dro dul Chorten Stupa in Gangtok In 1957 a Nepali monthly magazine Kanchenjunga became the first news outlet for the masses in Sikkim 149 The southern urban areas of Sikkim have English Nepali and Hindi daily newspapers Nepali language newspapers as well as some English newspapers are locally printed whereas Hindi and English newspapers are printed in Siliguri Important local dailies and weeklies include Hamro Prajashakti Nepali daily Himalayan Mirror English daily the Samay Dainik Sikkim Express English Kanchanjunga Times Nepali weekly Pragya Khabar Nepali weekly and Himali Bela 150 Furthermore the state receives regional editions of national English newspapers such as The Statesman The Telegraph The Hindu and The Times of India Himalaya Darpan a Nepali daily published in Siliguri is one of the leading Nepali daily newspapers in the region The Sikkim Herald is an official weekly publication of the government Online media covering Sikkim include the Nepali newspaper Himgiri the English news portal Haalkhabar and the literary magazine Tistarangit Avyakta Bilokan the Journal of Hill Research Khaber Khagaj Panda and the Sikkim Science Society Newsletter are among other registered publications 151 Internet cafes are well established in the district capitals but broadband connectivity is not widely available Satellite television channels through dish antennae are available in most homes in the state Channels served are largely the same as those available in the rest of India although Nepali language channels are also available The main service providers include Airtel digital TV Tata Sky Dish TV DD Free Dish and Nayuma EducationMain article List of institutions of higher education in Sikkim Sikkim Manipal University Campus Gangtok In 2011 Sikkim s adult literacy rate was 82 2 per cent 87 29 per cent for males and 76 43 per cent for females 152 There are a total of 1 157 schools in the state including 765 schools run by the state government seven central government schools and 385 private schools 153 There is one Institute of National Importance 154 one central university 155 and four private universities 156 in Sikkim offering higher education Recently Government of Sikkim has approved the open school board named Board of Open Schooling and Skill Education 157 BOSSE to provide Secondary Education Senior Secondary as well as Skill amp Vocational Education up to pre degree level and to provide opportunity to continue education to such students who have missed the opportunity of school education Sikkim has a National Institute of Technology currently operating from a temporary campus in Ravangla South Sikkim 158 which is one among the ten newly sanctioned NITs by the Government of India under the 11th Five year Plan 2009 159 The NIT Sikkim also has state of art super computing facility named PARAM Kanchenjunga which is said to be fastest among all 31 NITs 160 Sikkim University is the only central university in Sikkim The public private funded institution is the Sikkim Manipal University of Technological Sciences which offers higher education in engineering medicine and management It also runs a host of distance education programs in diverse fields 161 There are two state run polytechnic schools the Advanced Technical Training Centre ATTC and the Centre for Computers and Communication Technology CCCT which offer diploma courses in various branches of engineering ATTC is situated at Bardang Singtam and CCCT at Chisopani Namchi Sikkim University began operating in 2008 at Yangang which is situated about 28 kilometres 17 mi from Singtam 162 Many students however migrate to Siliguri Kolkata Bangalore and other Indian cities for their higher education The campus of the National Institute of Electronics amp Information Technology NIELIT under the Ministry of Electronics amp Information Technology of the Government of India is at Pakyong in East Sikkim and offers formal and informal education in the IT ITES sector Towns and cities M G Marg in Gangtok Jorethang at night time The major towns and cities of Sikkim are as follows Gangtok Pakyong Namchi Jorethang Rangpo Singtam Gyalshing Mangan Soreng Pelling Rhenock Rongli Rorathang Ravangla Chungthang Ranipool Lachen Nayabazar Lachung Dikchu Majitar Legship Melli Yuksom Sherathang Namthang Rinchenpong Singhik Hee Burmiok Tashiding Kumrek Makha Yangang and Damthang SportsThe popular sports played in Sikkim include football cricket archery volleyball tennis badminton and athletics Adventure sports like paragliding Hiking and mountain biking are also popular in Sikkim The stadiums of Sikkim are as follows Mining Cricket Stadium Rangpo Paljor Stadium Gangtok Bhaichung Stadium Namchi Resithang Athletics Stadium Gangtok See alsoOutline of Sikkim East Sikkim districtReferences a b 2011 Census reference tables total population Government of India 2011 Archived from the original on 8 July 2013 Retrieved 16 July 2013 a b 1977 Sikkim government gazette PDF sikkim gov in Governor of Sikkim p 188 Archived from the original PDF on 22 July 2018 Retrieved 22 July 2018 a b 50th Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India PDF 16 July 2014 p 109 Archived from the original PDF on 2 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Religion Archived 15 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine Census India Retrieved 20 October 