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Sikkim
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Sikkim
ििििििि

Gangtok
Location of Sikkim
िसिकम in India
Country India
District(s) 4
Established 16 May 1975
Capital Gangtok
Largest city Gangtok
Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh
Chief Minister Pawan Chamling
Legislature
Unicameral (32)
(seats)
Population 540,493 (28th)
• Density • 76.17 /km2 (197 /sq mi)
Nepali, Tibetan, Limbu, Bhutia,
Language(s)
Lepcha
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Area 7,096 km2 (2,740 sq mi)
ISO 3166-2 IN-SK
Website [Link]

Seal of Sikkim
िसिकम

Coordinates: 27°20′N 88°37′E / 27.33°N 88.62°E Sikkim (Nepali: िसिकम

(help·info), Tibetan: Denzong[1]) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. It
is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest in area after Goa.[2] The
thumb-shaped state borders Nepal in the west, the Tibet Autonomous Region of China
to the north and the east and Bhutan in the southeast. The Indian state of West Bengal
borders Sikkim to its south.[3] Despite its small area of 7,096 km² (2,740 sq mi),
Sikkim is geographically diverse due to its location in the Himalayas. The climate
ranges from subtropical to high alpine. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak,
is located on the border of Sikkim with Nepal.[4] Sikkim is a popular tourist destination
owing to its culture, scenic beauty and biodiversity.

Legend has it that the Buddhist saint Guru Rinpoche visited Sikkim in the 9th century,
introduced Buddhism and foretold the era of the monarchy. Accordingly, the Namgyal
dynasty was established in 1642. Over the next 150 years, the kingdom witnessed
frequent raids and territorial losses to Nepalese invaders. It allied itself with the British
rulers of India but was soon annexed by them. Later, Sikkim became a British
protectorate and was merged with India following a referendum in 1975.

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. It is
the only state in India with an ethnic Nepalese majority. The predominant religions are
Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Gangtok is the capital and the largest town.
Sikkim has a booming economy dependent on agriculture and tourism.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Toponymy
 • 2 History
• 3 Geography
o 3.1 Geology
o 3.2 Climate
• 4 Subdivisions
• 5 Flora and fauna
• 6 Economy
• 7 Transport
• 8 Demographics
• 9 Culture
• 10 Government and politics
• 11 Infrastructure
• 12 Media
• 13 Education
• 14 See also
• 15 Notes
• 16 References

• 17 External links

Toponymy
The most widely accepted origin of the name Sikkim is that it is a combination of two
words in the Limbu Su, which means "new", and Khyim, which means "palace" or
house, in reference to the palace built by the state's first ruler, Phuntsog Namgyal. The
Tibetan name for Sikkim is Denjong, which means the "valley of rice".[1] The Lepchas,
original inhabitants of Sikkim called it Nye-mae-el or paradise,[5] and the Bhutias call
it Beymul Demazong, which means the hidden valley of rice.[5] In Hindu religious
texts, Sikkim is known as Indrakil, the garden of Indra.[6]

History
Main article: History of Sikkim

Statue of Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim. The statue in Namchi is the
tallest statue of the saint in the world at 36 metres (120 ft).

The earliest recorded event related to Sikkim is the passage of the Buddhist saint Guru
Rinpoche through the land in the 8th century. The Guru is reported to have blessed the
land, introduced Buddhism in Sikkim, and foretold the era of monarchy in the state
that would arrive centuries later. In the 14th century, according to legend, Khye
Bumsa, a prince from the Minyak House in Kham in Eastern Tibet, had a divine
revelation one night instructing him to travel south to seek his fortunes. His
descendants were later to form the royal family of Sikkim. In 1642, the fifth-
generation descendant of Khye Bumsa, Phuntsog Namgyal, was consecrated as the
first Chogyal (king) of Sikkim by the three venerated Lamas who came from the north,
west and south to Yuksom, marking the beginning of the monarchy.[7]

