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- Rural tourism project for Sikkim.........
- Tatopani: the spring of mystical healing ..............
- Smile Land: a one of its kind amusement park................
- Tourists on bird watch...............
- Locals get together to develop Great Rangit eco-tourism circuit...............
- Glaciers on study table............
- Extend assistance and we will deliver skiing and ice-climbing options, promises SMA........
- Great Rangit Ecotourism readies for maiden venture.................
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Chakung: the next tourist destination of West
Sikkim...............
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Rural tourism project for Sikkim.
Gagntok: The Minister of Tourism & Culture Ambika Soni has stated that Rs 50 lakhs has been released in 2004-05 for Rural Tourism Project in Lachen of North district in Sikkim. The Minister also stated that Rs. 20 Lakhs has been sanctioned for capacity building for rural tourism out of which Rs. 16 Lakhs was released to Sikkim.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the Minister said that the implementation of the sanctioned project is the responsibility of the state government. She said the Ministry of Tourism monitors the progress of the projects, including rural tourism from time to time.
Source: The Mail
Dated: 10th September 2007
Tatopani: the spring of mystical healing
The six months during which the pilgrims come to the hot water spring gives the local villagers a chance to earn some money by doing various businesses, along with giving the village the feeling of holding a ‘village fair’,
LEGSHIP: It just takes a one hour ride to reach Legship form Jorethang , which is famous for its hot water spring [Tatopani]. On the way to Legship, one can see a board put up wherein it is written Tatopani Bhir. Just on the bank o the river Teesta, there is a 20 x 20 square foot hot water spring. The water is bounded with two steep hills [Bhir], Sanghanath and Miyong hills.
The Legship hot water spring is known for its medicinal proprieties for healing different ailments like chronic skin disease, bronchitis and hearing ailments.
The hot water spring is also worshipped by the people and there is a mythical belief that if people with any desire for something here then that is definitely fulfilled, so people come here to fulfill their long pending wishes from far off places like Nepal, Bhutan and the neighbourings states like Assam, Nagaland, Bihar.
The pilgrims generally come to the hot water spring in the month of April to November, every yea. More than six thousand people throng here which then turns into a mela. Most of the pilgrims stay at the hot water spring for about a week.
The people are allowed to take a bath in tow batches of males and females at a time. Every group is allowed to have a bath for two hours. The Chowkidars that have been appointed by the Tourism Department see to that every thing goes according to order and in time. The department has also built one resting shed with attached bathroom for the pilgrims. The department is also building eco-huts, which is under construction. The eco-huts will provide makeshift lodges for the pilgrims, during their stay at the hot water spring.
The six months during which the pilgrims come to the hot water spring gives the local villagers a chance to earn some money by doing various business, along with giving the village the feeling of holding a ‘village fair’.
Source: The Mail
Dated: 10th September 2007
Smile Land: a one of its kind amusement park
For complete entertainment and fund for the people of Gangtok and also for tourist “Smile Land’, an amusement park has been opened at Namli, 8th Mile, a little ahead of Ranipool on the ay to Singtam by Basudev Pradhan.
Surrounded by the natural beauty like river and rich vegetation, Epica Garden [picnic spot] floriculture and Science City, Smile a land offers a water garden, swimming pool for adults spot, basket ball, volley ball, children’s park and jogger’s park for the entertainment of the people. It is also open for conducting parties, events and festivals. It also has ample space for parking and two phased filtered and medicated water for swimming pool, which are the most unique features of ‘smile land’ in comparison to other existing amusement parks.
Speaking to The Mail, Basudev Pradhan, proprietor of Smile Land affirmed that the principle objective behind opening the amusement park is to offer entertainment, employment opportunities and also to earn. He even informed that the palace where Smile Land is situated used to be called Jhinga [housefly] Land, due to the unhygienic condition of the place, but now it is called Smile Land. People of Sikkim are very fun loving and always carry a smile on their faces, so the name of the park reflects it. Moreover, he stated that the park has not been completed fully, as it is still under construction and will take at least two years to acquire the whole shape of an amusement park. Fishing, Go-carting for kids, mountain biking for kids, country sight seeing tour for tourists [a one day package] with traditional food, hospitality, along with showcase of culture, rain dance, and discotheque with meditation point are the upcoming entertainment package for the people in Smile Land, further informed Basudev Pradhan.
