Gangtok
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Gangtok ( Nepali / Hindi: गंगटोक listen, Gangtok / i?) Is the capital and the largest and most economically important city of the former kingdom and now the Indian state of Sikkim. It lies in the southeast of the state on the southern foothills of the Himalaya Mountains at about 1800 meters height. In the city of 29 162 people ( 2001 census ), it is the center of tourism in Sikkim and the administrative seat of the district of East Sikkim.
The exact meaning of the word " Gangtok " is unclear, but probably it simply means " exalted hill ". The city is a center of Tibetan Buddhism with many Buddhist monasteries and schools.
Geography
The city was built lying on a slope. At one end of the Governor's house, which is called The Ridge. The other end of town is the Palace, which lies on 1,828 meters above sea level. At the foot of the city, the river flows Ranikhola. Most of the roads are very steep through the hillside. The houses are piled up on horizontal surfaces. From the eastern part of the city you can see the snow -covered slopes of the Himalayas and the Kanchenjunga.
Because of the protected elevated and location of Gangtok town has a year-round mild temperate climate. Like most other regions in the Himalayas is spoken in Gangtok five seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. Temperatures vary between 25 ° C in summer and 3 ° C in winter. Since the temperatures rarely fall below freezing, it snows very rarely. The last winter when there was snow were: 1990, 2004 and 2005 In the winter the weather is very changeable, and can very quickly swirl of bright sunshine to heavy rain..
Spring and autumn are mild and sunny in the rule. During the monsoon season, which lasts from June to September, and in winter the city is often shrouded in fog but. Landslides are common in around Gangtok during the rainy season, but also happen in the dry season, as the Himalayas in this region consists of loose rock formations. The city is then sometimes cut off from other parts of Sikkim.
The flora in the vicinity of the city consists of both deciduous forests of temperate climates with poplars, birches, oaks and elms, and from evergreen coniferous forests of the wet alpine climate. The city is surrounded by dense forests. Worth mentioning are also many rare types of orchids that grow in this region. Flowering plants such as sunflowers, marigolds and poinsettias bloom in November and December.
The slopes around Gangtok are heavily overgrown with bamboo, which continuously deliver spring water, which flows at its roots. Further down the valley the vegetation changes from bottom to top of alpine to subtropical after reasonable.
Gangtok seen from the opposite hillside
View of the Palace 1939
In Gangtok 1939
History
The early history of Gangtok is largely unknown. First written records relating to the construction of a hermitage in the year 1716. Pending the establishment of the Enchey monastery in 1840 Gangtok remained a small village, but then it quickly developed into a center for pilgrims. After the British victory over the Tibetans, the city became an important station between Tibet and British India. Almost all roads and telegraph lines emerged during this period.
1894 moved Thutob Namgyal, the then king of Sikkim, the capital of Sikkim of Tumlong to Gangtok. Created a great place, and a number of government buildings. After the Indian independence in 1947, Sikkim became independent. Trade flourished and the city grew rapidly. In 1975, the monarchy was abolished and Sikkim Sikkim was annexed after a referendum as 22nd state of the Indian Union, Gangtok became the capital of this state.
Population
The majority of the inhabitants of Gangtok are Nepalese who settled during the British rule in India there. Next to them Lepchas and Bhutias live in greater numbers in the city, the former have always been settled in this region. Especially in recent years emigrated to many Tibetans, but also Marwaris, Biharis and Bengalis.
Among the population Gangtoks outweigh Hindus and Buddhists. There are also some Christians, this being especially Lepchas are that have been evangelized by the British in the late 19th century. For the small Muslim community there is a small mosque. The city was never involved in spite of the religious diversity in this respect conflicts.
The most widely spoken language in Gangtok is Nepali. English and Hindi are also widely distributed, and there are also people who are Tibetan, Lepcha and Bhutia speak.
Economy
Since all Sikkim is very mountainous, there is no railway connection still airport in the resort. Therefore, the economic potential of the region is very limited. The largest employer of Gangtok is the city administration. The police also employs many workers. Since approximately 200,000 tourists annually spend about 9.7 million U.S. dollars in the city, many facilities from hotels to shops, from tourism depend. The manufacturing industry is, apart from the production of crafts, watches and spirits, only very weakly developed in small family businesses. Among the handicrafts, especially the production of paper from various plant fibers is worth mentioning. The great street of the city allows the farmers, even from a distance to sell their goods at harvest time.
Since the state of Sikkim is a border region, the Indian Army is stationed with a large number of soldiers near Gangtok, supporting the economy in the region through their purchases. A significant part of the revenue of the city is generated by numerous gambling establishments. The reopened Nathu La pass to Tibet was until its closure in 1962, the most important trade route for wool, furs and spices.
Infrastructure
Gangtok is supplied by numerous sources that are close to the city, abound with water. In addition, the entire power supply is secured by hydroelectric power plants. In Gangtok is the only cardiac clinic of the State of Sikkim. Only about 30 % of the houses Gangtoks are connected to the sewer system, it would cost 6.4 million U.S. dollars to integrate the remaining houses in the network. The maximum height of buildings in Gangtok is 15 meters on this provision but holds no one. To be environmentally friendly, plastic bags were banned from the city. Almost all shops package their goods so in paper bags.
In Gangtok there are several good schools, but only a single university that awards degrees only in art and commerce. While there is no university, Sikkim Manipal University is located only eight kilometers outside the town. Other facilities confer degrees in less established fields of study, such as in Buddhist literature. Many emigrate to the cities of Siliguri and Kolkata to get a better education. In addition to the lack of industry in and around the city, the lack of training is one reason for the rising unemployment.
