Sikkim - Digital Himalaya: Home

24 Pages·2008·7.36 MB·English

pocket guide
INDIA
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Mil Elf(, 0NE,.
MRP Rs. 40/-
JLJllll I
18
ISBN B1-902358-1-8
MILESTONES
Sikkim
pocket guide
INDIA
Cover: Tsomgo lake, East 5ikkim
Photographs: Monoj Agorwal
Text: Sora ShneidermanandMarkTurin
Copyright:
Reproduction (in anyform) ofapartorwhole
ofthis bookletor itsphotographs isstrictlyprohibited
bycopyright laws.
© Copyright
l'{[(ON
,
MI s~
Published by:
Metroprints, NH 31 A
Gongtok - 737101, Sikkim
Phone: [phone]
emoil: [email protected]
www.milestones.in
Printed in January2007
ISBN Bl-90235B-1-B
Distributors:
JAINCO, Gongtok. Phone: [phone]
DAS STUDIO, Dorjeeling. Phone: [phone]
Sikkim
Sikkimisalandofsuperlatives,\\ithitsmagnificentmountains,richcultures
andpristineemironment.Atinyjewelofastate,itslotalpopulationisonly
540,000anditcoversjustover7,000squarekilometres.Yet\\ithinSikkim's
Himalavanboundaries,therearemanvworldstodiscover as\'Outravelfrom
Buddhi~t ~pinc
monastery to Hindu mandir, or trek from meadow to
cascadingwatetfall,\isitingcitiesand\illagesalongthewar
CuhurJldiversityisoneofSikkim'shallmarks,fromtheDzonguindigenous
Lepchareservein\oflhSikkim,totrJditionalBhutiavillagesinthewestand
\epaleseagricuhurJlsettlement'inthesouth.EachofthesecuhurJlgroups
celebratetheirownritualsandfestivalsthroughouttheyear,sothatthereis
neveradullweekinSikkim.Forthoseinterestedinnaturea."wellasculture,
Mf.KongchenjungoseenfromPongthongorea,EostSikkim
thestate'shiodiversityisunsurpa.'Sed. Rangingfrom suhtropicalloalpine
eeo-zones,Sikkim'snoraandfaunaincludeanumberofrarespeciessuch
asthe red panda, thesnow leopardand the Himalayan black bE'Jr, not to
mention a huge variety of brightly coloured rhododendrons and exotic
orchids.
or
Boundedtothenorthandnurthea."tbytheTibetanAutonomous Region
China,tothewestby~epal, tothesouthE'dstbyBhutanandtothesouthby
DarjeelingdistrictofthestateofWestBengal,Sikkimoccupiesanimport,mt
strategicniche:~ongoneoftheoldestHimalayantmderoutes,Muchofthe
state'snorth and west isperpetuallysnow-covered and dominated bythe
Kangchenjunga m:l'Sif, India's highest and the world's third highest
mountain. EachofSikkim'sfourdistrictsholdsit'\O\vn treasures,andthis
guidebookis structuredin fourpttrts to introduceyou to everydistrict in
tum:Ea.,t,~orth,WestandSouth.
WelcometoSikkim...it'swailingtobediscoveredbyyou.
TsomgoLoke, EostSikkim
EASTSIKKIM
Gangtok
ThecapitalcityofSikkim isfininglyc.1l1edGangtok,whichmeans'thelawnon
thehilltop'inthelocalBhUlialanguage.FromthefonnerRoyalPalaceatthetop
totheQueen'sBridgeatthebottom,thecitysprawlsacrossapproximately t5
kilometresonthewestsideofalongridgeflankingtheRanipool(Ranipul)River.