2012 Plaisier Heleen 2007 Languages of the Greater Himalayan Region A Grammar of Lepcha Languages of the Greater Himalayan region Vol 5 Brill pp 4 15 photo ISBN 978 90 04 15525 1 Archived from the original on 16 May 2016 Retrieved 15 November 2015 Ranking od sic Districts by Population Size XLS The Registrar General amp Census Commissioner India New Delhi 110011 2010 2011 Retrieved 19 September 2011 Choudhury 2006 p 35 Choudhury 2006 p 34 Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology 1995 Bulletin of Tibetology Namgyal Institute of Tibetology p 79 Culture and Festivals of Sikkim Department of Information and Public Relations Government of Sikkim 29 September 2005 Archived from the original on 14 July 2006 Retrieved 12 October 2006 Bareh 2001 p 286 Lama Mahendra P 1994 Sikkim Society Polity Economy Environment Indus Publishing p 128 ISBN 978 81 7387 013 2 Shangderpa Pema Leyda 3 September 2002 Sleepy capital comes alive to beats of GenX The Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 May 2008 Retrieved 7 May 2008 Shrivastava Alok K 2002 Sikkimese cuisine Surajkund the Sikkim story New Delhi South Asia Foundation p 49 ISBN 978 81 88287 01 7 Nagarajan Rema 25 July 2007 India gets its high from whisky Times of India Archived from the original on 27 December 2016 Retrieved 3 June 2009 Kanchenjunga and Sikkim Press How Media Started Its Practice in Sikkim Newspapers and Journalists in Sikkim IT Department Government of Sikkim Archived from the original on 21 January 2008 Retrieved 5 June 2009 Publication Place Wise Registration Registrar of Newspapers for India Archived from the original on 19 June 2009 Retrieved 5 June 2009 If one types Sikkim in the input box and submits the list is displayed State of Literacy PDF Census India Census of India Archived PDF from the original on 6 July 2015 Retrieved 24 September 2014 Balmiki Prasad Singh Governor of Sikkim 26 February 2010 In the process of Constitutional democracy Sikkim has not lagged behind Governor PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2012 Retrieved 11 March 2010 Institutes of National Importance www ugc ac in Archived from the original on 27 August 2018 Retrieved 27 August 2018 Central University www ugc ac in Archived from the original on 27 August 2018 Retrieved 27 August 2018 Private Universities in Sikkim www ugc ac in Archived from the original on 17 August 2018 Retrieved 27 August 2018 BOSSE Sikkim bosse org in Retrieved 21 September 2020 NIT Sikkim nitsikkim ac in Archived from the original on 23 August 2018 Retrieved 27 August 2018 Eleventh Five Year Plan 2007 2012 PDF Planning Prelims 134 Archived from the original PDF on 15 May 2012 Retrieved 26 August 2018 Hon ble Governor of Sikkim inaugurated PARAM Kanchenjunga at NIT Sikkim C DAC Archived from the original on 27 August 2018 Sailesh 26 June 2010 Distance Education Sikkim Manipal University Archived from the original on 17 January 2010 Retrieved 26 June 2010 Chettri Vivek 4 February 2008 Do it yourself mantra for varsity The Telegraph Archived from the original on 12 October 2008 Retrieved 15 May 2008 Further reading and bibliographyBareh Hamlet 2001 Introduction Encyclopaedia of North East India Sikkim Mittal Publications ISBN 978 81 7099 794 8 Retrieved 19 June 2011 Choudhury Maitreyee 2006 Sikkim Geographical Perspectives New Delhi Mittal Publications ISBN 978 81 8324 158 8 Duff Andrew 2015 Sikkim Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom Birlinn ISBN 978 0 85790 245 0 Evans W H 1932 The Identification of Indian Butterflies 2nd ed Mumbai India Bombay Natural History Society ASIN B00086SOSG Forbes Andrew Henley David 2011 The Tea Horse Road from Lhasa to Sikkim China s Ancient Tea Horse Road Chiang Mai Cognoscenti Books ASIN B005DQV7Q2 Kandell Alice S 1971 Sikkim The Hidden Kingdom 2nd ed Doubleday ISBN 978 03 8502 206 4 Hooker Joseph Dalton 1854 Himalayan Journals notes of a naturalist in Bengal the Sikkim and Nepal Himalayas the Khasia mountains etc Ward Lock Bowden amp Co Haribal Meena 2003 1994 Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural History Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation Natraj Publishers ISBN 978 81 85019 11 6 Ray Arundhati Das Sujoy 2001 Sikkim A Traveller s Guide Orient Blackswan New Delhi ISBN 81 7824 008 4 Rose Leo E 1978 Modernizing a Traditional Administrative System Sikkim 1890 1973 in James F Fisher ed Himalayan Anthropology The Indo Tibetan Interface Walter de Gruyter pp 205 ISBN 978 90 279 7700 7 Sinha A C Sikkim PDF in Mayumi Murayama Kyoko Inoue Sanjoy Hazarika eds Sub Regional Relations in the Eastern South Asia With Special Focus on India s North Eastern Region Institute of Developing Economies Holidaying in Sikkim and Bhutan Nest and Wings ISBN 81 87592 07 9 Sikkim Land of Mystic and Splendour Sikkim Tourism ISBN missing Manorama Yearbook 2003 ISBN 81 900461 8 7 External linksSikkim at Wikipedia s sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Travel information from Wikivoyage Resources from Wikiversity Government Official website Official website of Sikkim TourismGeneral information Sikkim at Curlie Geographic data related to Sikkim at OpenStreetMap Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sikkim amp oldid 1131086964, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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