Flag of the former monarchy of Sikkim

Phuntsog Namgyal was succeeded in 1670 by his son, Tensung Namgyal, who moved
the capital from Yuksom to Rabdentse. In 1700, Sikkim was invaded by the Bhutanese
with the help of the half-sister of the Chogyal, who had been denied the throne. The
Bhutanese were driven away by the Tibetans, who restored the throne to the Chogyal
ten years later. Between 1717 and 1733, the kingdom faced many raids by the
Nepalese in the west and Bhutanese in the east, culminating with the destruction of the
capital Rabdentse by the Nepalese.[8] In 1791, China sent troops to support Sikkim and
defend Tibet against the Gurkhas. Following Nepal's subsequent defeat, the Qing
Dynasty established control over Sikkim.[9]

Following the arrival of the British Raj in neighboring India, Sikkim allied with them
against their common enemy, Nepal. The Nepalese attacked Sikkim, overrunning most
of the region including the Terai. This prompted the British East India Company to
attack Nepal, resulting in the Gurkha War of 1814.[10] Treaties signed between Sikkim
and Nepal resulted in returning of the territory annexed by the Nepalese in 1817.
However Ties between Sikkim and the British weakened when the latter began
taxation of the Morang region. In 1849 two British doctors, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
and Dr Archibald Campbell, the latter being in charge of relations between the British
and Sikkim Government, ventured into the mountains of Sikkim unannounced and
unauthorised.[11] The doctors were detained by the Sikkim government, leading to a
punitive British expedition against the Himalayan kingdom, after which the Darjeeling
district and Morang were annexed to India in 1853. The invasion led to the Chogyal
becoming a titular ruler under the directive of the British governor.[12] In 1890, Sikkim
became a British protectorate and was granted more sovereignty over the next three
decades.[13]
The Dro-dul Chorten Stupa is a famous stupa in Gangtok.

In 1947, a popular vote rejected Sikkim's joining the Indian Union and Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru agreed to a special protectorate status for Sikkim. Sikkim came
under the suzerainty of India, which controlled its external affairs, defence, diplomacy
and communications, but Sikkim otherwise retained autonomy. A state council was
established in 1955 to allow for constitutional government under the Chogyal.
Meanwhile, the Sikkim National Congress demanded fresh elections and greater
representation for the Nepalese. In 1973, riots in front of the palace led to a formal
request for protection from India. The Chogyal was proving to be extremely unpopular
with the people. In 1975, the Kazi (Prime Minister) appealed to the Indian Parliament
for a change in Sikkim's status so that it could become a state of India. In April, the
Indian Army took over the city of Gangtok and disarmed the Palace Guards. A
referendum was held in which 97.5% of the voting people (59% of the people entitled
to vote) voted to join the Indian Union. A few weeks later, on May 16, 1975, Sikkim
officially became the 22nd state of the Indian Union and the monarchy was abolished.
[14]

In 2000, the seventeenth Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje, who had been proclaimed a
Lama by China, escaped from Tibet to the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim. Chinese
officials were in a quandary on this issue, as any protests to India would mean an
explicit endorsement of India's governance of Sikkim, which the Chinese still regarded
as an independent state occupied by India. China eventually recognized Sikkim as an
Indian state in 2003, on the condition that India accepted Tibet Autonomous Region as
a part of China.[15] This mutual agreement led to a thaw in Sino-Indian relations.[16]
New Delhi accepted Tibet as a part of China in 1953 during the government of then
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.[17] On July 6, 2006 the Himalayan pass of Nathula
was opened to cross-border trade, further evidence of improving relations in the
region.[18]
Geography

Kangchenjunga, (8,586 metres / 28,170 ft)), highest peak of India and third-highest on
Earth

Cities and towns of Sikkim

The thumb-shaped state is characterized by wholly mountainous terrain. Almost the

entire state is hilly, with an elevation ranging from 280 metres (920 ft) to 8,585 metres
(28,000 ft). The summit of the Kangchenjunga is the highest point which falls in Nepal
among the top eight mountains residing on Nepal. For the most part, the land is unfit
for agriculture because of the precipitous and rocky slopes. However, certain hill
slopes have been converted into farm lands using terrace farming techniques.
Numerous snow-fed streams in Sikkim have carved out river valleys in the west and
south of the state. These streams combine into the Teesta and its tributary, the
Rangeet. The Teesta, described as the "lifeline of Sikkim", flows through the state
from north to south.[citation needed] About a third of the land is heavily forested.