Source: The Mail
Dated: 10th September 2007
Siliguri, Sept. 10: A new group of tourists is making a beeline for north Bengal and Sikkim-the bird –watchers.
“Birding tours have come up in an major way in the last three years,” said Raj Basu, the president of the Eastern Himalayan Travel and Tour Operators’ Association and managing direction of Help tourism. “Earlier our company used to handle about 3-4 groups a year. Now we are handling about 35-36 groups per season.”
“The bird-watching circuit has shown a growth rate of almost 400 per cent,’ said Suddhabrata Deb, the joint secretary of Travel Agents’ Association of Bengal and strategic planning head of Deshduniya-Asian Club Network. “earlier, bird tourism in India was mainly confined to Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary (in Rajasthan). But of late, North Bengal and the Northeast have also become popular.”
Both Basu and Deb attributed the trend to the growing awareness among tourists.
“A lot of reading material on birding in this regionis available on the Internet,” Basu said. “website like www.kolkatabirds.com, www.bengalbirds.com and www.delhibirds.com , along writers, have highlighted north Bengal and the North-east remarkably well.”
Deb said his company has handled around 15 exclusively and international, in the last two years who either came to make a film on birds or to conduct some study.
Sumit Sen, an ornithologist and the man behind www.kolkatabirds.com, said his website gets 1,500 visitors everyday. “Though this is not a very high figure, it is definitely a pointer to the fact that there are a substantial number of bird lovers all around,” he said.
Bird-watchers who come here usually head for Singalila National Park in Darjeeling, Neora Valley, Lava an Loley gaon near Kalimpong as well as parts of Sikkim and the Dooars. Some of the most popular birds in the region are the rusty-belled warbler, blue fronted robin and the laughing thrush.
With the rise in the number of tourists, more and more local tour operators and specialized guides are setting up base in Kalimpong, Siliguri and Jalpaiguri. “Earlier, we had to get guides from Calcutta,” said Basu.
Source: The Telegraph
Dated: 11th September 2007
Locals get together to develop Great Rangit eco-tourism circuit
Gangtok, 12 Sept: In a bid to tap the vast ecotourism potential in the Great Rangit, a two-day community consultation was organized by the Khangchendzonga conservation Committee (KCC) Yuksam and The Mountain Institute (TMI) India, under the UNDP-Small Grants programme.
The press release informs that the endeavor was organized in coordination with the local NGOs, Kitam Munal Club (KMC) and Sumbuk Indreni Pariwar (SLIP) and Panchyats.
It was attended by a total of 30 participants form the villages of Sumbuk and Kitam participated. The programme conducted training on community –based tourism for the participants, while a master plan for developing Great Rangit ecotourism circuit was also completed over the two days. For effective coordination of this tourism, a mother institution namely Great Rangit Eco-tourism Committee (GREC) was also constituted.
“The varied topography of Sikkim provides an ecotourism niche in every season whether it be winter, spring, monsoons or autumn. In order to ensure that the opportunities from ecotourism are available continuously, our natural wealth needs to be packaged such that the ecotourism calendar remains full throughout the year. While the spring and autumn treks are quite popular and growing in volumes, we still need to market our monsoon alpine flowers and subtropical forests in winter more aggressively. If promoted they have the potential to ensure that ecotourism provides continuous round the year sustainable incomes for everyone. When winter shows block the high mountain passes of West Sikkim, the subtropical forests are snow free throughout the year. We need to design and promote innovative ecotourism packages to beat the lean season. The Great Rangit circuit hopes to fill this gap and is being developed as an off season ecotourism package for the months of January- March” the release states.
Further, ‘the Great Rangit is a beautiful subtropical belt in the southern part of South Sikkim, characterized by warm summers and pleasant winters, where the highlights include the Kitam bird sanctuary with more then 200 different species of birds, unique Sal-chir pine forest, panoramic views and the emerald green Rangit river, providing an ideal setting for nature and adventure,’ it adds.
The release further informs that the future initiatives include capacity building of the local youth as naturalist guides, trekking cooks and porters, home stay operators and institutional training for GREC. A reki survey-cum-documentation would also be conducted to highlight the natural and cultural resources of the Great Rangit region through brochures and the internet.
“If developed, the Great Rangit has the prospect of supplementing our ecotourism economy without affecting the carrying capacity since this is an off-season trek, in geographically different location and will cater to the tourism lean season” the release adds lastly.
Source: Now.