AI an a\'cmge ahiturle of5500 feet (1676 metres), and with apopulation of
apprOxiffiaicly50,000,thishistoricallyimportanttransitpointonthetraderoute
"~IhTibetbecamethecapitalofSikkimin1894.Gangtokcombinesanauractive
mLx ofOld World chaml, traditional hospitalityand a modem cosmopolitan
outlook,makingitanexcitingplacetospendarewda),atthebeginningorendor
yourSikkimesejourney.Thelawncanbetheidealstagingpointforyourtravels
across Sikkim's other districts, as you take advantage oftop-nolch tourism
agencies, first class hotels and urban shopping amenities, or a comfonable
haven,,~thgoodfoodandhotshowersattheendofyourSikkimad\·enture.
AlthoughwannerthanneighbouringDa~eeling, Gangtokisstillahilltown\\;th
SoboHarbhajanMandir, EastSikkim
\\~dely \'aI)~ng weather pauems, so take extra care when packing. Summer 2 ]
temperaturescanbeashighasZSOCelsiusonsunnyafternoonsbutmaydrop10
13°Cclsiusonra-inyevenings. IntheWinter,youcanexpecthighsof180Celsius
and lows of ;0 Celsius. Gangtok sees oyer 1;0 inches of rainfall per ye-Jr, .~
primarily during the summer monsoon season. Come prepared with Iiglll .. -,.-' .
woollensandarainjacketforlhesummer,andheavierclothesforthewimer. -- - ~
t!-
PlacestoVisitaroundGangtok
AllroyalceremoniesandpUjaswereheldintheTsukIhakhang(Tsllglhakhang)
chapelsituated in thep;~ace complex on the Ridge. This royal chapel is only
opentothepublic on religionsfestival dayssuchasPangthabsolandKagye
Thutor (KageyThuetor). Theassociatedmonasteryhousesavastcollection of
Buddhistscripturesandpricelessreligiouspaintingsknownasthankas.
Setinashadygroveofoak,birchandashtreesinGanglOk'sDeorali area,the
Nan.gyal Institute oflibelology (NIT) was estahlished byChogy,d Tashi
Nanlf,l)'alin1958.ThefoundationsloneofthistraditionalSikkimesebuildingwas
la-idbythe14thDalaiLama,andthisfamedresearchandteachinginslitutewas
formallyopenedayearlaterbyPrimeM-inislerJawaharlal Nehru. NIT (locally
Nathula Pass,EastSikkim
knownsimplyas'Tibetology')sponsorsandpromotesresearchonthereligion,
history, language, andartoftheTibetancullura!area,with aspecialfocus on
Sikkim.Thegroundflooroftheinstitutehousesawell-apPointedmuseumopen
10 the public, which displal~ Buddhist anefacts, paintings and texts. On the
secondfloor,youwillfindoneoftheworld'slargestcollectionsofrarebooks
andmanuscriptsonMahayanaBuddhism,manyofthemoriginallyfrom Tibet.
Special rotatingphoto exhibitionsabout thehistoryand cultureofregion are
displayedonthetopfloor.Itiseasy10spendhalfadaypemsingallthatIibelOlogy
hastooffer.Anominalentrychargeisleviedatthegate.
Ashort walk uphill from Tibetology are two exquisite stupas, the Do Drul
Chorten, built to commemorale IheviCIO!)'ofgood overevil, and thejhang
Chub Chorten, built in the memol)' ofTrulshjg Rinpoche, adeeply spiritual
indh'idualandfamedBuddhistteacher.Nearthechortensstandtwogianlstalues
oftheBuddhaandPadmasambhava,alsoknownasGumRinpoche,whoisthe
patronsainiofSikkim.
Within theNamgya]lnstituteofIibetologycomplex liesthe Chogyal Palden
Thondup NamID'ai Memorial Park, dedicated to the 12th monarch of
Sikkim's Namgyal dynasty. Alife-size bronze statue of Ihe late Chogyal, or 4 5 DoOrulChorten, EastSikkim
Dhannar'dja(religiousking),isoneofthepark'smainattractions,along"'itha
quietgazeboperfectformedilationandreflection.