The Himalayan ranges surround the northern, eastern and western borders of Sikkim
in a crescent. The Lower Himalayas in the southern reaches of the state are the most
densely populated. The state has 28 mountain peaks, 21 glaciers, 227 high-altitude
lakes including the Tsongmo Lake, Gurudongmar and Khecheopalri Lake, 5 hot
springs, and more than 100 rivers and streams. Eight mountain passes connect the state
to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal.[19]

Unfrozen Gurudongmar Lake in North Sikkim

Sikkim's hot springs are known for medicinal and therapeutic values. The most
important hot springs are at Phurchachu (Reshi), Yumthang, Borang, Ralang, Taram-
chu and Yumey Samdong. They have high sulphur content and are located near river
banks. Some also emit hydrogen.[20] The average temperature of the water in these hot
springs is 50 °C (122 °F).[21]

Geology

The hills of Sikkim mainly consist of gneissose and half-schistose rocks, making their
soil brown clay, and generally poor and shallow. The soil is coarse, with large
amounts of iron oxide concentrations, ranging from neutral to acidic and has poor
organic and mineral nutrients. This type of soil tends to support evergreen and
deciduous forests.[22]

Most of Sikkim is covered by Precambrian rock and is much younger in age than the
hills. The rock consists of phyllites and schists and therefore the slopes are highly
susceptible to weathering and prone to erosion. This, combined with the intense rain,
causes extensive soil erosion and heavy loss of soil nutrients through leaching. As a
result, landslides are frequent, isolating the towns and villages from the major urban
centres.[23]

Climate

The climate ranges from sub-tropical in the south to tundra in the northern parts. The
tundra-type region in the north is clad by snow for four months a year though the
temperature drops below 0 °C (32 °F) almost every night.[24] The peaks of north-
western Sikkim are perpetually frozen.[25] Most of the inhabited regions of Sikkim,
however, witness a temperate climate, with the temperatures seldom exceeding 28 °C
(82 °F) in summer or dropping below 0 °C (32 °F) in winter. The mean monthly
temperature in summer is 15 °C.[26] The state has five seasons: winter, summer, spring,
and autumn, and a monsoon season between June and September. The average annual
temperature for most of Sikkim is around 18 °C (64 °F). Sikkim is one of the few
states in India to receive regular snowfall. The snow line ranges from 20,000 feet in
the north to 16,000 feet in the south.[27] During the monsoon, heavy rains that increase
the possibility of landslides. The record for the longest period of continuous rain is
11 days. In the northern region, because of high altitude, temperatures drop below
−40 °C (−40 °F) in winter. Fog also affects many parts of the state during winter and
the monsoons, making transportation perilous.[28]
Subdivisions

The four districts of Sikkim and their headquarters

Sikkim has four districts, each overseen by a Central Government appointee, the
district collector, who is in charge of the administration of the civilian areas of the
districts. The Indian army has control of a large territory, as the state is a sensitive
border area. Many areas are restricted and permits are needed to visit them. There are
eight towns and nine subdivisions in Sikkim.

The four districts are East Sikkim, West Sikkim, North Sikkim and South Sikkim. The
district capitals are Gangtok, Geyzing, Mangan and Namchi respectively.[29] These
Four Districts are further divided into Subdivisions. "Pakyong" is the subdivision of
East District. "Soreng" is the subdivision of West District. "Chungthang" is the
subdivision of North District. "Ravongla" is the subdivision of South District.[30]

Flora and fauna

The Rhododendron is the state tree.

