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 CM wants Sikkim to be India's Switzerland
by Tashi Pradhan

      Gangtok: The Chief Minister of Sikkim Pawan Chamling has said that the experience and knowledge of popular tourism countries like Switzerland would be utilized to beautify his state. "We want to take the experience and knowledge from Switzerland, and we want to develop and promote our state as good as Switzerland, may be not exactly, but make our state the best," said Chamling recently.

      The magical lure of Sikkim has always attracted people from around the world. Its mountains and scenic landscape boggle the imagination, and leave all wonderstruck by the creator's masterpiece. In a land, where over 150 tribes speak as many languages, this region is a cultural mosaic of people and races, an ethnic tapestry of many hues and shades. The folk culture is still vital to this region, which is largely unexplored. "With the support of the Central Government, Sikkim will be the number one tourism destination in our country and with this objective, we are trying our level best to develop our state as the best tourist destination of our country," Chamling said. Sikkim is best known for its pretty hill station, its capital, Gangtok, its wild life sanctuaries and ancient temple-like monuments. The region has seen a growth of around ten percent in tourism, with around 30,000 foreign tourists visiting in 2005 alone. A shopper's delight, Gangtok also has unique paintings, carpets, carved furniture, hand woven bags and wall hangings, wooden and bamboo artefacts and eye-catching masks. It is also a flower enthusiast's paradise, with a stunning range of 600 known orchid species. "Sikkim's valley and hills, appear to be very good. The construction of the buildings is also particularly very beautiful. And the weather is very moderate," said Amit, a tourist

     Sikkim, provides a perfect hunting ground for bag packers. Located below Mount Kanchenjunga, eco-friendly Sikkim is divided into four districts and covers an area of 7,096 square kilometres, with Nepali as its official language. Sikkim has become one of India's most visited states, owing to its reputation of cleanliness, scenic beauty and political stability. The state has twenty-eight mountain peaks, twenty-one glaciers, 227 high altitude lakes, including the Tsongmo Lake, Gurudongmar and Khecheopalri Lakes, five hot springs, and over 100 rivers and streams. Eight mountain passes connect the state to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. The thumb-shaped state of Sikkim is characterised by wholly mountainous terrain. Almost the entire state is hilly, with the elevation ranging from 280 metres (920 feet) to 8,585 metres (28,000 feet). The official languages are English, Bhutia, Nepali, Lepcha, and Limbu and Hindi. It must be noted though that almost all written transactions are in English. The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Geographically, Sikkim is diverse, owing to its location on the Himalaya. The climate ranges from subtropical to high alpine. Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest peak is located in Sikkim. It is the least populous State in the country, and the third smallest in area after Delhi and Goa. Sikkim was an independent state ruled by the Namgyal monarchy until 1975, when a referendum was held and the population voted to join India as its twenty- second state. The thumb-shaped state borders Nepal in the west, Tibet (the People's Republic of China) to the north and east, and Bhutan in the south-east. The Indian state of West Bengal borders Sikkim to its south..
-Dec 6,  2006

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