Amitabh Bachchan's photo in a woman's voter card in Sikkim

In one of the strangest incident to had happened with Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), a photograph of cine mega star Amitabh Bachchan had came along side the name of a lady Danka Bhutia. Danka Bhutia had the EPIC No. CDC0078557 . The incident had happened in Changey Shenti Block under 22 Namcheyboong constituency in East Sikkim. pic: hamro prajashakti

Press Release from Sikkim University

Sikkim University condemns the act of violence and vandalism at the Sikkim University administrative complex by the leaders of the Student Representative Council of Sikkim Government, Tadong on the evening of 28^th March, 2009. This act of violence was carried out by students who are not even students of Sikkim University. They are the second and third year students and are enrolled with the North Bengal University.

This act of violence was carried out late in the evening of 28^th March, 2009, even after the first year (2^nd semester) students of Sikkim University had accepted the solution generously proposed by Sikkim University to accommodate the students who had failed even after the large scale reevaluation that was carried out by the University. The failed students were allowed to carry on in the second semester and they have been given the benefit of “zero semester” (one time) as a special case. They have been allowed to write the 1^st semester examination once again at the end of the course of Six semesters. This means these students who have failed in the first semester examination (July-December 2008) could complete their graduation by doing an extra semester (July-December 2011).

These failed students would have been out of the college system but for the provision of Zero Semester that was invoked by the Vice Chancellor as a one time concession.

The provision of Zero semester has been put in the University statutes and ordinances to help any student who is genuinely affected by any unforeseen situation like the loss of any kith and kin and any other critical medical contingencies.

This solution was brought about in the presence of the representatives of Government of Sikkim, the Principal and the Dean of Sikkim Government College, Tadong and senior police officials on 28^th March, 2009 at The Sikkim Retreat, where the second meeting of the Executive Council of Sikkim University had just concluded. The first year students of Sikkim University who were on agitation had agreed to this solution.

It is pertinent to note that Sikkim University has been very accommodating to the demands of the first Semester students who have failed. In the previous round of meeting held on 21^st February, 2009, Sikkim University conceded to all their demands including enlarging the scope of re-evaluation to cover mid-semester, term papers and end semester examinations. The fees for reevaluation had also been reduced.

No where is it seen that students go on a rampage demanding that the failed students be promoted wholesale to the next class.

Sikkim University feels that the only permanent solution to such a problem is that the students take their studies seriously, attend the classes regularly and write their examination with due preparations. Sikkim University has introduced a liberal system of continuous and total internal evaluation wherein the teaching, setting question papers and evaluations are all done by their respective teachers. This is a system which allows and encourages the students to grow in every aspect of students’ life. With the compulsory provision of writing term papers and presenting them in the class rooms SU aspires that all the students get equal opportunity to flourish and take a steady career path.

Sikkim University appeals to all the students, parents and civil society members to join it in the challenging mission of enhancing the quality of education in the State and in the formidable task of building this new institution of higher learning.

Sikkim Royal Palace: Old Photographs

Sikkim State Police band in front of the Sikkim Royal Palace at Gangtok.

In Sikkim book Tata Nano at....

BOOK TATA NANO BOOKING AGENTS

Bajla Motors Pvt. Ltd.
Tadong, N.H.-31-A,
Gangtok
Sikkim

tata-nano-booking.blogspot.com

Once upon a time there was....a River Teesta

I have grown up at Singtam watching the river Teesta....but sometimes when i see the dried river i feel sorry for myself. It is very sorry to say that she paid price for our GREED!!!

Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal at TNA School

Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal at TNA School

photographs shared by Vicky Palzor Lepcha

Shaurya Chakra for BRO’s dozer operator from Sikkim

from Indianexpress

For the first time, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will be conferred eight Shaurya Chakras, the country’s third highest non-combatant gallantry award, posthumously for brave action by its personnel in Afghanistan, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Kashmir.