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 to temperate to alpine and tundra, and is perhaps one of the
few regions to exhibit such a diversity within such a small area. Nearly 81% of the
area of Sikkim comes under the administration of its forest department.[31]
The flora of Sikkim includes the rhododendron, the state tree, with a wide range of
species occurring from subtropical to alpine regions. Orchids, figs, laurel, bananas, sal
trees and bamboo in the lower altitudes of Sikkim, which enjoy a subtropical-type
climate. In the temperate elevations above 1,500 metres, oaks, chestnuts, maples,
birches, alders, and magnolias grow in large numbers. The alpine-type vegetation
includes juniper, pine, firs, cypresses and rhododendrons, and is typically found
between an altitude of 3,500 to 5 000 m. Sikkim has around 5,000 flowering plants,
515 rare orchids, 60 primula species, 36 rhododendron species, 11 oak varieties, 23
bamboo varieties, 16 conifer species, 362 types of ferns and ferns allies, 8 tree ferns,
and over 424 medicinal plants.[32] A variant of the Poinsettia, locally known as
"Christmas Flower", can be found in abundance in the mountainous state. The orchid
Dendrobium nobile is the official flower of Sikkim.

The Red Panda is the state animal of Sikkim.

The fauna includes the snow leopard,[33] the musk deer, the Himalayan Tahr, the red
panda, the Himalayan marmot, the serow, the goral, the barking deer, the common
langur, the Himalayan Black Bear, the clouded leopard,[34] the Marbled Cat, the
leopard cat, the wild dog, the Tibetan wolf, the hog badger, the binturong, the jungle
cat and the civet cat.[35] 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 consists of the Impeyan pheasant, the crimson horned
pheasant, the snow partridge, the snow cock, the lammergeyer and griffon vultures, as
well as golden eagles, quail, plovers, woodcock, sandpipers, pigeons, Old World
flycatchers, babblers and robins. Sikkim has more than 550 species of birds, some of
which have been declared endangered.[36]

Sikkim also has a rich diversity of arthropods, much of which remains unexplored
even today. As with the rest of India, the most studied group is that of the butterflies.
Of approximately 1438 butterfly species found in the Indian subcontinent, 695 have
been recorded from Sikkim.[37] These include the endangered Kaiser-i-hind, Yellow
Gorgon and the Bhutan Glory.[38]

Economy
This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of Sikkim at market prices
estimated by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in
millions of Indian Rupees.[39]
Year Gross State Domestic Product
1980 520
1985 1,220
1990 2,340
1995 5,200
2000 9,710
2003 23,786 [1]

Sikkim's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $478 million in current
prices.

Sikkim's economy is largely agrarian. The British introduced terraced farming of rice.
[40]
Besides, crops such as maize, millet, wheat, barley, oranges, tea and cardamom.[41]
Sikkim has the highest production and largest cultivated area of cardamom in India.[42]
Because of the hilly terrain, and lack of reliable transportation infrastructure, there are
no large-scale industries. Breweries, distilleries, tanning and watchmaking are the
main industries. These are located in the southern reaches of the state, primarily in the
towns of Melli and Jorethang. The state has an high growth rate of 8.3%, which is the
second highest in the country after Delhi.[43]

Elaichi or Cardamom is the chief cash crop of Sikkim.

In recent years, the government of Sikkim has extensively promoted tourism. As a

result, the state revenue has increased 14 times since the mid-1990s.[44] A fledgling
industry the state has recently invested in is online gambling. The Playwin lottery has
been a commercial success and operates all over the country.[45][46] Among the minerals
mined in Sikkim are copper, dolomite, talc, graphite, quartzite, coal, zinc and lead.[47]

The opening of the Nathula Pass on July 6, 2006 connecting Lhasa, Tibet to India is
expected to give a boost to the local economy, though the financial benefits will be
slow to arrive. The Pass, closed since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, was an offshoot of
the ancient Silk Road, which was essential to wool, fur and spice trade.[18]

Transport
The River Teesta is considered as the "lifeline of Sikkim."

