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Gangtok

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Asia

   Gangtok
   Gangtok
   State
    -  District(s)   Sikkim
                      -  East Sikkim
   Coordinates       27.33° N 88.62° E
   Area
    -  Elevation     25  km²
                      - 1437 m
   Time zone         IST ( UTC+5:30)
   Population ( 2001)
    -  Density       29,162
                      - 2,000/km²
   Mayor             –
   Codes
    -  Postal
    - Telephone
    -  Vehicle
                      - 737101
                      - +03552
                      - SK-03

   Gangtok pronunciation  ( Nepali/Hindi: गंगटोक) is the capital and
   largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is situated in the lower
   Himalayas, located at 27.2° N 88.4° E. Known for its clean surroundings
   and temperate climate, this hill station of about fifty thousand people
   is the centre of Sikkim's tourist industry.

   Gangtok was a small hamlet until the construction of the Enchey
   Monastery in 1840 made it a pilgrimage centre. It became a major
   stopover between Tibet and British India at the end of the 19th
   century. Following India's independence in 1947, Sikkim became a
   nation-state with Gangtok as its capital. In 1975 the monarchy was
   abrogated and Sikkim became India's twenty-second state, with Gangtok
   remaining as its capital.

   The precise meaning of the name Gangtok is unclear, though it is
   generally held to mean "lofty hill". Gangtok is also a centre of
   Tibetan Buddhist culture and learning with numerous monasteries and
   religious educational institutions.

History

   Not much is known about the early history of Gangtok. The earliest
   records date from the construction of the hermitic Gangtok monastery in
   1716. Gangtok remained a small hamlet until the construction of the
   Enchey Monastery in 1840 made it a pilgrimage centre. After the defeat
   of the Tibetans by the British, Gangtok became a major stopover in the
   trade between Tibet and British India at the end of the 19th century.
   Most of the roads and the telegraph in the area were built during this
   time.

   In 1894, Thutob Namgyal, the Sikkimese monarch under British rule,
   shifted the capital from Tumlong to Gangtok, increasing its importance.
   A new grand palace along with other state buildings was built in the
   new capital. Following India's independence in 1947, Sikkim became a
   nation-state with Gangtok as its capital. Sikkim became a suzerain of
   India, with the condition that it would retain its independence, by the
   treaty signed between the Chogyal and the then Indian Prime Minister
   Jawaharlal Nehru. Trade between India and Tibet continued to flourish
   through the Nathula and Jelepla passes, offshoots of the ancient Silk
   Route near Gangtok. These border passes were sealed after the
   Sino-Indian War in 1962, which deprived Gangtok of its trading
   business. In 1975, the monarchy was abrogated and Sikkim became India's
   twenty-second state, with Gangtok as its capital .
   Aerial view of Gangtok from a cable car
   Enlarge
   Aerial view of Gangtok from a cable car

Geography

    The Kanchenjunga, the world's third tallest peak, viewed from "Hanuman
                 Tok," near Gangtok. The central peak is the Kanchenjunga.
                                                                   Enlarge
    The Kanchenjunga, the world's third tallest peak, viewed from "Hanuman
                 Tok," near Gangtok. The central peak is the Kanchenjunga.

   Bamboo, such as the one pictured here in the Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical
                               Gardens, grows in abundance around Gangtok.
                                                                   Enlarge
   Bamboo, such as the one pictured here in the Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical
                               Gardens, grows in abundance around Gangtok.

                                 Gangtok as viewed from the opposite hill.
                                                                   Enlarge
                                 Gangtok as viewed from the opposite hill.

      The "White Hall" complex on "The Ridge" houses the residences of the
                                    Chief Minister and Governor of Sikkim.
                                                                   Enlarge
      The "White Hall" complex on "The Ridge" houses the residences of the
                                    Chief Minister and Governor of Sikkim.

                        Inside a traditional Buddhist dwelling in Gangtok.
                                                                   Enlarge
                        Inside a traditional Buddhist dwelling in Gangtok.

          The Tibetology Museum displays rare Lepcha tapestries, masks and
                                                         Buddhist statues.
                                                                   Enlarge
          The Tibetology Museum displays rare Lepcha tapestries, masks and
                                                         Buddhist statues.

     The Do-drul Chorten, built in 1945, is a famous Buddhist stupa within
                                                      Gangtok city limits.
                                                                   Enlarge
     The Do-drul Chorten, built in 1945, is a famous Buddhist stupa within
                                                      Gangtok city limits.