While the awards were announced on the Republic Day honours list, the medals will be conferred by President Pratibha Patil at an investiture ceremony on Thursday.

The list of awardees includes, for the first time in the five decade history of the organisation, a Bar to the Shaurya Chakra that will be given to BRO’s dozer operator Zalim Singh for having won the same award twice over. Zalim Singh was killed in April last year while clearing a strategic road in north Sikkim for a column of tanks.

Two Shaurya Chakras have been awarded to men of the road construction project in Afghanistan — Superintendent Mahendra Pratap Singh and mason C Govindaswamy who died in a suicide bomb attack by Taliban militants .

Assistant Executive Engineer Santosh Kumar Singh and driver Jaikrit Singh Rawat, who were gunned down in an ambush by militants in the Kashmir valley in June last year, are also recipients of the award.

Other awardees include driver Surinder Pal who was martyred in an attack by militants in Meghalaya, supervisor M. Sundaram, deployed on the Kailash Mansarovar route and dozer operator Budhu Khan who was hit by debris while clearing a strategic road.

Aritar: Sikkim's own water sport fascination

"Aritar is located in East Sikkim, Under Rongli subdivision. Aritar is a 3 to 4-hour drive from Gangtok and 2 hours drive from Rongpo. Aritar Lake (a.k.a Lampokhari) is a newly developed tourist destination, where boating facilities have been introduced for the first time in Sikkim. There are newly constructed viewpoints, a cafeteria, lodges etc for the tourists. Tourists can also choose to trek from Aritar to Rachela, a 6-hour route, from where tourists can see rhododendrons bloom everywhere in season. There are many other places of Interest other than just Aritar Lake, such as old British-built Banglow, Aritar Gumpa, Mankhim, Nirmal Dham etc."-- sikkimonline.info

At Aritar Lake

Lampokhari: Initially one of the oldest natural lakes in Sikkim and recently artificially constructed to facilitate boating for tourists. At an altitude of 4600 ft, it is the only lake with a boating facility in Sikkim.

At Mankim

Mangkhim, a Temple of the Rai sect of Hindu origin is located at a height of 6500 ft at Maity Village (Kheselakha). Hattipailay is another virgin village where visitors can see elephant footprints on rocks.

Rare Photograph of Sir Thutob Namgyal, King of Sikkim

Left to Right: D.E.Holland, Ugyen Wangchuck, John Claude White, Thutop Namgyel and his consort Yeshe Drolma.

Standing from left to right: Bhutanese guard, Capt. Henry Hyslop, Ugyen Dorje, Lobsang Choden, Jerung Dewan, Burmiak Kazi, Bhutanese guard, Sikkimese guard. (Photo by unidentified photographer, print from Fondation Alexandra David Neel, Digne)

This historic photograph was clicked when the King and Queen of Sikkim was invited at Calcutta Durbar during the occasion of the visit of the Prince and Princes of Wales in 1905.

For those who wanted more information on Sir Thutob Namgyal, he was the first person from Sikkim to be knighted by the Queen of England with the "Sir" title. He is the same person under whose name the the famous hospital at Gangtok is situated. STNM stands for Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital was build in 1917.

photo: bhutan2008.bt

ted to the Calcutta Durbar in 1905 on the occasion of the

visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales

Chandra Dramatic Club at Rhenock

My 80 plus grandfather still manages to hold on his profession of clicking photographs at Rongli, a small hamlet in East Sikkim. He had been pursuing this job for the last 50 years and little did i knew in my childhood that the bundles of old photographs that he had in one of the polythene bags kept at roof of the house would be of importance some decades later. I feel very sorry for myself that as a child along with my other cousin brothers we would take those photograph and cut them along the edges, just for fun. In that way i must have destroyed many valuable old moments.