Sikkim does not have any airports or railheads because of its rough terrain, however,
the first airport of the state is expected to be ready by 2011 in Pakyong, 30 km (19 mi)
away from Gangtok.[48] The closest airport, Bagdogra Airport, is near the town of
Siliguri, West Bengal. The airport is about 124 km away from Gangtok. A regular
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 4
people.[49] The Gangtok helipad is the only civilian helipad in the state. The closest
railway stations are Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri.[50]

National Highway 31A and National Highway 31 together links Siliguri to Gangtok.[51]
The Sikkim National Transport runs bus and truck services. Privately-run bus, tourist
taxi and jeep services ply 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 northern West Bengal hill stations of Kalimpong and
Darjeeling.[52] The state is connected to China by Nathu La.

Demographics
Further information: Sikkimese people

Old Sikkimese woman

The majority of Sikkim's residents are of Nepali ethnic-national origin who arrived in
the 19th century. The native Sikkimese consist of the
[show]Population
Bhutias, who migrated from the Kham district of
Tibet in the 14th century, and the Lepchas who are Growth
believed to have migrated from the Far East.
Tibetans reside mostly in the northern and eastern
reaches of the state. Immigrant resident communities include the Biharis, Bengalis and
Marwaris who own most of the shops in South Sikkim and Gangtok.[54]

Hinduism is the major religion in the state, followed by Buddhism. Sikkim has 75
monasteries, the oldest dating back to the 1700s.[55] The Christians are mostly Lepcha
people who were converted by British missionaries since the late 19th century. Among
other minorities are Muslims of Bihari ethnicity and Jains.[56] Though tensions between
the Lepchas and the Nepalese escalated during the merger of Sikkim with India, there
has never been any communal violence unlike most other states.[57]

Nepali is the lingua franca of Sikkim. Bhutia and Lepcha are also common. English
and Hindi are also spoken and understood in most of Sikkim. Other languages include
Dzongkha, Groma, Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Majhi, Majhwar, Nepal Bhasa, Rai,
Sikkimese, Sherpa, Sunuwar, Tamang, Thulung, Tibetan, and Yakha.[58]

Sikkim is India's least populous state and has 540,493 inhabitants,[59] with 288,217
males and 252,276 females. It is also one of the least densely populated states with
only 76 persons per square kilometre. Its growth rate is 32.98% (1991–2001). The sex
ratio is 875 females per 1000 males. With 50,000 inhabitants, Gangtok is the state's
only significant town. The urban population in Sikkim is 11.06%.[30] The per capita
income stands at Rs. 11,356, which is one of the highest in the country.[60]

Culture
See also: Music of Sikkim

The Gumpa being performed in Lachung during the Buddhist festival of Losar

The Sikkimese celebrate all major Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Dussera. Nepali
festivals like Tihar and Bhimsen Puja are common.[61] Losar, Loosong, Saga Dawa,
Lhabab Duechen, Drupka Teshi and Bhumchu are Buddhist festivals. During the
Losar (Tibetan New Year) most offices and educational institutions are closed for a
week.[62] Muslims celebrate Id-ul-fitr and Muharram.[63] Christmas has also been
promoted in Gangtok to attract tourists during the off-season.[64]
Western rock music and Hindi songs have gained wide acceptance among the
Sikkimese. Indigenous Nepali rock and Lepcha music are also popular.[65] Common
sports in Sikkim are Football and cricket. Hang gliding and river rafting have also
been introduced in order to promote tourism.[66]

Noodle-based dishes such as the thukpa, chowmein, thanthuk, fakthu, gyathuk and
wonton are common in Sikkim. Momos, steamed dumplings filled with vegetable, buff
(buffalo meat) or pork and served with a soup, are a popular snack.[67] Beer, whiskey,
rum and brandy are widely consumed.[68] Sikkim has the third highest per capita
alcoholism rate amongst all Indian states, behind Punjab and Haryana.[69]

Government and politics

See also: Elections in Sikkim

The White Hall complex houses the residences of the Chief Minister and Governor of
Sikkim.