   Rumtek Monastery, one of Buddhism's holiest monasteries, located on the
                                                     outskirts of Gangtok.
                                                                   Enlarge
   Rumtek Monastery, one of Buddhism's holiest monasteries, located on the
                                                     outskirts of Gangtok.

      The Himalayan Black Bear seen here in the Himalayan Zoological Park.
                                                                   Enlarge
      The Himalayan Black Bear seen here in the Himalayan Zoological Park.

   Gangtok is located at 27.33° N 88.62° E. It has an average elevation of
   1437  metres (4714  feet). It is situated in the lower Himalayas at an
   altitude of 1,780  metres (5,480  feet), in southeast Sikkim. In
   addition to being the state capital, it is also the headquarters of the
   East Sikkim district. The town lies on one side of a hill, with "The
   Ridge", a promenade housing the governor's residence at one end and the
   palace, situated at an altitude of about 6,000 feet (1,828 m), at the
   other. The city overlooks the Ranikhola in the valley below. Most of
   the roads are steep, with the buildings built on compacted ground
   alongside them. The peaks of the snow-clad Himalayan range, including
   the world's third tallest peak, the Kanchenjunga, can be seen to the
   east of the city.

   Because of its elevation and sheltered environment, Gangtok enjoys a
   mild, temperate climate all year round. Like most Himalayan towns,
   Gangtok has five seasons: summer, monsoons, autumn, winter and spring.
   Temperatures range from a high of 25 ° C (77°  F) in summer to a low of
   about 3 °C (37 °F) in winter. Snowfall is rare, and in recent times
   Gangtok has received snow only in 1990, 2004 and 2005. Temperatures
   below freezing are also rare. During this season the weather can be
   sporadic, and change abruptly from bright sunshine and clear skies to
   heavy rain within a couple of hours.

   During spring and autumn the weather is generally sunny and mild. Owing
   to its elevation, Gangtok is often enveloped in fog during the monsoon
   and winter months. Between June and September (the monsoon months), the
   rain often causes landslides in the area. The lower Himalayas in
   general are composed of labile rock formations and therefore prone to
   landslides even in dry seasons. These landslides can result in the town
   being cut off from other parts of Sikkim.

   Flora around Gangtok includes temperate, deciduous forests of poplar,
   birch, oak, and elm, as well as evergreen, coniferous trees of the wet
   alpine. Densely forested regions of these evergreens lie just around
   the town. A wide variety of rare orchids are often featured in flower
   shows around the city. Sunflower, marigold, poinsettia, and other
   flowers bloom in November and December.

   Bamboo grows in abundance along the slopes of Gangtok, providing a
   perennial source of spring water, which originates from the roots of
   the trees. In the lower reaches of the town, the vegetation graduates
   from alpine to subtropical and temperate deciduous.

Localities

   The areas which make up Gangtok though in no particular order are :

   Palzor Stadium Road

   Also called P.S. Road, it joins the low lying localities and suburbs
   with the main town. Palzor Stadium is one of its major stops. As it
   nears its end, it is flanked by many hotels and also the stop of the
   SNT or the Sikkim National Transport Buses. Some major hotels include
   Hotel Tibet, Hotel Mayur, Hotel Mt. Jopuno among others. The top floor
   of Hotel Tibet is the residence of The Dalai Lama when he visits
   Gangtok. There is also a Taxi stand.

   Mahtama Gandhi Road

   Also called M.G. Road, it is the main commercial district of Gangtok.
   There are many shops run by members of the Marwari community or migrant
   Biharis.

   Lal Bazar

   This is the main market of the town and occurs at the end of M.G. Road.
   Farmers from all over the state and adjoining areas including Nepal and
   Bhutan come to the market to sell their produce every weekend.

   Development Area

   This area is fairly remote and is situated at a higher altitude and has
   been identified by the Govt. for future expansion. It is also called
   Zero Point. The State Library is in this area.

   Gangtok's highest lodge is the Siniolchu Lodge located near the Enchey
   Monastery. It is also close to the state's main TV transmission tower.

Economy

   Sikkim's mountainous terrain results in the lack of train or air links,
   limiting the area's potential for rapid industrial development. The
   government is the largest employer in the city, both directly and as
   contractors. The Sikkim Police also employs a large number of people to
   patrol the streets. The tourism industry provides employment to many
   people, with jobs ranging from drivers, shopkeepers to hoteliers.
   Gangtok receives around 200,000 tourists and earns Rs. 42 crores (9.7
   million US $ annually. Its economy does not have a manufacturing base,
   but cottage industries such as watch-making, country-made alcohol and
   handicrafts are present. Among the handicrafts are the handmade paper
   industry made from various vegetable fibers or cotton rags. The main
   market in Gangtok provides many of the state's rural residents a place
   to offer their produce during the harvest seasons. The majority of the
   private business community is made up of Marwaris and Biharis.