Dated: 13 September 2007
Gangtok, Sept. 17: The Sikkim government has constituted a commission to study the glaciers in the state and their impact on the river system amid fear that the glaciers are melting at a faster rate.
The commission will be headed by S.I. Hasnain, senior fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, and comprise scientists and environmentalists from across the country. The members include Mahendra P. Lama, the vice –chancellor of the central university in Sikkim, and the former chief secretary of the state, K.C. Pradhan.
Apart from reviewing the current status of the glaciers and snowmelts, the commission will also study the impact of climate change on the mountain eco-system. It will suggested the scientific and technological intervention and human resource generation required for better management of the environment.
The commission has been asked to submit its recommendations by December 2008.
The development comes in the wake of unconfirmed reports that the Zemu glacier in North Sikkim, which is the source of the Teesta, was melting at a faster rate than before, leading to flash floods. Last month, two bridges were washed away by the Zemu Chu, or Teesta, at Zema in the North district.
Sikkim has a large number of glaciers and they act as natural reservoirs and supply water to the major rivers of the state.
The state government’s announcement regarding the formation of the commission referred to the “receding glaciers” and “recurring phenomenon of glacial lake outbursts and floods that have been recorded in the entire eastern Himalayan region”. It added that such a phenomenon could impact people’s livelihood and the “array of hydel power plants that are being built on the Teesta and other river basins” in Sikkim.
Source: The Telegraph
Dated: 18th September 2007
Extend assistance and we will deliver skiing and ice-climbing options, promises SMA
Gangtok, 27 Sept: On the occasion of World Tourism Day, the Sikkim Mountaineering Association (SMA) called a press conference here at its office near Selep Tank. The conference was addressed by its general secretary Kazi Sherpa dn vice president Palden T. Sherpa. The Association, established in the year 1991, is mainly aimed at promotion of various adventure sports such as mountain biking, high altitude trekking etc.
Addressing the media, Mr. Sherpa laid emphasis on the huge scope and potential for adventure tourism promotion here due to its affability to international demand for adventure sports, while also expressing his dissatisfaction on the less availability of manpower for adventure tourism in the state.
“The state has huge potential in adventure sports, one of the most exciting and thrilling sports around, and we need ample skilled manpower so that the sector also generated more employment opportunities”, he highlighted.
He also emphasized that adventure tourism could be promoted all year round and was not necessary seasonal bound, thereby encouraging tourist inflow as well.
Speaking on the SMA’s achievements, he informed that it had successfully completed an expedition to Mr. Lakho Khangsay, located at 20,000 feet in North Sikkim in the year 1993 and a mountain bike expedition from Gangtok to Gurudogmar in the year 1994.
The SMA also conducts alpine rock climbing courses and competitions every year to motivate local youths towards adventure sports, from which the best candidates were sent to participate at higher level competition.
“But our candidates are mostly unable to reach to the higher level because they do not have any earlier experiences in artificial wall climbing due to the lack of the facilities for the same in the state,” Mr. Sherpa opined, adding that a project proposal for artificial wall had already been prepared to be presented to the state government.
“The artificial wall facility will serve as a recreational avenue, tourist attraction and training for police personnel as well as promote adventure tourism. It will also help generate more employment avenues,” he explained.
The SMA also sponsors children on a 15-day course at the National Adventure Club, Candigarh, each year, along with a trek for children, about six-day long and winter adventure camps.
It is also working avidly to promote mountain biking as a sport in the state, wherein the Vice President. Mr. Sherpa informed that with only about 20 or so trained manpower in mountain biking in the country at present, it had huge potential for further development.
“We have the proposal prepared to provide training to youths in this field,” he added.
While speaking on the future plans of the association, the members informed that the SMA was planning expeditions on five newly opened peaks, while it was working to produce well trained climbing guides within the next five years. The newly opened peaks are Frey’s Peak at Chaurigang, Lama Wangden at Lachen, Brumkhangse at Yumthang, Mr. Tinchenkang and Mt. Jupono in West Sikkim.
“Our main aim is to record proper information through photographs and write-ups on the peaks,” he added.
The association is also planning a 15-day long course at Manali or Gulmarg in January next year for the promotion of winter adventure tourism, while it also plans to start ice climbing and skiing sports in Sikkim.
“We aim to buy at least 20 skiing sets and we are waiting for the permission from the concerned authority and for some financial assistance for the same to materialize,” the Vice President informed, adding that the SMA had enough manpower and equipments to provide training to 60 candidates at a time.