Like all states of India, the head of the state government is a governor appointed by
the Central Indian Government. His/her appointment is largely ceremonial, and his/her
main role is to oversee the swearing in of the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister, who
holds the real executive powers, is the head of the party or coalition garnering the
largest majority in the state elections. The governor also appoints the cabinet ministers
on the advice of the Chief Minister. Sikkim has a unicameral legislature like most
other Indian states. Sikkim is allocated one seat in each of both chambers of India's
national bicameral legislature, the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha. There are a total
of 32 state assembly seats including one reserved for the Sangha. The Sikkim High
Court is the smallest high court in the country.[70]

In 1975, after the abrogation of State symbols

Sikkim's monarchy, the Congress State day May 16 (day of accession to India)
Party got the largest majority in
State animal Red Panda
the 1977 elections. In 1979, after
State bird Blood Pheasant[71]
a period of instability, a popular
ministry headed by Nar Bahadur State tree Rhododendron
Bhandari, leader of the Sikkim State flower Noble orchid[72]
Sangram Parishad Party was
sworn in. Bhandari held on to power in the 1984 and 1989 elections. In the 1994
elections Pawan Kumar Chamling from the Sikkim Democratic Front becoming the
Chief Minister of the state. The party has since held on to power by winning the 1999
and 2004 elections.[12][49] It won all the 32 seats of the state assembly in 2009.[73]

Infrastructure
Tibetology Museum and research centre.

Although roads in Sikkim are often exposed to landslides and flooding by nearby
streams, the roads are significantly better than the equivalent roads of other Indian
states. The roads are maintained by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), an offshoot
of the Indian army. The roads in South Sikkim and NH-31A are in good condition,
landslides being less frequent in these areas. The state government maintains
1857.35 km of roadways that do not fall in the BRO jurisdiction.[30]

Sikkim receives most of its electricity from 19 hydroelectric power stations.[44] It has
achieved 100% rural electrification.[74] Power also obtained from the National Thermal
Power Corporation and Power Grid Corporation of India.[75] However the voltage is
unstable and voltage stabilisers are needed. Per capita consumption of electricity in
Sikkim is 182 kWh. The state government has promoted biogas and solar power for
cooking but these have received a poor response and are used mostly for lighting
purposes.[76] 73.2% of the total households have access to safe drinking water,[30] and
the large number of streams assures sufficient water supply.

Media

The Rumtek monastery is the most famous monument of Sikkim and was the centre of
media attention in 2000.

The southern urban areas have English, Nepali and Hindi dailies. Nepali language
newspapers as well as some English newspapers are locally printed, whereas Hindi
and English newspapers are printed in Siliguri. Important local dailies[77] are the
Samay Dainik, Sikkim Express (English), Sikkim Now (English), and Himalibela. The
regional editions of English newspapers include The Statesman and The Telegraph,
which are printed in Siliguri and available in the same day, as well as The Hindu and
The Times of India, printed in Calcutta, which are received with a day's delay in the
towns of Gangtok, Jorethang, Melli and Geyzing. Himalaya Darpan, a Nepali daily
being published from Siliguri is one of the leading Nepali dailies in the region. The
Sikkim Herald is an official weekly publication of the government. Online media
covering Sikkim include the Nepali newspaper Himgiri, the English news portal
Haalkhabar and the literary magazine Tistarangit. Avyakta, Bilokan, Journal of Hill
Research, Khaber Khagaj, Panda, and Sikkim Science Society Newsletter are the
registered publications in Bengali, Nepali, and English published out of Sikkim in
weekly, quarterly, half-yearly, and annual periodicities.[77]

Internet cafés are well established in the district capitals, but broadband connectivity is
not widely available. Satellite television channels through dish antennae are available
in most homes in the state. Channels served are the same available throughout India
along with Nepali language channels. The main service providers are Dish TV,
Doordarshan and Nayuma. The area is well serviced by local cellular companies.

