"In place of what is now the mightiest mountains in the world once there was a shallow sea." "Out of this sea sometime in the dim past of the earth's geological history rose gigantic earth waves." "About a million years ago these earth waves began to form themselves into the vast mountain system we now call the Himalayas." "In geological reckoning a million years for a mountain doesn't make for venerable old age." "On the contrary, the Himalayas are said to be so young that they haven't stopped growing yet." "The great range of the Himalayas extends along the northern border of India for a length of 1 500 miles." "From the river Sutlej in the west to the Brahmaputra in the east." "Within this rage are the loftiest snow peaks in the world." "Everest, towering above them all falls in the border of Nepal and Tibet." "The third highest peak, the inimitable Kangchenjunga belongs to the kingdom of Sikkim." "The people of Sikkim regard Kangchenjunga as a deity." "To be thanked for its benevolence when appeased for its roles." "It is not easy to find Sikkim on the map." "Unless one know where to look for it." "It is a tiny little kingdom in the Himalayas surrounded by West Bengal in the south" "Nepal in the west, Tibet in the north and north-east and the kingdom of Bhutan in the east." "The whole country measures only 70 miles from north to south." "And 40 from east to west." "But what Sikkim lacks in size, it makes up in the grandeur of its Himalayan scenery." "The melting snow from the peaks cascades down the mountain side in numerous waterfalls to form rivers and the valleys." "These rivers Rangit, Rangpo." "Lachen, Lachung and others all flow into the Teesta which runs right through the central highlands of Sikkim." "The true grandeur of Sikkim, however, is to be discovered in the incredible range and variety of its Himalayan flora." "To the exploring eye a whole world of forms and colors is revealed beneath the green mantle of its forests." "The glory of Sikkim is the rhoeadales." "But where so much beauty abounds, it is difficult to give pride of place to any one species of flower or orchid." "While the flowers and orchids add to the natural beauty of the place, there are other growing things which bring another kind of benefit to Sikkim." "Cardamom." "Widely used as a cooking spice forms one of Sikkim's main items of export." "And so do oranges grown in orchids." "And stays still wholesome as they come." "Farming in Sikkim is dictated by the nature of the terrain." "Wheat and barley and potato maybe grown in the higher altitudes." "While lower down in terrace fields that strike the mountain side maze and rice are grown." "In the valley of Sikkim are the villages." "In these villages live 90% of Sikkim's total population of less than 200000." "One of the most enchanting of these villages is in the valley of Lachung in North Sikkim." "At an elevation of 9000 feet." "Lachung takes its name from the river that runs through it." "As is fairly common, the settlement has grown around a monastery." "Not far from Lachung, and at about the same elevation" "lies the valley of Lachen." "The village here is marked by wooden cottages hurdled together on the lower slopes of the mountain that rises steeply behind." "The people of Lachen belong to a border tribe that originally came from Tibet." "Placed in the hinterlands of Sikkim such places as Lachung and Lachen have only recently made accessible to civilizing influences." "Thanks to a growing network of jeepable roads." "These new roads have replaced the bridal paths of the not so distant past." "Travelling in a car one can see the road stretching and twisting along the mountainside from miles ahead." "Until one loses them in the depths of the sweeping panorama." "The only hazard for the travelers on these roads is that he can get held up by a landslide." "These landslides are caused by erosion." "Combined with the excessive height and steepness of these mountains." "And the process is usually eased by a heavy downpour." "What holds up the automobile rarely holds up the mountain folk." "One day of every week throughout the year the villagers of Sikkim wind their way down torturous hill paths bringing their produce into the towns." "This is the market square in the town of Namchi in the west Sikkim." "Every Sunday morning the square turns into an enormous hive of bustling activity." "A slip of paper serves as the permit for the villagers to set up shop." "If one has nothing to buy, one can always watch the people." "The fascinating melange of hill folk that is the Sikkimese population." "The original inhabitants of Sikkim were hill tribe called the Lepchas." "Over the years more and more settlers from neighboring countries have horde in to make up the present population of Sikkim." "Thus the Lepchas, the Nepalese, the Tibetans, the Bhutias are all components of the present day Sikkimese." "These various tribal groups have merged." "And yet they have not lost their identities." "This is revealed in the dresses of the people and the various dialects spoken and the ornaments used by the womenfolk." "And even in the religions observed." "The Sikkimese, who originally came from Nepal, were Hindus." "And have remained Hindus." "Although the official religion of Sikkim is Buddhism in its Mahayana form." "Monasteries are provided with prayer wheel which are revolved to the chanting of mantras." "Monks use the handler version of the same thing." "Stone tablets by the wayside carry the ubiquitous legend." "'Om Manipadme Hum'." "Festoons and prayer flags flutter in the breeze near places of worship keeping evil spirits at bay." "Among the many monasteries that dot the mountain tops of Sikkim the one at Pemayangtse in the west is one of the oldest and the largest." "It commands a view of Rabdantse which used to be the capital of Sikkim at one time." "Fragments of the royal throne and slabs of stones with engravings on them are all that remains of the royal palace." "Juniper is burnt to provide incense for the monastery." "whose wooden cottages still survive from the 1 8th century when the place was built." "One can see fascinating examples of the woodwork of the period in these cottages." "The monks have, however, moved to newer dwellings." "This beautiful morning from Tibet adorns the courtyard of the great new monastery at