Highlighting the problems of adventure tourism in Sikkim the SMA members informed that the state presently lacked in a parent body for rescue operations and other assistance as well as viable access to some remote places here, since ensured security and safety was the vital crowd pullers in such initiatives.
A rock climbing event was also organized for the media personnel today by the SMA to mark the occasion.
Source: Now
Dated: 28th September 2007
Great Rangit Ecotourism readies for maiden venture
Gangtok, 28 Sept: A day long workshop on the prospects of developing village tourism in the Great Rangit area, between Jorethang and Melli, as a means of employment generation for the people was held at the BDO office in Sumbuk, South Sikkim on 22 September.
A press release informs that the meeting was part of the local initiative to develop the area as a eco-tourism hub of the state, under the manner of Great Rangit Ecotourism, wherein the focus areas are trekking and bird watching at Kitam Bird Sanctuary, rafting and kayaking in the Great Rangit, beautiful home stays, rich culture and tradition, gladiolus floriculture, scenic view points and pleasant climatic conditions even during the peak winter months of January- March since it lies in the sub-tropical belt. Emphasis is on promoting the Great Rangit ecotourism package as an off season trekking destination from December to March, when rest of the treks remain closed, and since the region does not involve high altitude trekking or strenuous treks, even children and the ages can take benefit of this unique package.
The workshop, organized by local NGO, Indreni Parivar, was attended by the area MLA, CC Rai, while it had its resource persons from NGOs, namely Khangchendzonga Conservation Committee (KCC), The Mountain Institute (TMI) and the WWF.
The resource persons shared their experiences of village tourism in other parts of the state and explained to the participants on how tourism could be initiated in this area.
The gathering comprised of over 100 members from several NGOs in and around the area along with some notable people and students eager to know about the modalities of village tourism.
During the workshop, presentation was made on the success story of the Yambong Ecotourism Committee in West Sikkim where local NGOs have come together with travel agents to start what has now become a trekking tourism hotspot of Sikkim.
After discussion, it was decided that with the help of local NGO representatives, the next phase of activity should initiate the processes of field survey and documentation, training of ecotourism service providers and packaging and marketing of the destination from November onwards. A detailed survey of Kitam Bird Sanctuary was also planned to be prepared, including the list of flora and fauna found there.
Capacity building exercises would also be under-taken under suitable resource persons in order to generate a bank of quality tour guides, trekking cooks, home stay operators and porters, under the UNDP Small Grants Programme. Networking initiatives were stressed throughout the proceeding and it was decided that talks would be held with concerned departments like the Forest, Tourism, Home and the Police in order to streamline the formalities for permits and other legalities for the tourists.
The locals also exhibited their keenness to form a bird watching club under the guidance of the Sikkim Ornithological Society (SOS).
The people are also preparing a code of conduct (COC) to be followed while promoting tourism in Sumbuk so the negative impacts are minimized.
The release further conveys the people’s eagerness towards the initiative, now bracing to make headway into the tourist business. With rising interests among tourists both Indian and foreign regarding the splendors of this Himalayan state, such endeavors have been welcomed by everyone, it adds.
Source: Now Daily
Dated: 29th September 2007
Chakung: the next tourist destination of West Sikkim.
In this competitive era of the modern world, every nation is looking ahead and moving towards development. In such an age of modern technology and globalization, the state government is working to introduce the state of Sikkim as ‘Switzerland of the East’, to the world and for this a lot of work and investment is being put in to make the dream of the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling of becoming a reality. Working on this theme of making Sikkim, the ‘Switzerland of the East’: Chakung in West Sikkim one good example.
Chaking, a constituency falling under sorreng sub-Division also shares the same police station for taking care of law and order problems. The Chakung constituency consists of eight Gram Panchayat Units. Chakun,g Mendugoan, Samsing-Gelling, Khansirbung –Kewrani, Chota Samdung-Arubotey, chumbong-Budang, Suldung-Kamling and Mabung-Segang. Chakung is surrounded by Soreng in the West & North, Jorethang in the South and Rinchepong in the East.
The population of chakun is 14,127 of which 6,933 are male and 7,194 females. Chakun market has also been recognized by the Government of Sikkim and every Tuesday the ‘Haat’ bazaar is held, where Broom and Ginger are the main cash crop., which are exported in abundant supply, while all the villages and small hamlets falling within Chakung are well linked with proper roads and bridges.
