Sikkim

A mountainous state in the north-eastern region of India, Sikkim quietly spreads at the base of the third highest mountain peak in the world Mt Khangchendzonga or Kanchenjunga, as it is known in the outside world. This majestic mountain is looked upon with awe and deep reverence by the Sikkimese.

Sikkim is India's twenty-second state, having joined it in 1975. Prior to this, Sikkim was ruled by a long line of kings, the most well known of whom were the Namgyals who ruled it till 1975. The people of Sikkim are primarily Buddhists with the Pemayangtse being their premier monastery. West Sikkim is sacred because of the miraculous deeds of Guru Padma Sambhava, and today Sikkim is proud of its 67 magnificent monasteries.

The lovely Sikkimese countryside, its snow-clad mountains, its verdant hillsides, its vast terraced fields of paddy and its deep vales are unique soothers and an amazing sight for the traveller. Altitudes vary from 800 to 28,000 feet bestowing the land with an equally varying climate from the tropical to the temperate. Dense forests of bamboo, fir, birch and sal are abundant. Touristically, one is well rewarded with Sikkim's natural endowments -- religious monuments and traditional culture. The Pemayangtse, the Yuksam, the Khecheopalri Lake, Tashiding Monastery are some of the places worth a visit.

For further information, please contact: The Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Sikkim, Gangtok 737101, Sikkim; or The Deputy Director, Sikkim Tourism, New Sikkim House, 14 Panchsheel Marg, New Delhi-110 021.

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