Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state located in the Himalayan mountains. The state is bordered by Nepal to the west, China's Tibet Autonomous Region to the north and east, and Bhutan to the east. The Indian state of West Bengal lies to the south. Sikkim state in the current decade is 223 per sq mile. Sikkim is an State of India with population of Approximate 6.11 Lakhs. The population of Sikkim state is 610,577. The density of Sikkim state is 86 per sq km. Sikkim State is spread over 7,096 Sq Km.
Sikkim was blessed by Guru Padmasambhava also known as Guru Rimpoche., the great Buddhist saint who visited Sikkim in the 8th century (more than 1200 years ago) and consecrated the land, meditating at its four corners to rid it of all negativity. And what variety in such a small state: plunging rhododendron-clad mountain valleys in the north, West Sikkim's atmospheric Buddhist monasteries, monumental religious statues in South Sikkim, and friendly and cheerful urban centres in the east. Then there are stunning views of Khangchendzonga, the world's third-highest mountain (8598m), visible from almost any viewpoint in the state. Little wonder that this tiny former Himalayan kingdom is such a haven for travellers.
here are 4 districts in Sikkim, an Indian state, 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 a total of eight towns and nine subdivisions in Sikkim. The four districts are:
A strong preserve of Tibetan Buddhism, Sikkim's public aesthetics are executed in shades of ritualistic vermilion, gold, blue and green, which make striking photo-ops. Throw in yummy local food, exotic Himalayan wildlife, picture-postcard landscapes and some great hikes in the mountains, and you have a superb mountain escape on the cards.
Sikkim is a popular tourist destination, owing to its culture, scenery and biodiversity. It also has the only open land border between India and China.Sikkim's capital and largest city is Gangtok.
Sikkim has 11 official languages: Nepali (which is its lingua franca), Sikkimese, Lepcha, Tamang, Limbu, Newari, Rai, Gurung, Magar, Sunwar and English.English is taught in schools and used in government documents. The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Sikkim's economy is largely dependent on agriculture and tourism, and as of 2014 the state had the third-smallest GDP among Indian states, although it is also among the fastest-growing.
Toponymy
The most widely accepted origin theory of the name Sikkim is that it is a combination of two Limbu words: su, which means "new", and khyim, which means "palace" or "house". The name is believed to be a reference to the palace built by the state's first ruler, Phuntsog Namgyal. The Tibetan name for Sikkim is Drenjong (Wylie-transliteration: ´bras ljongs), which means "valley of rice", while the Bhutias call it Beyul Demazong, which means '"the hidden valley of rice". The Lepcha people, the original inhabitants of Sikkim, called it Nye-mae-el, meaning "paradise". In History, Sikkim is known as Indrakil, the garden of the war god Indra.
Geology of Sikkim
The hills of Sikkim mainly consist of gneissose and half-schistose rocks, producing generally poor and shallow brown clay soils. The soil is coarse, with large concentrations of iron oxide; it ranges from neutral to acidic and is lacking in organic and mineral nutrients. This type of soil tends to support evergreen and deciduous forests.
Most of Sikkim is covered by Precambrian rock, which is much younger in age than the hills. The rock consists of phyllites and schists, and is highly susceptible to weathering and erosion. This, combined with the state's heavy rainfall, causes extensive soil erosion and the loss of soil nutrients through leaching. As a result, landslides are frequent, often isolating rural towns and villages from the major urban centres.
By Air: There is no airport in the state. The only airport around is in Bagdogra in West Bengal around 124 km from Gangtok. It takes around 5 hrs from Bagdogra by road in bus, or via cabs. There is a helicopter service from Bagdogra to Gangtok which takes around 30 mins. The Sikkim tourism Development Corporation runs the service everyday at 11am from Gangtok to Bagdogra and at 2:00pm is the return flight.
By Rail: Being a mountain state, it doesn't have a railway station and is not mentioned on the rail map. The only station nearest to the state is the station at new Jalpaiguri in West Bengal which is around 125km from Gangtok the capital. Buses, cabs, taxis take you from the station to the capital in approx 5 hrs.
By Road: The state is connected to Siliguri, the shortest and nearest to the state. The distance is around 114km. Darjeeling a hill station in West Bengal is also connected to Sikkim One can hire taxi's, buses or hire cars with drivers. The hilly route is well maintained. The route is quiet interesting beautiful and the Teesta river flow on one side and the other side is lush green mountains. As you reach closer to Gangtok you will find beautiful multi coloured flowers that would point the route to the city especially in spring.Find detailed information about how to reach Sikkim by Train, Bus, air, flight timing and schedule. Read reviews, details to know how to reach Sikkim & get information about Sikkim.
Bihar became the first state in India to have separate web page for every city and village in the state on its website www.brandbihar.com (Now www.brandbharat.com)
See the record in Limca Book of Records 2012 on Page No. 217