   As Sikkim is a frontier state, the Indian army maintains a large
   presence in the vicinity of Gangtok. This leads to a large population
   of semi-permanent residents who bring money into the local economy. The
   government of Sikkim also earns a lot of revenue from the numerous
   Playwin lottery centres (through online gambling) in the city. With the
   proposed opening of the Nathula Pass by the Union government in April
   2006, Gangtok would benefit as a result of trade between India and
   Tibet. The Nathula Pass, located about fifty kilometres from Gangtok,
   used to be the primary route of the wool, fur and spice trade with
   Tibet until 1962, when the border was closed.

Civic governance

   The civic infrastructure of Gangtok is overseen by the local municipal
   corporation whose councillors are directly elected by the people. The
   rural roads around Gangtok however, are maintained by the Border Roads
   Organisation, which is a part of the Indian army. As the headquarters
   of East Sikkim district, Gangtok also houses the offices of the
   district collector, an administrator appointed by the Union Government
   of India. Gangtok is also home to the Sikkim High Court, which is
   India's smallest High Court in terms of area and population of
   jurisdiction.

   Gangtok does not have its own police commissionerate like other cities
   in India. Instead, it comes under the jurisdiction of the state police,
   which is headed by a Director General of Police, although an Inspector
   General of Police oversees the town. Sikkim is known for its very low
   crime rate and, though official statistics for urban crime are not
   available, Gangtok can indirectly be said to have one of the lowest
   crime statistics in India.

Infrastructure

   Due to the abundance of natural springs in the vicinity, Gangtok does
   not suffer from a water shortage. It also has an almost uninterrupted
   electricity supply due to Sikkim's numerous hydroelectric power
   stations, and has the state's only cardiac hospital. Only 30% of
   Gangtok has a sewerage network and it is estimated that Rs. 28 crore
   (6.4 million US$) is required to upgrade the system. Though all
   buildings are supposed to be at a height of 15 metres (50 feet), this
   is openly flouted. The city has enforced a ban on the use of plastic
   bags, in an effort to maintain its harmony with nature. Most shops and
   businesses pack their goods in paper bags.

   Though Gangtok has many good schools, such as the Paljor Namgyal Girls
   School, it only has a single college offering a degree in arts and
   commerce . Gangtok does not have a university within the city limits.
   However, just 8 km from here is the headquarters of the Sikkim Manipal
   University. There are other institutions offering diplomas in Buddhist
   literature, catering and other non-mainstream fields. As a result, many
   of its residents migrate to nearby Siliguri or Kolkata in pursuit of
   higher education. This problem has been compounded with the growing
   unemployment in the state, due to the lack of large-scale industries.

Transport

   Taxis are the most widely available public transport within Gangtok.
   Most of Gangtok's residents stay within a few kilometres of the town
   centre and many have their own vehicles. Those residing some distance
   away generally make use of share-jeeps, a kind of public taxis. It is
   the only capital city in India to have a cable car, which was initially
   constructed for the elected MLA's to reach the state Assembly. It is
   now open to the public, though the distance covered is less than a
   kilometre (0.6 miles).

   Gangtok is connected to the rest of India by an all-weather metalled
   highway, NH-31A, which links Gangtok to Siliguri, located 114 km
   (71 miles) away in the neighbouring state of West Bengal. The highway
   also provides a link to the neighbouring hill station towns of
   Darjeeling and Kalimpong, which are also the nearest urban areas. A
   regular jeep, van, and bus service links the towns to Gangtok and is
   the only route to the city from the rest of India. The nearest railhead
   connected to the rest of India is the station of New Jalpaiguri, a
   suburb of Siliguri, situated 124 km (77 miles) away from Gangtok. The
   nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport, 16 km (10 miles) from Siliguri.
   Although Gangtok does not have an airport, it is linked to Bagdogra
   airport, near Siliguri, via a regular helicopter service, the Sikkim
   Helicopter Service. A new airport, which would be the state's first, is
   slated to be opened by mid-2005.