Ever since my love with Sikkim history grew i had always given soft hands to those old photographs shot in and around Sikkim. Some few years back while surfing down the room of my grandfather i found couple of old photographs of my interest. One of them is the one i am publishing now, this photograph is clicked at Rhenock at Chandra Nursery. The banner in the photograph shows Chandra Dramatic Club, Rhenock which has caught my fantasy. I had gone through the old people in Rhenock and Rongli but i never heard anyone talk about that Dramatic Club. So i believe the club must had been formed during the Dushera festival or at Dipawali festival. In this part of the regions during this two festivals there are traditions of observing festivals with coulourful environment.

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Sikkim National Flag

This article is the revised version of the earlier article I had written about Sikkim's National Flag.....

Sikkim National Flag at Kupup

Towards the Nathula Border between India and China at Kupup, just opposite the famed Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir, there is a Café 13000, probably the highest cafeteria along with a gift shop just attached to it anyone could have ever imagined at such height. The taste of coffee gives you pleasure and the serene beauty of the surroundings sets the moment for which Sikkim is renowned across the world. Well, this cafeteria did not excite me the most until I came across a rare "thing" that I had never come across so far. 

Inside this unique surrounding in one of its corners lie three flags out of which one really captured my attention. I had gone through different books on Sikkim's history where Sikkim's National Flag was primly noticed in many state festive or on occasions where the guest of honour was of the royal family of Sikkim but I had never come across it in real life.

1877 - 1914

But to see the National Flag of Sikkim just in front of you and touching it, a breeze of pride ran through my blood and I slowly said to myself, I am proud to be a Sikkimese. This is the only place in Sikkim presently to my little knowledge where the Sikkim National Flag is kept open to the public. There are three flags, to its left a white Sikkim National Flag, a blue coloured flag at the right representing Yak Golf Course with its logo in the centre and in the middle of the two stands more popular the National Tri-Colour kept a little taller than the rest!

1914 - 1962

The Sikkim National Flag had a red border all around it and the yellow coloured Chakra (Wheel) denoting the Buddhist Symbol of the Law of Dharma and Gankyil as the centre element. The Chakra in the former Sikkim National Flag is different from the one found in the Indian National Flag, in place of 24 spokes there are eight spokes and an ornate "nub" on the wheel at the head of each spoke. 

The wheel in the flag points out to the first sermon of Buddha, which is described as the "Turning on the Wheel of Tutorage". Sikkim had a rich history of over three centuries of monarchy system of rule that ultimately ended with the 38th amendment of the Indian Constitution (making Sikkim its 22nd state) on 26 April 1975. The Sikkim National Flag was replaced with the Indian Tri-Colour and Sikkim became the 22nd state of the mighty Indian Union.

1962 - 1967

A website on different flags of the world shows interesting sequences of the flags that were part of the Namgyal Dynasty. The first flag design of the kingdom of Sikkim depicts the time era between 1877 and 1914, followed by 1914 to 1962 then slight changes came in 1962 that were kept till 1967. While the last of the Sikkim National Flag kept flying over the state of Sikkim for around nine years.

Very little information is known about the design of the first flag that is believed to have been started in 1877. The design of the 1914 flag as told by Jarring Bakker says The blue border with orange and red brick-a-brack narrower borders thereon, with thinner white and red borders towards the inside; inside the panel shows red wheel having shadings (in between the spokes) of red/blue/yellow/blue, while the 2nd (left central) motif had *2* round frame rings. The 6 motifs are coloured gold frames, with red/yellow/blue charges.

1967-1975

E. C. M. Barrclough’s 1965 edition of his book “Flags of the World” wrote the old 1962-1967 flag design that did belong to Sikkim was an elaborate one. He further writes The Kingdom of Sikkim had a flag that was flown there from 1962 to 1967; it was in existence for around 5 years. It was an ornamental flag of an unusual design. It comprised a white field, the chief, base, and fly sides which had the 'triple border' of red (outer)/white/blue (inner). A big red Khorlo prayer wheel is centred thereon, while the remaining panel area was charged with a variety of various religious motifs in shades of red, gold, green, and blue. The thick red portion of the 'triple border' had smaller charges (what looked like crescents and 'ticks') in yellow, green, and blue.