The cable car or Ropew3y, originally constructed to help Members of the
elected LegislativeAssemblyreach theirworkplace, ferries tOliriSISandlocals
alike from Deorali via Hur Huray Dam near theSikkim LegislativeAssembly
"i"
(SIA) allthewaytoTashjlingSecretarial.Besidesthethrilloftheride,you
enjoycxceJJentaerialviewsofGangtoktownandthesurroundinggreenhills.
Established in 1957, the Directorate of Handloom and Handicrafts
promotesandpresen'esthefinetraditionalartsandcraftsofSikkim.E.xquisilely
can'edwoodenfriezesandintricatebanlboowork,alongwilhbeautifulhand
wovencarpetsandhandloomedtextilesareproduced,exhibitedandsoldhere.
Visitors can Walch the artisans at work 10 better understand Iheir skiUs.
Afavourite purchase herearechoktsc, portablewooden tableswith ornalely
carvedpanelsthatcanbefoldedforeasytransport.
AttheFlowerShowComplexyouwillfindSikkim'sworld-famousorchidson
show, along with sC'JSOnal Dowers and bonsai. During the lourist seasons,
HanumanTok,EastSikkim
competitionsareheldtochoosethebestorchids,whicharethendisplayedtothe
deUghtoflhepubUc.
GangtokwasasmallhamJetumiltheconstructionofEnche)'Monasteryinthe
mid-ISOOsmadeitapilgrimagecentre.Perchedonaridgeabo\'cthccity,this
monasteryisnestledinadenseforestandoffcrsaspectacularviewofGangtok
town. Builton thesiteofthemeditation hermitageofthegreattantricmaster
Lama Drutob Karpo, this monastcryhouses monks from the Nyingmasectof
TibetanBuddhism.
Recentlysct upat Bulbulay,theHimala)'an Zoological Parkisspreadover
205hectares. Asthefirstzootousethe'immersionexhibittechnique'inIndia,
endangeredanimalsoftheeastem Uimalayas Livein open enclosuresin their
naturalhabitats.Wildlifeenthusiastscan observcdifferentspecicsofdeer, red
panda,Himalayanblackbear, snowleopard,blucsheepandotheranimalsin
this unique cnvironmcnt. The park also provides exceUent views of (hc
sUITounding hills and the Kangchenjunga massif. This magnificcnt mountain
range, whose Ilame means 'the Five Treasures of the Snows' in Tibetan on
account of its five peaks, is also wrinen as Khangchendzonga 'lIld
Kanchenjunga. 6 7 GangtokRopewoy
TheRidgeisastre,chofroadhe""ee"Whi,eHalland'heheaUlifulpalaceofthe
erstwhileChogyals (Dhannarajas) ofSikkimwhich eruptsin ariot ofcolour
dUringthecherryblossomseasonandremainsafavouriteplaceforwalks.The
zen-styledRidgeParkhasauniqueSikkimesegazebo,whichcomplementsthe
palacegatcattheotherendofthestretch.
Tashi Vicw Point is an acclaimed spot for photography locmed about 8
kilometrcsnorthofGangtokonthemainroadtoNorthSikkim.Onaclearday,
•
youcanseethemonasteriesofPhodongandLabrang.Anobservatorytowerhas
recentlybeenestablished,alongwith asmall butweU-stockedcafcteria.Along
theway, stop10 marvel at the clearwaters ofBakthong KyongChhu, asmall
wmerfallbetweenGangtokandTashiViewPoint.
UurlIurayDarn(HurhurayDanda) islocatedoppositetheimposingSikkim
I.egislativeAssembly. You can take thefOOlpathedgingalongthecliffsofNaIll
Nang(Namnang)Roadtothisspcch~ spotthatoverlookstheBhushukChuriver
inthevallcybelow.
'0
Thesmall'empleatGaneshTokisdedicated theHinduelephan,deilyand
EncheyMonastery,EostSikkim
situatedalan altiludeof6500feet (1981 melres).Adjoiningthetempleisthe
Pinetumpineforest.AlittlefurtherdowntheroadisSmritiBan,aforestwhere
visitorsareencouragedtoplantsaplingsinthememoryoflovedones.Thisarea
offersapanoramicviewofGangtoktown,which isparticularlyspectacularat
night.ThelightsofGanglOkarebestviewedafterdarkfromtheVIPColonyentry
gates.