Education
Literacy in Sikkim is 69.68%, which breaks down into 76.73% for males and 61.46%
for females. There are a total of 1478 government-run schools and 471 private schools.
[78]
Twelve colleges and other institutions in Sikkim that offer higher education. The
largest institution is the Sikkim Manipal University of Technological Sciences which
offers higher education in engineering, medicine and management. It also runs a host
of distance education in diverse fields. There are two state-run polytechnics, Advanced
Technical Training Centre (ATTC) and Centre for Computers and Communication
Technology (CCCT) in Sikkim which offer diploma courses in various branches of
engineering. ATTC is situated at Bardang, Singtam and CCCT at Chisopani, Namchi.
Sikkim University a central university has started functioning from 2008 at Yangang
which is situated about 28 km from Singtam.[79] Many students however, migrate to
Siliguri, Calcutta, Bangalore and other Indian cities for their higher education.

See also
• List of Indian Princely States

Notes
1. ^ a b Bell, Charles Alfred (1987). Portrait of a Dalai Lama: the life and times
of the great thirteenth. Wisdom Publications. p. 25. ISBN 086171055X.
2. ^ Arjun Adlakha (April 1997). "Population Trends: India" (PDF).
International brief. U.S. Department of Commerce. 5.
[Link]
%20population%22. Retrieved on 4 November 2008.
3. ^ "Physical Features of Sikkim". Department of Information and Public
Relations, Government of Sikkim. 29 September 2005.
[Link] Retrieved on 12
October 2006.
4. ^ Madge, Tim (1995). Last Hero: Bill Tilman, a Biography of the Explorer.
Mountaineers Books. p. 93. ISBN 0898864526.
5. ^ a b "General information about Sikkim". Sikkim Tourism, Government of
Sikkim. [Link]
Retrieved on 16 May 2008.
6. ^ Datta, Amaresh (2006) [1988]. Encyclopaedia of Indian literature vol. 2.
Sahitya Akademi. p. 1739. ISBN 8126011947.
7. ^ Central Asia. Area Study Centre (Central Asia), University of Peshawar. v.
41, no. 2. 2005. pp. 50-53.
8. ^ Singh, O. P. (1985). Strategic Sikkim. Stosius/Advent Books. p. 42. ISBN
0865908028.
9. ^ Singh, O. P. p. 43
10. ^ Jha, Pranab Kumar (1985). History of Sikkim, 1817-1904: Analysis of British
Policy and Activities. O.P.S. Publishers. p. 11. ASIN: B001OQE7EY.
11. ^ "Sikkim and Tibet". Blackwood's Edinburgh magazine (William Blackwood)
147: 658. May 1890.
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References
• EVANS, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay
Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.
• HARIBAL, MEENA (1992) Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural
History. Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation.
• HOOKER, JOSEPH DALTON "Himalayan Journals" Ward, Lock, Bowden & Co.
Assistant-director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
• Holidaying in Sikkim and Bhutan – published by Nest and Wings – ISBN 81-
87592-07-9
• Sikkim — Land of Mystic and Splendour – published by Sikkim Tourism.
• Manorama Yearbook 2003 – ISBN 81-900461-8-7

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sikkim

 • Official website of the Government of Sikkim, Maintained by Department of
Information Technology
• "Details of the census". Archived from the original on 19 June 2006.
[Link]
es/[Link].
• Sinlung News
• Buddhist Monasteries of Sikkim
• China backs India's bid for U.N. Council seat; Amit Baruah; The Hindu 2005-
04-12.
• Historic India-China link opens, BBC News.
• Sikkim at the Open Directory Project
• Sikkim travel guide from Wikitravel

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