Demographics

   Ethnic Nepalis, who settled in the region during British rule, comprise
   the majority of Gangtok's fifty thousand residents. Lepchas, native to
   the land, and Bhutias also constitute a sizable portion of the
   populace. Additionally, a large number of Tibetans have immigrated to
   the town in recent years. Immigrant resident communities not native to
   the region include the Marwaris, who own most of the shops; the
   Biharis, who are employed in mostly blue collar jobs and the Bengalis.

   Hinduism and Muslims are the two largest religions in Gangtok. Gangtok
   also has a sizable Christian population, most of which is of Lepcha
   origin, who converted after British missionaries started preaching here
   in the late 19th century. The town has remained secular, having never
   witnessed any sort of inter-religious strife in its history. A mosque
   in downtown Gangtok also serves the small Muslim minority.

   Nepali is the most widely spoken language in Gangtok. English and Hindi
   are also widely spoken and understood in most of Sikkim, particularly
   in Gangtok. Other languages spoken in Gangtok include Bhutia
   (Sikkimese), Tibetan and Lepcha.

   As of the 2001 census of India^ GRIndia, Gangtok had a population of
   29,162. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Gangtok
   has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average
   of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 75%. In Gangtok,
   8% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Culture

   Major Indian festivals, such as Diwali and Makar Sankranti (the popular
   Hindu festivals) along with the Buddhist festivals like Losar, Loosong,
   Bhumchu, Saga Dawa, Lhabab Duechen and Drupka Teshi are celebrated in
   Gangtok. During the Losar, the Tibetan New Year in mid-December, most
   government offices and tourist centres are closed for a week. In recent
   times, Christmas has also been celebrated in Gangtok.

   Residents of Sikkim are music lovers and it is common to hear Western
   rock music being played in homes and restaurants. Hindi pop songs are
   also common. Indigenous Nepali rock, music suffused with a western rock
   beat and Nepali lyrics, is also particularly popular.

   Football (soccer) and cricket are the two most popular sports. The
   Paljor Stadium, which hosts football matches, is the sole sporting
   ground in the city.

   Noodle-based foods such as the thukpa, chowmein, thanthuk, fakthu,
   gyathuk and wonton, are relished in Gangtok. The momo is a popular
   snack made from vegetable, beef, or pork filling, which is steamed and
   served with a soup. Alcohol is cheap due to low excise duty in Sikkim.
   Beer, whiskey, rum and brandy are frequently consumed by both locals
   and non-locals.

   The city's main landmark is a 200 foot (90 m) TV tower that can be
   viewed from afar.

City institutions

   A centre of Buddhist learning and culture, Gangtok's most famous
   Buddhist institutions are the Enchey monastery, the Do-drul Chorten
   stupa complex and the Rumtek Monastery. The Enchey monastery is the
   city's oldest monastery and is the seat of the Nyingma order. The
   two-hundred year old baroque monastery houses images of gods,
   goddesses, and other religious artifacts. In the month of January, the
   Chaam, or masked dance, is performed with great fanfare. The Dro-dul
   Chorten is a stupa which was constructed in 1945 by Trulshi Rimpoché,
   head of the Nyingma order of Tibetan Buddhism. Inside this stupa are
   complete set of relics, holy books, and mantras. Surrounding the
   edifice are 108 Mani Lhakor, or prayer wheels. The complex also houses
   a religious school.

   The Rumtek Monastery on the outskirts of the town is one of Buddhism's
   most sacred monasteries. The monastery is the seat of the Kagyu order,
   one of the major Tibetan sects, and houses some of the world's most
   sacred and rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures and religious objects in
   its reliquary. Constructed in the 1960s, the building is modelled after
   a similar monastery in Lhasa, Tibet. Rumtek was the focus of
   international media attention in 2000 after the seventeenth Karmapa,
   one of the four holiest lamas, fled Lhasa and sought refuge in the
   monastery.

   The Namgyal Research Institute of Tibetology, better known as the
   Tibetology Museum, houses a huge collection of masks, Buddhist
   scriptures, statues, and tapestries. It has over two hundred Buddhist
   icons, and is a centre of study of Buddhist philosophy. The Ganesh Tok
   and the Hanuman Tok, dedicated to the Hindu gods Ganpati and Hanuman
   and housing important Hindu temples, are located in the upper reaches
   of the town.

   The Himalayan Zoological Park exhibits the fauna of the Himalayas in
   their natural habitats. The zoo features the Himalayan Black Bear, the
   barking deer, the snow leopard, the civet cat, red pandas and the
   spotted deer. The Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Gardens, near Rumtek,
   houses many species of bamboo and as many as fifty different species of
   tree, including many oaks.
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