City council
Besides serving as the capital of the state of the city is also the administrative seat of the district of East Sikkim. As the capital of East Sikkim, Gangtok is also the seat of the District Collector, who is an officer of the Indian state and has wide powers in the areas of legislation, taxation and construction. Gangtok is the seat of the Sikkim High Court, the smallest of its kind in India.
Gangtok is administered by a municipal council, whose members are elected directly by the population. The supervision and maintenance of the road network but is the object of the Border Roads Organisation ( BRO ), which belongs to the Indian Army. Gangtok has, unlike other Indian cities, not have their own police station. Instead, the city falls into the area of the state police, with guidance of the Director General of Police, who is the police officers of the highest rank in India. For Gangtok turn an Inspector General of Police is responsible, who is subordinate to the Director General of Police. Gangtok is one of the lowest crime rates in all over India.
Traffic
Public transport in Gangtok is limited to taxis, with larger distances in the vicinity of taxis, the so-called share - jeeps to be managed. The city is the only Indian capital, where a cable car was built, its route length but only less than a kilometer. The aerial tramway was once exclusively the Minister of Legislative Assembly, but is now open to the public.
The only road to Gangtok is the gravel road NH -31A, which runs from Siliguri 114 km away via Kalimpong and a branch has to Darjeeling. The cities will be publicly connected to each other with both buses and private jeeps and minibuses. The nearest railway station is 124 km away, New Jalpaiguri, a suburb of Siliguri. The nearest airport is Bagdogra the Airport, which is located 16 kilometers away from Siliguri. Gangtok is served by a helicopter flight service from there.
Media, Entertainment and Telecommunications
In Gangtok daily newspapers are published in English, Nepali and Hindi. Of these, only the Nepalese newspapers are printed in the city. English newspapers include The Statesman and The Telegraph, which are printed in Siliguri, and The Hindu and The Times of India, printed in Kolkata and arrive a day late in Gangtok. In addition, various magazines, such as the Catscanned appear.
In Gangtok there are three movie theaters that play movies in the three languages mentioned above. There is also a public library.
Internet is indeed, among the things available in several Internet cafes, broadband internet access is rather rare. Most households have satellite TV connections with which all Indian and Nepalese some channels can be received. In addition, there is a single radio station, All India Radio. The city is served by three mobile network operators.
Culture
In addition to the Indian festivals like Diwali and Makar Sankranti and Buddhist festivals such as Losar, Loosong, Bhumchu, Saga Dawa, Lhabab Düchen and Drupka Teshi be celebrated. In addition, the Tibetan New Year ( Losar ), celebrated in mid-December. For a week, so most businesses and public institutions are closed. In recent years, the Christian Christmas was becoming increasingly popular. In January, in the city of Chaam, a dance with masks, organized with great bustle.
The music was in Gangtok includes not only Western rock music and Hindi Nepali rock - pop.
Football and cricket are the most popular sports in the city. The only sports ground of the city is the Paljor Stadium.
The kitchen in Gangtok consists mainly of pasta dishes, such as Thukpa, chowmein, Thanthuk, Fakthu, Gyathuk and Wonton. In addition, Momo ( with vegetables, beef or pork stuffed dumplings ), a traditional dish of the region. Alcohol is very cheap because of low taxes and in particular the Indian beer called Hit is therefore very popular.
Attractions
Palzor Stadium Road
The Palzor Stadium Road, or even P.S. Road connects the further downhill parts of the city and suburbs with the city center. At the end of this road there are numerous hotels, among which is the Hotel Tibet is, stayed in the top floor of the Dalai Lama when he visits the city.
Mahtama Gandhi Road
The M. G. Road is a business street, the economic center of the city.
Lal Bazar
Lal Bazar is the end of the M. G. Road location with great city market, vendors sell on the from all over India and also from Nepal and Bhutan at the weekend their goods.
Development Area
Something about the city, this area, which is also called Zero Point. It was selected by the government for the future expansion of the city. The municipal library is located there.
Parks and Gardens
The Himalayan Zoological Park, the wildlife of the Himalayan region to show, inter alia, Asiatic black bears, Indian leopards, snow leopards, Tibetan wolves, barking deer, civet cats, red pandas and Axishirsche be kept. Furthermore, growth in the Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Gardens, among other numerous different bamboo and more than 50 different species of trees.
Namgyal Research Institute of Tibetology
Also known as the Tibetology Museum Museum houses a large collection of masks, Buddhist scriptures, statues, tapestries and over 200 Buddhist icons. It is a center of teaching Buddhist philosophy. In the garden is the famous statue of Padmasambhava, the sight of which he is said to have told the legend, " it looks like I ".
Rumtek Monastery
Just outside the city is one of the holiest Buddhist monasteries, the Rumtek Monastery. That the Kagyu monastic order, one of the most important Tibetan lineages, belonging monastery houses some of the most important and holiest Tibetan Buddhist scriptures and religious objects. It was built in 1960, with a simple monastery in Lhasa served as a template.
Enchey Monastery ( Ningmapa monastic orders )
This monastery is beside the Do- Chorten Stupa drul and the Rumtek Monastery one of the most important Buddhist site Gangtoks and center of Buddhist teaching and culture. It is about 200 years old and built in the Baroque style. This makes it the oldest monastery in the city. It is the seat of the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma Order and houses numerous religious artifacts and effigies of gods.
Do- Chorten drul
This stupa was built in 1945 by Trulshi Rimpoché, the head of the Nyingma order, houses relics, holy books and mantras. Around the building there are 108 prayer wheels ( Mani Lhakor ). In addition, a religious school is located in this building.
Other attractions are the two, the Hindu gods Ganesha and Hanuman temple dedicated to Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok. Gangtoks highest located hotel, the Siniolchu Lodge is located near the Enchey Monastery, which is also close to the 90 -meter-high television tower of the State of Sikkim.