Sikkim is the least populous and second smallest among the Indian states. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the south. Almost 35% of the state is covered by the Khangchendzonga National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism.
About Sikkim in brief
Sikkim is the least populous and second smallest among the Indian states. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the south. Almost 35% of the state is covered by the Khangchendzonga National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Sikkim accounts for the largest share of cardamom production in India, and is the world’s second largest producer of the spice after Guatemala. It became the first state in India to convert its agriculture to fully organic between 2003 and 2016. It is also among India’s most environmentally conscious states, having banned plastic water bottles in any government functions and meetings and polystyrene products. In historical Indian literature, SikKim is known as Indrakil, the garden of the war god Indra. The Lepchas are considered to be the earliest inhabitants of SikkIM. However the Limbus and the Magars also lived in the inaccessible parts of West and South districts as early as the Lepch as the East and North districts. According to folklore, after establishing Rabdentse as his new capital, Bhutia king Tensung Namgyal built a palace and asked his Limbu Queen to name it. In 1642, when he was consecrated as the first Chogyal or priest, he was succeeded by his son, Tensung Phuntsa.
A fifth-generation descendant of Bumsa became the founder of the monarchy, Khyeksa Phunts, who moved the capital from Rab dentse to Sikkom with the help of the Bhutias. In 1700, Sikkimp invaded Bhutan and was invaded by the Bhutanese’s Yuksom Phunts. It was ruled by Buddhist priest-kings known as the Chogyals until 1890. In 1975, after the Indian Army took over the city of Gangtok, a referendum was held that led to the deposition of the monarch and Sikkam joining India as its 22nd state. The official languages of theState are English, Nepali,. Sikkimese and Lepcha. Additional official languages include Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Mukhia, Newari, Rai, Sherpa and Tamang for the purpose of preservation of culture and tradition in the state. As of 2014, the state had the third-smallest GDP among Indian states, although it is among the fastest-growing. The state’s economy is largely dependent on agriculture and tourism. It has the highest literacy rate and per capita income among Himalayan states, and the second-highest per-capita income in the country. The highest peak in India is Kangchenjunga, the third highest on Earth, and it is home to the highest mountain in the Himalayas, the Ganges River and the Tibetan Plateau. In the 8th century, the Buddhist saint Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, is said to have passed through the land.
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This page is based on the article Sikkim published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 05, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
