Tucked
away in the foothills of the Himalayas, Sikkim is a
Himalayan wonderland with its lovely views and exotic
orchids, and its forest-trails. A virtual Shangrila
overlooked by Mt. Kanchenjunga, the world’s third
highest peak, Sikkim is attractive equally for the
sightseer, the adventure sports enthusiast and those
interested in Buddhism and Tibetology. Buddhism is the
predominant religion here, with many fine old monasteries
rich with frescoes, religious paintings on silk and
statues of the Buddha’s various incarnations. In
Gangtok, the delightfully quaint capital, are pagoda like
roofs of many buildings and the presence of crimson robed
monks in the bazaars. The Institute of Tibetology, the
only one of its kind in the world, was set up by the
erstwhile ruler to promote research on Mahayana Buddhism,
and on the language and traditions of Tibet. Lower down
the hill is the famed orchid sanctuary where 500 species
of orchids indigenous to Sikkim are cultivated. Sikkim
offers several treks that lead through pine forests,
through picturesque valleys, monasteries and to mountain
lakes. It is also the base for mountaineering expeditions
and the rivers Teesta and Rangeet offer excellent river
rafting. Prior permission must be sought from the Ministry
of Home Affairs, Government of India, by all foreigners
wishing to visit Sikkim – though travel formalities are
being relaxed gradually. Permission may, therefore, be
sought from Indian Missions overseas, or from offices of
Sikkim Tourism, A number of good hotels and lodging houses
exist in Gangtok.
Gangtok
Entry to
Sikkim is most convenient by coach, taxi or helicopter.The
state of Sikkim lies in the shadow of the mighty
Kanchenjunga and its capital, Gangtok, is a picturesque
mountain clinging town with monastaries, parks, pagoda
style houses and colourful bazars.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Altitude
: 5800 ft (1,547 metres).
Climate (deg.c.): Summer- Max. 20.7, Min.
13.1; Winter- Max. 14.9, Min. 7.7.
Clothing : Summer- Light woollens,
Winter- Heavy woollens.Languages spoken: Sikimese,
English.
Best Season : March to late May, October
to Mid-December.
HOW
TO REACH
- Air
: Nearest Airport is Bagdogra (124 kms). Fare:-
Calcutta-Bagdogra Rs.1025.
- Rail:
The nearest railway stations are Siliguri 114 kms, New
Jalpaiguri (NJP) 125 kms. Fare:- Howrah-New
Jalpaiguri: AC 1st Class Rs.1010, AC 2 Tier Rs.667,
1st Class Rs.530, 2nd Class Rs.161.
- Road:
Good motorable roads connect Gangtok with Siliguri 114
kms, Calcutta 725 kms, Darjeeling 139 kms and Guwahati
589 kms.
- Bus
Service: Regular bus services connect Gangtok
with Bagdogra, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri and
Calcutta. Fare:- Calcutta-Gangtok Rs.160. Conducted
Tour: The following tours are run by the Dept. of
Tourism, Govt. of Sikkim, starting from the tourist
Information Centre, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Tel.: 22064,
only during the season.
Places Covered
1) Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Research
Institute of Tibetology, Orchid Sanctuary and Enchey
Monastery (1000 to 1230 hours). Fare Rs.40.
2) Orchidarium and Dharma Chakra Centre (Rumtek)
(1300-1730 hours). Fare:- Rs.55.
Places
of Interest
Chorten,
Deer park, Enchey Monastery, Goverment Cottage Industries
Institute, Orchid
Sanctuary, Research Institute of Tibetology, Tashi View
Point, Dharma Chakra Centre (Rumtek) and Saramsa Garden.
Proposed Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok.
Excursions
- Bakkhim
: 2nd day halt for trekking and mountaineering
expedition to Dzongri.
- Dzongri
: This place offers a fascinating view of
Kanchenjunga.
- Pemayangtse
Monastery : 115 kms from Gangtok. The 2nd oldest
monastary in Sikkim. And an ideal base for trekking to
Dzongri.
Entry
Formalities for Foreign Tourists
Individual
tourist alongwith group tourists can visit Gangtok,
Rumtek, Phodong and Pemayangtse for 15 days. Group min. 4
persons can only visit Dzongri (in West
Sikkim) for 15 days for the purpose of trekking.
Given below are the list of the authorities, who can issue
the permit :
1) All Indian Missions abroad;
2) All Foreigners' Regional Registration Offices in
Calcutta, Delhi, Madras & Bombay;
3) Assistant Director (Tourism), Govt. of Sikkim,
Siliguri;
4) Deputy Director (Tourism), Govt. of sikkim, New Delhi;
5) Assistant Resident Commissioner, Govt. of Sikkim,
Calcutta;
6) Deputy Commissioner, Darjeeling.
Tourist
Information Centre
1.
Department of Tourism, Govt. of Sikkim, Gangtok Bazar,
Tel.: 22097, 22064.
2. Sikkim Tourist Office, Hill Cart Road, Siliguri, Tel.:
24602.
3. Sikkim Tourist Information Centre, Poonam building, 5 /
2 Russell Street, Calcutta 700 071, Tel.: 297516, 298983.
Pemayangtse
The
mighty Kanchenjunga overlooks the land of Sikkim and
Pemayangtse in Sikkim nestles close to Kanchenjunga.
Pemayangtse is not a settlement. This is where 6000 ft
above sea level one of the most famous Buddhist
monasteries is located. The Pemayangtse monastery is the
second oldest monastery in Sikkim and is the headquarters
of the Nyingma sect. There seems to have been an earlier
shrine at the sight of the monastery, which dates back to
1705. Many priceless antique idols are housed here, and
the top-most floor, the most fascinating, contains some
magnificent sculptures, very intricate and very
intriguing. The locals say that it took seven years to put
them together, in an attempt to recreate what a monk,
Lhotso Chempo dreamt as the celestial palace of
Zamdogpalri Rimpoche, one of the ancient religious leaders
of the sect, What is amazing is that it was executed by a
third man, Sandup Dungzing Rimpoche who was neither a
sculptor nor an engineer. Rarely does a monastery suggest
the feel of space and airiness that Pemayangtse does. From
the monastery one can also see the ruins of the first
palace of the Chogyals at Gezing where only a chorten and
a bit of masonry have been left, though excavations could
reveal more. The monks of Pemayangtse by tradition have
been Bhutias. On one side of the monastery are some
typical old stone and wooden dwellings: rough, with wooden
pieces slotted together rather than nailed, and decorated
with wooden carvings. These are the monks’ quarters and
comforts have been deliberately modulated for bare
survival under the strict Buddhist discipline. The
Pemayangtse monastery, an oasis of serenity and a
repository of centuries-old wisdom and scriptures,
surrounded by mountains, glaciers and passes, is where you
feel time is frozen in a frame of yesteryears. The
evergreen shrubs of rhododendron, with those large
clusters of trumpet shaped flowers can be seen blooming
everywhere, and yaks and musk deer and red pandas follow
you around the terrain. The mysterious aura around the
monks while they hum mantras under their breath, spinning
the ubiquitous chakras which never seem to leave their
hands, blowing at conches and gyalings, or, if you
happened to be there during Kagyat Chaam, performing
ritualistic and a strangely rhythmic dance wearing
ceremonial masks, will haunt you for days after you have
left this cloud- woven habitation on the eastern tip of
the country.
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