Rumtek." "This is used only on special occasions." "When the interior too is decorated with ornamental brocade." "Devotees from all over the country have come to pay homage to the residing Lama." "Deva Karmapa." "A refugee from Tibet who holds a very high position in the hierarchy of Lamas." "Those who can't find room in the sanctum where the holy man sits are content to catch a glimpse of him from the terrace outside." "The Lama's blessing takes the symbolic form of colored ribbons which the devotees wear around their neck." "On the crest of a hill in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim in the grounds of the royal palace is a private chapel belonging to the ruling family of the state." "More than a temple of worship, the chapel is the venue of important state ceremonies." "Like royal weddings and coronations." "Motifs and reliefs adorn the bases of the walls." "Through the window of the chapel one can see the palace across the lawn." "The colorful gate follows Sikkimese conventions and its architecture." "While the palace itself presents a marked contrast." "To the people of Sikkim their ruler is the 'Chogyal' or the righteous king." "The present 'Chogyal' was crowned in 1 965 upon the death of his father Tashi Namgyal." "In his last years the late 'Chogyal' spend a great deal of time in the seclusion of his studio." "Painting mountain scapes in a simple, schematic style he made his own." "This painting by an Indian artist shows the marriage of the present 'Chogyal' then the crowned prince to a Tibetan noblewoman." "There were three children by the marriage before the princess died in 1 957." "Seven years later the crowned prince married again." "The wedding of the Prince of Sikkim and Ms. Hope Cooke of New York city was an event exceptional enough to focus the attention of the outside world on this remote mountain kingdom." "The sacred peak of Kangchenjunga stands sentinel in the whole of the town of Gangtok." "Above the town on a level ridge decked out with flower beds is the promenade that leads to the palace." "The town itself is spread out in leisurely fashion on the western slope of the ridge." "Its uncluttered appearance is partly explained by its population." "Barely 1 5000 inhabitants in all." "The main thoroughfare is also the town's main shopping centre." "Children on their way to school provides one of the happiest sights of Sikkim." "And this is not only true of Gangtok but also of small towns and villages in the far corners of the kingdom." "Education in Sikkim is practically free." "And the government spends 25% of its total budget on this crucial item." "Sikkim's only public school is named after Tashi Namgyal." "January." "February." "March." "April." "May." "June." "July." "August." "September." "October." "November." "December." "The cottage industry in Gangtok has over 200 students turning out handicrafts of authentic Sikkimese design." "While the looms are worked by girls deft handed boys barely in their teens quietly work away at their own special gifts of craftsmanship." "From the routine of daily life in Gangtok an occasional funfair such as this provides a welcome change." "On such occasions it is quite usual for the 'Chogyal' to put in an appearance and take part in the fun and games." "It is also quite usual for the queen, Gyalmo, as she is called to preside over the prize day ceremonies at a local school." "To get an idea of the diversity of Gangtok's population one can do no better than visit Lal Bazar on a sunday morning." "Lal Bazar is Gangtok's own Market Square." "Mixed with the hills of here are people from India who have come to live and work in Sikkim." "Sikkim's religious tolerance is well reflected in a scene" "like this where a zealous group spreads the word of the gospel to the sunday crowd in the market." "In the month of december, Sikkim celebrates the end of the Tibetan year with a festival of carget." "For a whole month before the celebrations begin prayers are held in the palace chapel." "Prayers too in the old monastery enchant near Gangtok." "The palace will be thrown open to the public for the festival which will be attended by the royal family." "The main event will be a group of masked dancers by" "Lamas for which rehearsals are held in the palace grounds." "New year's prayers day opens on a note of bleakness." "One can only hope the Lama's prayers for sunshine will be answered" "The musket is loaded for the shot that will mark." "the beginning of the festivities." "The arrival of the police band is followed by the entry." "into the arena of the acharyas a pair of masked gestures who would provide a running thread of impromptu playfulness to the solemn ritual of the symbolic dance." "The Sikkim guards in their characteristic bloomed hats follow the police band." "The Chogye and the queen arrive with their two children and other members of the royal family." "Also with them are the high ranking officials of the state." "The firing of the musket heralds the entry of the musicians who perform their own ritual dance before the masked dancers begin." "The meaning behind the symbolic gestures in these masked dancers may well be lost from the outsider." "Nevertheless the broad sweeping movements combined with the stateliest blender of the music leave their own spell." "But the things that instantly arouse ones admiration are the superbly designed masks, the heavy ornamental boots and the gorgeous costumes of silk and brocade." "As sunshine breaks through the clouds, the royal guests' depot themselves in the grounds around the arena while the common people devise their own ways having a pleasant time." "Gambling is one of the most popular past times of the hill folk." "And the fair in the palace grounds offers a wide range to choose from." "With the mid day break for lunch, the dancing stops and the band takes over." "Rice and pork, and a local drink known as chang provide the main items in the feast for the common people." "Chang is drunk with the aide of straw from bamboo containers." "Time has now come for the Lamas to prepare for the final ritual." "The procession goes down the winding road below the palace ground through the Tashi Ling gate to a shrine of straw." "A ritual dance follows at the end of which the shrine is set ablaze in a symbolic gesture of burning away the past year's evils."