Scrupulouslymaintained byresidentunitsofthe IndianArmy, the Hanuman
Yok temple is dedicated (0 lhe Hindu monkeygod Hanuman and is situated
about9kilometres aboveGangtokalan altitudeof7200feel (2194 melres).
PopularbeliefhasitIhal\vishesmadeherewillbefullilled.
AlthoughcentralGanglok'smaincommercialthoroughfareisslightlylessIhana
kilometre in length, M.G. (Mahatma Gandhi) Marg is lined ";th shops,
hotels,restaurants,bars,bakeries,studios,cybercafes,poolroomsandcurio
shops. At Ihe western end of tlie road, near the Thakurbari Temple and
overlookingtheTourismInformationCentre,standstheStatueofUnity,depicting
thenteetingoftheBhutiaChieftainKhyeBumsa";ththeLepchaleaderThekong
Tek.
8 9
TheLa!Bazaarisaneclecticmixofsights,sounds,smeUsandtasles.Although
open everyday,Sundayisthetraditional 'haal', or market day, when fanners
fromaroundtheregioncome[0selltheirproductshere.Fromfreshcheeseand
bambooshootstoedibleorchids,thewaresonsaleareasvariedandcolourfulas
thesellersthemselves,andafewhoursspentherewillintroduceyoutoaUthatis
Sikkimese.
EastSikkimbeyondGangtok
Fortheadventurous,atriptoSikkimwouldbeincompletewithoute.xperiencing •
themightyTeesta'sturbulentwatersupcloseandpersonalinarubberraft.l)llt
inpointisatBardang,whichisabout 1.5hoursdriveawayfrom Gangtok.Feel
the adrenalin rush asyou tumble and roll through the whilewaters down to
•
RangpoalongtheborderofSikkimandWestBengal.
Theawe-inspiringRumtekMonasterycomplexissituated24kilometresaway
fromGangtok.ItincludestheWorldDharmaChakraCentre,whichistheseatof
flisHolinesstheGy,tlwaKannapa,whoistheheadoflheKagyn (Kargyud)order
of TIbetan Buddhism. Behind the main monastery is the lavishly decorated
AerialviewofM.G.Morg,Ganglok
KarmacNaland,l InstituteofBuddhistStudies,which attractsstudentsfrolll all
overtheworld.Oppositetheentrancetothelnstituteisasmallhallfeaturingthe
jewel-studded Golden Stupa, which contains the ashes and remains of l-lis
Holinessthe16thGyalwaKarmapa.Accordingtolegend,uponfinishingalengthy
meditation retreat,thefirst Karmapawasvisitedby10,000fairies, eachoneof
whomcongratulatedhimbyofferingastrandofherhairasagift.Thesedivine
hairswerewovenintoablackhat,whichwaspasseddownthroughthelineage
andisstiUhousedatRumtekMonasterytoday.Itissaidthalunlessheldontoby
thewearer (whocannotbeanyoneelsebuttheKannapahimself) orkeptina
box,thehatwillflyaway.
Halfa kilometre before reaching Rumtek Monastery, the Nehru Bot.anical
Gardenliesjustoffthemainhighway.HereyouwillfindamixtureofweU-tended
tropicalandtemperateplantsandtrees,andahugegreenhollsecontainingmany
orchidspecies.
About 14 kilometres outside Gangtok on the way to Siliguri lies the Ipecac
Garden,popularlyknO\mas'SaramsaGardens'.Namedafterthemedicinal
Ipecacplantwhichgrowsthere,thegardensalsoexhibita\\~derangeofother
flora including various species of nati\'e orchid. You can picnic anlidsl the 10 II Gongtok-thecopitol,EostSikkim
famoustreefernsofSikkimthatgrowthroughoutthegardens,andmal1'c)althe
lo\'ely butterflies including the 'Golden Bird\\;ng', which is regrettably as
endangeredastheRoyalBengalTiger.
