Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. It is the least populous state in India, 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.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. Gangtok is the capital and largest town.

Despite its tiny size, Sikkim is geographically 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, straddling its northern border with Nepal.Sikkim has become one of India's most visited states, owing to its reputation of cleanliness, scenic beauty and political stability.

Sikkim is divided into 4 districts

East Sikkim - Gangtok (headquarter)
West Sikkim - Gyalshing (headquarter)
North Sikkim - Mangan (headquarter)
South Sikkim - Namchi (headquarter)

Geography

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 summit of the Kanchenjunga is the highest point. For the most part, the land is unfit for agriculture because of the precipitous and rocky slopes. However, certain hill slopes have been converted into farm lands using terrace farming techniques and is used for cultivation. Numerous snow-fed streams in Sikkim have carved out river valleys in the west and south of the state. These streams combine into the Teesta and its tributary, the Rangeet. The Teesta, described as the "lifeline of Sikkim", flows through the state from north to south. About a third of the land is heavily forested.

The lofty Himalayan ranges surround the northern, eastern and western borders of Sikkim in a crescent. The populated areas lie in the southern reaches of the state, in the Lower Himalayas. 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.

 

Climate

The climate ranges from sub-tropical in the south to tundra in the northern parts. Most of the inhabited regions of Sikkim, however, enjoy a temperate climate, with the temperatures seldom exceeding 28 °C (82 °F) in summer or dropping below 0 °C (32 °F) in winter. The state enjoys five seasons: winter, summer, spring, and autumn, and a monsoon season between June and September. The average annual temperature for most of Sikkim is around 18 °C (64 °F). Sikkim is one of the few states in India to receive regular snowfall. The snow line is around 6,000 metres (19,600 feet).

During the monsoon months, the state is lashed by heavy rains that increase the number of landslides. The state record for the longest period of non-stop rain is eleven days. In the northern region, because of high altitude, temperatures drop below −40 °C in winter. Fog also affects many parts of the state during winter and the monsoons, making transportation extremely perilous.

How to Reach Sikkim

Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim is connected by all weather road to Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri and also to all the District headquarters within Sikkim. Two nearest railway station are at Siliguri (114 km) and New Jalpaiguri (125 km) stabilizing link to Calcutta, Delhi, Guwahati, Lucknow and other important cities in India. Nearest airport is Bagdogra in North Bengal( 124 km).

By Air :The closest Indian Airport is at Bagdogra,124 km from Gangtok, where scheduled flights operates to and fro from Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati. Travel time from the airport to Gangtok is 4 hours by road. Bagdogra Airport is 11 km west of Siliguri.
From Katmandu, one can fly to Bhadrapur in the east Nepal(1 hour), then drive to Kakarbhitta (Nepal-India border,35 km), to Siliguri(37 km) and to Gangtok (110 km, 4 hrs). Or fly to Biratnagar also in east Nepal.

Helicopter Service: The Bagdogra airport is connected to Gangtok by a helicopter service which takes approx. 30 minutes to reach Gangtok. Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation operates this service daily at 11:00 AM from Gangtok to Bagdogra and at 2:00 PM from Bagdogra to Gangtok . It is a five seater chopper and mountain flights and other such tours to North Sikkim are conducted.

By Rail : The closest Railhead is at New Jalpaiguri which is around 148 km away from Gangtok. It is connected to Kolkata(Calcutta), New Delhi, Guwahati and other major Indian cities. From the station one can hire and reserve a taxi and reach to Gangtok.

By Road : Gangtok is at a distance of 110 km from Siliguri and will take 4 hours from Siliguri to reach Gangtok . Gangtok is connected by road with Darjeeling (4 hrs), and with Bhutan, Phuntsholing (6 hrs).