The work ‘Chakung’ has been derived from two Lepcha words ‘Chiyo’ meaning Tea and ‘kung’ meaning Tree/plant and thus when these two words are joined we get Chakung or Tea Plant. There is a flat surface on top of Chakung village, where plenty of tea like plants can be found the these tea like plants are called ‘Hinguwa’ in Nepali, while the flat surface is called ‘Hinguwatar’, this is the Nepali meaning of Chakung. On the other hand, in Bhutia Language ‘Cha’ means hill, while ‘kong’ means Iron in Lepcha language and when these two works are joined Chakung means “Falamey Dara’ or Iron Hill.
From the beginning of the 18th century people from all walks of life and of different communities used to reside in Chakung and Rabong, a village of Chakung constituency was the heritage place of the Lepcha people with Gelling village being the place of worship. Gelling village was derived from the word ‘Galling’, an instrument the Lepchas used to play in the evenings, during prayers.
Gyandil Dham (Temple)
Gandil Dham is a temple in Gelling GPU under Chakung constituency is a wonderful tourist spot. The temple is located approximately 3000 feet above sea level and covers about 5 acres of land in totality. A Committee has been formed to look over the maintenance and preservation of the temple. The Temple is surrounded by lot of Ayurvedic medicinal plants. In the green mission 2007 under the direction of PWD, more than 1500 saplings of ornamental plants have also been planted around the temple. Gyandil Dham has now been declared as a ‘State Heritage Site’. Guru Gyandil came form Nepal via Darjeeling to preach about the principles of a spiritual organization called Jas Mani Pant, and the Guru used to stay at Gelling, where the Dham is located at present. Principle of the Jas Mani Mutt is secular, and followers of Jas Mani Mutt are still present in some parts of the world.
Guru Gyandil was born in 1821 and he started preaching at a very early age, he died in the year 1883 at Gelling. After his death, his pupils kept his dead body at the pre-advised place by the Guru. After three days, when the pupil visited the place, where they had kept the dead body of Guru Gyandil, they found a big hole towards the south and the dead body was also not there, this was a miracle, so the pupil built a Mandir at the place.
Earlier when Sikkim was an independent country, Chakung used to be an independent estate with Zoom village in the West and Soreng in the East as its political boundaries and at that time Monarchy was prevalent in Sikkim. But nowadays Chakung is known as a small hamlet firstly and then a constituency in the secondary level, where people from all communities belonging to different cast and religion, reside in communal harmony together.
Some of the monarch authorities used to look over the people living in Chakung and this was called the Dewan System. When Sikkim was an independent country, Chakung used to be an ‘Adda’, which meant a sort of district court at that time. Bhardoaj Gooroong was the Mandal [higher authority ] of Chakung area before 1938, while Birkha Bahadur Gooroong became the Mandal of the same area from 1938 to 1939. Dewan was the head of the state, while Mandal, Kaarbari and Pakhurey were the other rulers of the area.
The Mandal used to collect 50 paisa from the Lepchas & Bhutia and 75 paisa from others as tax or land revenue. An everyone used to pay Rs 6 as the ‘Dhuri Khajana’ to the Mandal. In a year, every one living in the area had to give their unpaid 15 days labour to the Mandal. But in the month of March 1948, the ‘Adda’ was closed in Chakung.
In the beginning there was just a horse road, which ran form Rinchepong to Naya Bazaar and this road was the lifeline of Chakung. Till the year 1951,people used this road for transportation and communication with Darjeeling being the main market for shopping and other works. Chakung got its first motorable road in the year 1961, which ran throughout the village.
There is an old Dak Bungalow located on top of Chakung village, which was built by the British in the 18th Century. This Bungalow is an example of the inflow of British people to Chakung in the 19th Century. Even the economic condition of the village at that time was very bad with maize being the daily meal of the people, along with being the main cash crop of the village.
It is written in the history of Chakung that in the year 1884, a Scottish missionary opened a primary school for the kids of Chkung for the very first time, which ran till 1933. then in the year 1929, a committee paid school was established, where all the tiny kids were given proper schooling and in 1934 chakung got a proper school with Master Norgey as the incharge of the school.
Chakung has lots of historical places which have become major tourist attractions over the years, of which Durpeney Dara, Aaghaney Dara, Hinguwa Tar, Nupling Gonpa are some of them.