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Sikkim Information |
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Climate
Due to the extreme altitude, there is an immense
variation in climate and vegetation. With a
rainfall of about 140 inches in Gangtok, the
climate is tropical up to 5,000ft, temperate
between 5,000ft–13,000ft, alpine at 13,000ft,
and snowbound at 16,000ft and above.
The best time to visit Sikkim is between
mid-March and June but |
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especially, April and May, when the
rhododendrons and orchids are in bloom. However,
temperatures can be high, especially in the
valleys. During the monsoons, from the end of
June until end September, rivers and roads
become impenetrable, though plants nurtured by
the incessant rain erupt again into bloom
towards the end of August. October, when orchids
bloom once again and November tend to have the
clearest weather of all. As December approaches,
it gets bitterly cold at high altitudes, and
remains that way until early March, despite long
periods of clear weather.
The best time to visit this zone is from mid
September to mid December, although it gets
pretty cold by December. The high seasons again
starts from mid-march & continues till mid June.
During monsoon months ie; from June to
September, the view of the mountains gets
obscured & rainfall is pretty heavy (270 cm
annually) |
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People & Religion |
Sikkim is the least populated state in India. There are three
principal communities of Nepalese (75%), Lepchas (20%), and
smaller proportions of Bhutias and Limbus. The Bhutias are
Buddhist and so are most of the Lepchas. The Nepalese are
chiefly Hindus. Lepchas or the Rong appear to be the original
inhabitants of Sikkim as no legends of their migration are
available. In the 13th century, the Bhutias from Kham area of
Tibet came to the state. They believed in Buddhism of the
Mahayana sect. The Nepalis were the last to enter Sikkim, in the
mid 19th century.
All communities live in perfect harmony sharing each
other’s cultures, ethos and traditions with the result that
there is now a Sikkimese culture, which is composite of all the
three prominent communities. Most of the people speak Nepali,
which is also the state language. It is the harmony of the place
that provides justification to the name of the state derived
form Sukhim, meaning “happy home, a place of peace.”
Though Hinduism is equally followed, Buddhism is
entrenched in the tradition of the state. The people have faith
in the Buddha, the dharma (his teachings), and the sangha
(assembly of monks) where religious texts are studied, taught
and preserved. Soaked in the religious tradition, the land has a
spiritual ambience where prayer flags with inscriptions of
Buddhist texts flutter around the boundary of the village to
ward off evil spirits, prayer wheels rotate to the currents of
water, and chortens and lucky signs are common sights. |
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Entry
formalities |
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Foreigners require an Inner Line Permit (ILP) in addition to
normal Indian visa to enter Sikkim and can visit Gangtok,
Rumtek, Phodang and Pemayangtse. No permit is required to enter
& stay in Darjeeling & other parts of North Bengal including
Kalimpomg.
All foreigners intending to visit Sikkim can avail of 15 days
inner-line permit with a further 15 days extension available in
Gangtok. Re-entry into Sikkim is not possible within 3 months of
leaving Sikkim. Restricted area permit for individuals & groups
for restricted areas i.e., Gangtok. Rumtek, Phodong, Pemagyantse
can be obtained in advance from all Indian missions aboard,
Sikkim tourism offices at Delhi, Calcutta, Siliguri & Gangtok,
after furnishing requisite documents. A standard Permit allows
one to visit Gangtok, Rumtek, Phodong and Pemagyantse. The
permits are checked and the visas stamped while entering and
leaving Sikkim.
Foreigners without a valid passport and permit are not allowed
to enter Sikkim. The best and the easiest way to get the permit
is when the individual/group is getting their Indian visa stamp
on their passport. All they have to do is express their desire
to visit Sikkim & the Indian missions abroad endorses the permit
while granting the India visa. |
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Festivals |
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The people celebrate the anniversaries relating to birth,
enlightenment, and nirvana of the Buddha, besides the Buddhist
New Year and the harvest festivals. Several festivals are
celebrated in Gangtok and its adjoining areas. The Buddhist
festival of Bumchu is held in the Tashiding Gompa during
January. The festival of Chaam is held in Enchey Gompa during
January–February and is marked by dancing. Kagyat Dance is a
mask dance held every month at Gangtok, Pemayangtse and Phodong.
Losar marks the Tibetan New Year and is celebrated during
February–March at Pemayangtse and Rumtek. Tse Chu is a Buddhist
dance held in May at Rumtek. Saga Dawa (held in Gangtok during
May) and Drukpa Teshi (celebrated statewide during July) mark
Buddha's first teaching. Phang Lhabsol is a mask dance
celebrated statewide during August. Dasain, the biggest Hindu
festival is celebrated during October, is marked by gift
exchanges and animal sacrifices. |
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