Places to visit
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Sikkim,
one of the smallest states in India, is situated to the south of
Tibet and east of Nepal. It is the catchment area of the Tista (also
spelt as Teesta) River and its affluent to keep a track of. After
travelling through Sikkim, the Tista joins river Brahmaputra.
Kunchenjunga- Kanchendzonga, the third highest
mountain in the world at 8,586m is the pride of the mountain kingdom
of Sikkim, which has a huge variety of flora and fauna besides a
diverse ethnic mix of people with rich cultural traditions.
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Best seasons to visit
Sikkim's
climate is sub tropical in the lower valleys, but changing fast to
temperate and alpine with increase in elevation. For most of the year, it
is cold and humid as rainfall occurs right through the year. During the
winter the region receives the maximum snow with very icy temperatures.
Summers are quiet mild for summer holiday hideouts. Best time to visit is
March To May & October To December. Best time to visit the capital of
Sikkim is Mid- February To May End & Mid - September To December.
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How to reach
By Air
- The busiest route in and out of Sikkim is the road between Gangtok and
Siliguri. The town of Bagdogra at a distance of 124 km from Gangtok has
the nearest airport. Flights from Bagdogra can be booked at the Indian
Airlines office on Tibet Road in Gangtok (Phone 03592-23099). There are
regular flights to Guwahati, Calcutta, and Delhi from Bagdogra.
By Rail - The nearest railway stations from Gangtok are
New Jalpaiguri (125 km) and Siliguri (144 km) connected to Delhi,
Calcutta, Guwahati, and other important cities in India.
By Road - Gangtok is connected by road to Darjeeling,
Kalimpong, and Siliguri. Cars, luxury coaches and jeeps are available for
hire in the town. There are also regular bus services run by the Sikkim
Nationalized Transport.
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What is special
Lal Bazaar
- On Sunday, Gangtok' s Lal Bazaar is a melody of colour. Various
ethnic groups from different villages gather to haggle, bargain,
gossip or just sell their wares. The marketplace rings to a
cacophony of sound-the babble of ethnic tongues, the chiming bells
of the Indian sweet shops the whining of a beggar, the chanting of
prayers, the advertising of the Sikkim lottery and the blaring Hindi
love songs from the Denzong cinema.
Tsuk-La-Khang Monastery - This monastery is located
in the palace premises near the ridge
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in
Gangtok. It is two storied and was used for royal functions like
weddings and coronations. The Phang Labsol and the Lossang festivals
are celebrated in the ground adjacent to the monastery once-every
year with the performance of the 'Chhams' or the masked dances.
Dul-Dul Chorten & Jhang Club - Chortan Sikkim has
commemorated, with stupas, both the Buddha and one of his followers
of today. Near the Deorali bazaar are two exquisite stupas, the "Dul-Dul-Chorten",
was built to commemorate the victory of good over evil; the "Jhang
Club Chorten" was built to perpetuate the memory of a great
spiritualist of today. Thrul-Shik Rinpoche, an ardent devotee of
Buddha and one of his best interpreters, died in 1962, the stupa
immortalizes the Rinpoche in the land of his birth.
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