It was more or less a dream come true for me at least to feel and touch the former National Flag of Sikkim, which I was not allowed to do at the first instance by the attendee of the Café 13000, since they felt I would make it dirty.

Praja Pradhan from Sikkim accomplish the world’s highest Canyon Swing

He wanted to win over his fear; he wanted some excitement out of his simple life for which he never minded taking his body to its limit. He succeeded in performing at the highest when he needed for himself the most. In a simple word he told, I wanted to make Sikkim proud and I wanted to prove my existence among my people. An attraction towards adventure sports in the entire world is more than an obsession these days. Among those obsessed with the prime thought of achieving the impossible and making a history is a young man from Nazitam-Martam, East Sikkim. Meet Praja Pradhan, still in his early twenties and he never stops dreaming the impossible.

March 4, 2009, holds a special place for Praja Pradhan, on this day he accomplished something that is rarely heard in the state of Sikkim. Praja Pradhan completed the Canyon Swing from the world’s highest giant swing from the height of 160 meters over Bhote Kosi River, one of Nepal’s widest known rivers. He wanted to perform this action from the Singshore bridge of Sikkim but he came to know that the bungee jumping is yet to be set up. So when he heard that the world’s highest Canyon Swing is in Nepal, he just prepared himself to jump from the highest. Out there he was told by the officials that he is the first person from Sikkim to jump from it.

The Last Resort known among adventure lovers across the globe for Canyon Swing and Bungy Jump is the ultimate destination for those adventure maniacs. For Canyon Swing on a specially built platform 160m above the spectacular Bhote Kosi River, one is fully tied and attached to two independent ropes which each have a breaking strain of 2.8 tons. Canyon Swing is more like bungee jump only with a longer freefall.

Praja Pradhan is an upcoming young acting talent from Sikkim; he had done a few Nepali Films from Nepal and Sikkim that including Mission Nepal, Dosi Bancharo, and Janma Bhumi which are just to be released. His performance in two music videos last winter for the album Yeshu Timro Prem had received a warm response.

With and without snow.....the road at Zaluk

Snow filled Road at Zaluk (East Sikkim) and the same route when there is no snowfall.

Prashant Tamang at his Darjeeling House

With Praja Pradhan

With family members

With family members photos shared by Praja Pradhan, Singtam For more news on Prashant Tamang visit

http://prasanttamang.blogspot.com/

World's 1st Parcel Rocket Dispatched was done in Sikkim in 1935

Sikkim is the first country in the world to successfully dispatch by means of a rocket, a parcel containing small quantities of such useful articles as medicine, tobacco, tea, sugar, etc.

World’s first parcel dispatch over the river was done on April 10 over River Rani khola that is written as Ranikhali on the covers at 3.30 pm. CE Dudley discharged the mail rocket.

The sixth firing on April 10 at 3.35 pm established a new world record when for the first time a parcel was carried by means of a rocket. The parcel included 12 items that had packet of tea, sugars, spoon, hanger chief, toothbrush, cigarettes, and others. Dudley fired the parcel rocket over the river Rani khola from Surumsa to Ray. On the parcel reaching destination the river was crossed and Smith opened the parcel. All the articles were perfectly intact. In the missives of word “mail” was canceled by hand and the word “Parcel’ written instead.

The rockets were apparently fairly crude, resembling larger versions of fireworks. They were approximately 6 feet in length with the body (which carried the mail) 2 feet long. They were launched by lighting a touch paper from a sloping stand aimed in the general direction of the intended target. Oriental Fireworks Company based in Calcutta provided all the rockets to Smith. “The rockets were launched by lighting a touch paper from a sloping stand aimed in the general direction of the intended target”,