Description

The State of Sikkim is situated in Northeast India. Sikkim is 2nd smallest and least crowded among the Indian states. Sikkim is a part of the Eastern Himalaya, it is prominent for its biodiversity, comprising alpine and subtropical weathers, and also being a host to Kanchenjunga, the highest peak in India and 3rd highest on Earth. Gangtok is the Capital and Biggest City of Sikkim. Around 34% of Sikkim is covered by the Khangchendzonga National Park. Presently Sikkim is a multilingual and multiethnic state of India. Economy of the state is mainly dependent on tourism and agriculture.

Sikkim is symbolized by mountainous background and is situated in the Himalayan peaks. Whole state of Sikkim is hilly, with an altitude that varies from 280 metres to 8,586 metres. The height of Kangchenjunga - the 3rd main peak of the world is the highest point of the state, located on the border between Sikkim and Nepal.

Some snow-fed channels have carved out river vales in the west and south of the state. These watercourses merge into the Teesta River and its branch, the Rangeet, which flow through Sikkim from north to south. Around one- third of Sikkim is deeply forested. The Himalayan peaks enclose the northern, western and eastern borders of Sikkim. The Lower Himalayas, situated in the southern side of Sikkim, are the most thickly populated.

Sikkim has about 25 mountain peaks, 82 glaciers, 230 high-elevation lakes, 5 prominent hot springs, and over 100 streams and rivers. Eight mountain passes link Sikkim with Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. Hot Springs of Sikkim are famous for their healing and medicinal significances. Most prominent hot springs of Sikkim are situated at Yumthang, Yumey Samdong, Ralang, Borang, Phurchachu and Taram-chu.

CLIMATE OF SIKKIM
The state has five seasons - winter, summer, spring, autumn, and a monsoon season between June and September. 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 in summer. The average annual temperature for most of Sikkim is around 18 °C.

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 in the north. The tundra-type region in the north is snowbound for four months every year, and the temperature drops below 0 °C almost every night. In north-western Sikkim, the peaks are frozen year-round because of the high altitude, temperatures in the mountains can drop to as low as ?40 °C 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.

FLORA & FAUNA OF SIKKIM
Sikkim is situated in an ecological hotspot of the lower Himalayas, one of only three among the ecoregions of India. 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.

Sikkim is home to around 5,000 species of flowering plants, 515 rare orchids, 60 primula species, 36 rhododendron species, 11 oak varieties, 23 bamboovarieties, 16 conifer species, 362 types of ferns and ferns allies, 8 tree ferns, and over 900 medicinal plants. A variant 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.

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 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. In lower elevations are found juniper, pine, firs, cypressesand rhododendrons from the Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. Higher up are Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows, home to a broad variety of rhododendrons and wildflowers.

The fauna of Sikkim include the snow leopard, musk deer, Himalayan tahr, red panda, Himalayan marmot, Himalayan serow, Himalayan goral, muntjac, common langur, Asian black bear, clouded leopard, marbled cat, leopard cat, 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.

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

CULTURE OF SIKKIM

• Festivals and Holidays
  Sikkim's Nepalese majority celebrate all major Hindu festivals, including Diwali and Dussera. Traditional local festivals, such as Maghe Sankranti and Bhimsen Puja, are popular. Losar, Loosong, 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. Sikkimese Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr and Muharram. Christmas has been promoted in Gangtok to attract tourists during the off-season. Western rock music and Indian pop have gained a wide following in Sikkim. Indigenous Nepali rock and Lepcha music are also popular. Sikkims most popular sports are football and cricket, although hang gliding and river rafting have grown popular as part of the tourism industry.
   
• Cuisine
  Noodle-based dishes such as thukpa, chow mein, thenthuk, fakthu, gyathuk and wonton are common in Sikkim. Momos – steamed dumplings filled with vegetables, buffalo meat or pork and served with soup – are a popular snack. Beer, whiskey, rum and brandy are widely consumed in Sikkim, 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.
   

HOW TO REACH SIKKIM

• By Air
  Sikkim currently does not have any operational airports or railheads because of its rough terrain. However, Pakyong Airport, the states first airport, located at a distance of 30 km from Gangtok at an altitude of 4,700 feet above sea level is one of the five highest airports in India. Closest operational airport to Sikkim is Bagdogra Airport, near the town of Siliguri in West Bengal. The airport is located about 124 km from Gangtok, and frequent buses connect the two. 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. The Gangtok helipad is the only civilian helipad in the state.
   
• By Road
  National Highway 31A and National Highway 31 link Siliguri to Gangtok. Sikkim National 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 southern and western Sikkim are connected to the hill stations of Kalimpong and Darjeeling in northern West Bengal. The state is furthermore connected to Tibet by the mountain pass of Nathu La.
   
• By Rail
  Sikkim lacks significant railway infrastructure. The closest major railway stations are Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri in neighbouring West Bengal. However, the New Sikkim Railway Project has been launched to connect the town of Rangpo in Sikkim with Sevoke on the West Bengal border.