Until the 18th century, the inhabitants of Sikkim were mainly Lepchas, cultivators of Mongol origin who came from Tibet in the 8th century. The first kings of Sikkim were the Namgyals descended from the Minyaks of Tibet. Khye-Bumsa, a Namgyal prince, helped in the building of the Sa-Kya Monastery in Central Tibet in 1268. He befriended the Lepchas, and swore a blood brotherhood with their chief, Thekongtek. When Thekongtek died, the Lepchas turned for leadership to Gum Tashi, Khye-Bumsa's fourth son, who was consecrated king (chogyal) in 1642. In 1700 the Bhutanese invaded Sikkim and the young chogyal, Chador, was forced into exile. He built monasteries at Pemayangtse and Tashiding and invented the Lepcha alphabet. He was assassinated in 1717 on the orders of his pro-Bhutanese half-sister, Pei Womgmo.
The early 19th century saw the East India Company entering the Himalayas with a view to opening up trade with Tibet. In 1814, in the Anglo-Nepal wars, Sikkim sided with the company and received as a reward in 1816 parts of the Nepali Terai. As a friendly gesture, King Tsugphud Namgyal gave the East India Company the hill of Darjeeling for development as a resort. Relations soured and following a quarrel over the illegal collection of taxes by the British in Sikkim, the British annexed the Terai and established a protectorate over the kingdom. Since the 18th century Nepalis have flowed into Sikkim and they now constitute 75 Percent of the population.
About Gangtok
The capital, Gangtok 1 "the hill made flat", lies at an altitude of 1,640 meters (5,400 feet), facing Kanchenjunga. It is reached by road from Darjeeling, Bagdogra airport (110 km/70 miles), or New Siliguri railway station (125 km/77 miles). The most important building in the town is the Chogyal's Palace, usually closed to visitors except for the Tsuklakhang Royal Chapel, where ceremonies are held. The palace itself opens once a year, during the last week of December, for the Pong Labsal festival during which lamas wearing masks perform a dance to Kanchenjunga around a banner-pole.
The Research Institute of Tibetology, built in 1958 by the last chogyal to preserve Tibetan culture, houses a library of more than 30,000 books on Buddhism, astrology, medicine and philosophy, as well as a collection of thankas (Tibetan religious paintings on cloth). The Deer Park was set up in homage to a Bodhisattva who was reincarnated as a musk deer. The Orchid Sanctuary is where 250 different types of orchids bloom. Nearby is a Tibetan Refugee Craft Centre and the well-known Hotel Tashi Delek. Best of Sikkim Tour...
The Rumtek Monastery, 24 km (14 miles) west of Gangtok, belongs to the Yellow Hat Karmapa School, a reformist branch of Tantric Buddhism, founded in the 15th century. The monastery, built in the 1960s, is a replica of one in Tibet destroyed at the time of the Chinese takeover.
About 100 km (62 miles) further west, Pemayangtse 2 has a Red Hat Ningmapa Monastery, built in 1705. Its walls and ceilings bear fresco of gods and demons. A one-day trek north leads to Tashiding Ningmapa Monastery, dating from 1706. A longer trek can be organized from Pemayangtse As the path approaches Kanchenjunga 3, the altitude rises to 4,270 meters (14,000 ft) and terraced rice-paddies and barley fields give way to apple-orchards, then fir trees and mountain lakes. Yakshun, reached after six hours, is a small town where the first chogyal was crowned in 1642. The next stages are Bakkhin (five hours) and Dzongri (six hours) with a close-up view of Kanchenjunga.
For more information on tourism in Sikkim and other north eastern states of India, Contact Swan Tours - One of the leading travel agents in India since 1995.