35kilometresawayfromGangtokatanaltitudeof12,400feet(3780metres)yOll
reachthe beaUlifulTsorngo Lake, which freezes overinwinterand is fed by
meltingsnowsfromthesurroundingmountains. Locallegendholdsthatlamas
couldforecastthefuture bystud}~ng thecolourofthelake'swaters. Fishingis
totallyprohibitedandvisitorsare requestednot to pollutetheenvironsofthe
lakewithrubbishinorder10maintainitssanctity.
OnthewaytoTsorngoLake,abovethe15thMileSikkimPolicecheckpost,you
\villcomeacrossthehighaltitudeKyongnoslaAlpineSanctuary,horneofthe
red panda and the blood pheasant, which are the state animal and bird
respectively.
Built in memory of ~Iarbhajan Singh, a lost sepoy from the 23rd Punjab
Regiment, the SabalIarbhajan Singh Memorial Mandir lies between the
NathuLaandJelepLapasses.Legendhasitthatheappearedtohiscolleaguesina
FlowerExhibitionCentre,EostSikkim
dremnafewdaysafterhewentmissing,andrequestedIhatamonumentbebuilt
inhismemory. Hisfellowsoldiersthenerectedthismonument,whichoverthe
yearsacquiredthestatusofapilgrimagesite. Devoteesleaveabottleofwater,
whichIheycolleclafewdayslater10takebackhome,blessedbyIhespiriloflhis
hardysoldier.
Al an altitude ofover 14,000 feet, the Nathu La is now open for domestic
tourists.ThisisthehighcstpointinSikkimreachablebycar,withouttheextra
exertionofatrek. However,visitorswithheartconditionsorconcernedaboul
high-altiuldc sickncss are advised to avoid this destination. The historically
imporuultNathu LapasswasthegatewaytoTibet,andwasusedextensivelyby
traders andponerstra\'ellingfrom Kalimpongandthe plains on theirwayto
ShigalSCandLhasaintheLandoftheSnows.Nowopenonceagainafterseveral
decades,visitingthepassisaonceinalifetimeexperience.Youcanwalkupto
thearnly\~ewpoint andlookbeyondintoChina,wheregreen-unifonnedChinese
armypersonnelwithredstarsontheircapsstandtoattention.Allaroundthem,
thestarkalpinelandscapeisinterspersedwilhdelicateprimulablossomsand
theuniqueHjmalayanrhubarbshrub.Visitorsareadvisedtostanfor 'athuLaas
C"d.r1yinthedayaspossibletoavoidinclementweatherwhichtypicallyarisesin
12 13 ChaamofDharmaChakraCentre,Rumtek.EastSikkim
theafternoon.
KathogMonasteryisthe6tholdestmonasteryinSikkim,withanewstructure
that retains the original architectural design built on the location ofthe old
monastery's ruins. Locatedabout 2kilometresfrom Pakyong, this is theonly
monasteryinSikkimthatfollo\\'IheKalhogtraditionoftheNyingmaSchoolof
TibetanBuddhism.
Atjusthalfanhour'sdrivefromcentralGangtok,theSaNgorChotshogCentre
is the only monastery of the Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism in Sikkim.
•
Establishedin 1961 byIheVener.bleKhenLodingRinpoche,ilcalerslargelyto
TibetUlrefugees.
ThePalZunnangKagyuMonasteryislocatedatLingdum,about45minutes '.
drivefrom GanglokontheRumtck-Ranka-Gangtokroad.Thecomplexisafine
exampleofTibetan monasticarchitecture,withscvcrallcvelsofsacredrooms
stacked against the steep green hillside. The head lama here is Gharwang
Rinpochc the12thincarnationofZurmangGhanv::mg.
l
Located abolll 20 kilometres from Gangtok, the Fambhong UIO Wild Life
DharmaChakraCentre, Rumlek, EastSikkim