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-: Sikkim Fairs & Festivals :-

Sikkim is a land of spectacular mountain terrains,varied flora and fauna and ancient budhist monasteries.Gangtok is the capital of sikkim , built on a flank of a ridge,Gangtok is a town of stupas and monasteries.

Sikkim is a small rugged Himalayan region, astride the ancient trade route linking China and the Indian sub-continent, nested between Nepal in the West and Bhutan in the East. On its Northern border towers the Plateau of Tibet and it shares its Southern border with West Bengal. The Lepchas are the original inhabitants of the land. These people have in-depth knowledge about their surroundings which comprises of forests, rivers, mountains and animals. They get food, medicine and numerous other household items from the nature itself. Most of the people are Buddhists in Sikkim. About five centuries ago the Bhutias migrated to Sikkim . Legend has it that they were the descendents of Tibetian Chieftain who had signed a treaty of brotherhood with the Lepcha Chieftain. The Nyingmapa order was introduced in Sikkim by three Tibetian Lamas, Latsun Chempo and Kathokrikzin Chempoand Ngadak Sempa Chempo. It was these lamas who consecrated the first Chogyal or king, Phutsog Namagyal at Yuksom which became the capital of the Kingdom. Earlier a set of invaders tried to capture the charming & resourceful land of Sikkim and to save the land from the attacks of Nepal and Bhutan, the people of Sikkim asked for assistance from the Tibetians and the British, they responded and found it lucrative to reign over the region. The British encouraged emigration from Nepal as they wanted to indulge in rice and cardamom cultivation and thus terrace farming was started. Sikkim offers the exotic combination of divine beauty, hospitality and freshness. In 1975 Sikkim became the 22nd state of India.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS

sikkimese festivals are held according to the Buddhist calendar so the months of the English calendar so the month of the english calendar given are approximate. one of the most intriguing dance forms is the chaams. These are ritual dances of the lamas, which feature colourful masks and quaint musical instruments and are held at various monasteries during the festivals.

January / February
Losoong (Sikkimese New Year). Full of joy and dazzling festivity. Guthor Chaam is held at Rumtek Monastery two days before Losar.

February / march
Tashiding Bhumchu. The holy water (consecrated by Ngadak Sempa Chempo, one of the founders of Buddhism in Sikkim) is distributed to devotees. The water is believed to have curative properties.

June
Saga Dawa. The Triple Blessed day is the holiest of Buddhist festivals. It was on this day that lord Buddha was born, achieved Enlightenment and attained Nirvana. It is marked with a procession of holy books carried from the monastery in the palace, to various places in gangtok town.

June
Tse-chhu chham is held at is held at Rumtek Monastery. It presents eight manifestations of Guru Padma-sambhava, fondly known as Guru Rimpoche. A mask dance shows episodes from his life and his flight against evil.

Auguest
Drukpa Tseshi celebrates the first preaching of the four nobel truthes by Lord Buddha. Marked by day-long prayers and observed in all monasteries.

Auguest/September
Pang lhabsol, unique to sikkim, celebrates its guardian deity, khangchendzonga . Lamas portray the deity with fiery-red face-masks with a crown of five skulls, riding a snow-lion.

December
Kagyed Dance is performed at Enchey, phensang, phodong, rumtek and ralong monasteries, two days before losoong (Sikkimese New Year). The dance ia a solemn affair with cosmic episodes in between. It symbolises exorcism of evil and ushering in of peace and prosperity.

Site Map

Sikkim

* Explore Sikkim
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* Sikkim Culture
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* Sikkim Fairs & Festivals
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East & North East

* Orissa
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* Sikkim
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* Chhatisgarh
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* West bengal
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* Nagaland
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* Arunachal
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* Meghalaya
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* Assam
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Eco wildlife

* Kaziranga
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* Bhitarkanika
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* Similipal
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* Chilika Birds Sanctuary
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* Sunderban National Park
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* Kahna National Park
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