Sikkim is a state in northeastern India which is located on the southern slopes of the Himalayas. Sikkim is bounded on the north and northeast by Tibet Autonomous Region of China, on the southeast by Bhutan, on the south by the Indian state of West Bengal, and on the west by Nepal. Sikkim lies between longitude 88° 03'40" to 88° 57'19" East and from latitude 27° 0'47" to 28° 07'34" North. It became the 22nd state of India on April 26,1975. It has an area of about 2,740 square miles (7,096 square km). There are 440 villages, eight towns and four districts in Sikkim. It is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest in area after Goa.
Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim. The state has three major ethnic groups, namely Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalis. It is the only state in India with an ethnic Nepalese majority. The official language of the state is English, but there is a sizable population that converses in Nepali (the lingua franca of the state), Lepcha, Bhutia, and Limbu.
Sikkim first came under British influence in 1817. Although the British later acquired territory and political control over the region, Sikkim remained an independent buffer between British India and Tibet. The Tibetans started to emigrate into Sikkim during the 15th and 16th centuries due to religious strife between the various Lamaist sects at that time. In Tibet itself the yellow hat sect - the Sakya-pa to which the Dalai Lama belongs — gradually gained the upper hand whereas in Sikkim the red hat sect — Nying-ma-pa — remained in control and was, until the country became a part of India, the official state religion. Though the Lepchas originally retreated to the more remote regions in the face of the waves of Tibetan immigrants a blood brotherhood was eventually engineered between their leader, Thekong Tek, and the Bhutyas leader, Khye-Bumsa, and the heavy hand of spiritual and temporal authority imposed on the anarchistic Lepchas. The union generated a good deal of suspicion between the two groups particularly when the Lepchas were persuaded to bring all their literature and totems to a ceremony where it was destroyed by the Tibetans. Having imposed their control over the Lepchas, the Dalai Lama in Lhasa appointed Pen-choo Namgyal as the first king of Sikkim in 1641. At this time the country included the whole of the area bounded by the present state plus a part of eastern Nepal, the Chumbi Valley (Tibet), the Ha Valley (Bhutan) and the Terai foothills from the present border down to the plains of India including Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
Sikkim has a booming economy dependent on agriculture and tourism. Economy of Sikkim is agriculture. cardamom (an Indian spice), oranges, apples, and potatoes are grown for export. Barley, wheat, maize (corn), and rice are also important. Major industrial towns are Gangtok and Darjeeling. The climate ranges from subtropical to high alpine. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, is located on the border of Sikkim with Nepal. Sikkim is a popular tourist destination owing to its culture, scenic beauty and biodiversity.
Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim. The state has three major ethnic groups, namely Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalis. It is the only state in India with an ethnic Nepalese majority. The official language of the state is English, but there is a sizable population that converses in Nepali (the lingua franca of the state), Lepcha, Bhutia, and Limbu.
Sikkim first came under British influence in 1817. Although the British later acquired territory and political control over the region, Sikkim remained an independent buffer between British India and Tibet. The Tibetans started to emigrate into Sikkim during the 15th and 16th centuries due to religious strife between the various Lamaist sects at that time. In Tibet itself the yellow hat sect - the Sakya-pa to which the Dalai Lama belongs — gradually gained the upper hand whereas in Sikkim the red hat sect — Nying-ma-pa — remained in control and was, until the country became a part of India, the official state religion. Though the Lepchas originally retreated to the more remote regions in the face of the waves of Tibetan immigrants a blood brotherhood was eventually engineered between their leader, Thekong Tek, and the Bhutyas leader, Khye-Bumsa, and the heavy hand of spiritual and temporal authority imposed on the anarchistic Lepchas. The union generated a good deal of suspicion between the two groups particularly when the Lepchas were persuaded to bring all their literature and totems to a ceremony where it was destroyed by the Tibetans. Having imposed their control over the Lepchas, the Dalai Lama in Lhasa appointed Pen-choo Namgyal as the first king of Sikkim in 1641. At this time the country included the whole of the area bounded by the present state plus a part of eastern Nepal, the Chumbi Valley (Tibet), the Ha Valley (Bhutan) and the Terai foothills from the present border down to the plains of India including Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
Sikkim has a booming economy dependent on agriculture and tourism. Economy of Sikkim is agriculture. cardamom (an Indian spice), oranges, apples, and potatoes are grown for export. Barley, wheat, maize (corn), and rice are also important. Major industrial towns are Gangtok and Darjeeling. The climate ranges from subtropical to high alpine. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, is located on the border of Sikkim with Nepal. Sikkim is a popular tourist destination owing to its culture, scenic beauty and biodiversity.
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