North district General information
North Sikkim is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its capital is Mangan. It is the largest of the four districts of Sikkim. Mangan is also known as the Cardamom Capital of the world. The climate and terrain best suit the cultivation of the larger variety of Cardamom here.
People
The people are mainly of Nepali descent. Other ethnic groups include the Lepcha and Bhutia communities. Nepali is the most widely spoken language in the district. It also has one of the lowest populated regions of the state.
Religion
The region has many power projects and enjoys almost uninterrupted electricity. The steep gradient and the innumerable lakes on the higher reaches facilitate ideal conditions for generation of hydro electric power. The most prominent effect of the steepness of the valleys is the prevalence of landslides that at times drop to anything between 3000 to 5,000 ft (1,500 m) carrying devastation along their course. Most of them are caused either by the melting snow beds on top of the mountains or by erosive action of the rains. Roads however, are in a poor condition owing to the frequent landslides.
Landscape
The landscape is mountainous with dense vegetation all the way up to the alpine altitude before thinning out to desert scrub towards the Northern Tundra. Numerous waterfalls astride the main road make the trip to this district extremely picturesque. It is also home to the Himalayan Red Panda (Ailurus Fulgens), which is the pride of Sikkim. It is not a real Panda Bear as the name suggests but is considered an exotic animal. It belongs to the Raccoon family and is generally found between heights of 2000 m to 4000 m. It is as big as a domestic Siamese cat (approximately 2 ft long), has a triangular shaped face with a stripe on its cheek, with red fur and black eyes. It has a sprinkling of white on its back and chest. The tail is bushy, black or brown in color and long like that of a skunk. They generally live on treetops.
Most of North Sikkim is restricted to travelers and permits are needed to visit these areas. The area, which shares a sensitive border with the People's Republic of China is heavily patrolled by the Indian army.
Demography
Most of the people of the state reside near Mangan, the district headquarters which is about 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level. Further north the elevation increases with the vegetation turning from temperate to alpine to tundra. Temperatures range from about 25° to below -40° in the extreme high reaches where the altitude is in excess of 6,000 metres. Kanchenjanga is the highest peak at over 8,000 m, straddling its eastern border with Nepal.
Forest
Around 90% of the geographical area of Sikkim is forest and barren land which has become a good source and house for flora and fauna. The fauna of North Sikkim includes Yaks, Shapi, wild ass, blue sheep etc and the flora includes mostly Rhododendron.
Crops and Cereals
Cardamom is the main cash crop in the district, which makes a premier part of economy. Besides this other crops like rice, millet, corn etc. also grow in limited quantity.
Vegetables
Cabbage and Potato are produced in large quantity in Lachung Valley and are exported out of state. Radish too is exported from this area. Besides this other normal vegetables of daily consumption like, peas, cauliflower, green leaves are found all over the district.
Fruits
A large quantity of fruits that is grown in the district is apple which is found in the Lachung Valley. Other fruits like peach, guava, orange, plum, phunsay grow in limited quantity.
FAUNA
Yaks
Yaks belong to the cattle family and can survive only at high altitude above 10,000 ft.. They live on alpine shrubs and can manage without food for many days. They can confortable rest and sleep in snow because of their massy thick hair. Yaks are found above Lachung or Lachen, and they have been domesticated by people for consumption of meat and their milk products. A hardened cheese called churpi made from yaks milk is very famous in Sikkim.
Shapi
This is a very rare animal found in the alpine region. This was discovered only in 1983 by a German doctor Ernest Schalfer in the Lachen Valley area. It looks somewhat similar to Himalayan Thar.
Blue Sheep
Blue Sheep is also called Baharal and is found in Green Lake Basin and the area around the Donkila Pass.
Wild Ass
Locally it is called the Kiang and is found usually in big herds on the platue of Cholamu lake.
Tourist Place
Kabi Longstok
Twenty kilometers on the way to North Sikkim, before Phodong, is Kabi Longstok, where the treaty of brotherhood between the Lepcha Chieftain-Tekong Tek and the Tibetan Chief Khye Bumbsa was signed. The spot where the treaty was signed is marked by a memorial stone and is seen on the left side of the road while traveling from Gangtok to Mangan.
Phodong
It is a small town with around ten shops and few hotels almost on the middle of the Gangtok-Mangan journey. A police outpost, a senior secondary school, Jawar Navodya Bhidhayala and a physical health center are near by.
Phodong Monastry
Phodong Monastry belonging to Kargyupa Sect(karmapa), is situated about a kilometer uphill by a jeepable road that bifurcates from the north Sikkim highway a little bit ahead of Phodong towards Mangan. The monastry was built by the Chogyal Gyurmed Namgyal somewhere in the first quarter of the eighteenth century.
The main annual Puja (worship) is performed on the 28th and 29th day of the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar when the religious Chaams or the dances are also performed.
Labrang Monastry
Another Kilometer uphill from the Phodong Monastry on the same jeeepable road is the Labrang Monastry which was built about one hundred years later then Phodong Monastry but belongs to the Nyingmapa sect.
Ruins of Tumlong Palace
The capital of Sikkim was shifted from Rabdanste to Tumlong in the beginning of neneteenth century. It is the fourth capital of Sikkim and remained capital for around ninety years. The ruins of the palace of Maharaja is seen just below the road between Phodong Monastry and Labrang Monastry.
Mangan
Mangan is the capital of North Sikkim. It is 65 kilometers from Gangtok. It lies at an altitude of 3950 ft. .The Bazar(market) with around fifty different types of shops is situated on the north sikkim highway. The district collectorate where the district collector and other government department function is situated around two kilometers uphill from market at a place called Pentok and is approached by a link road. On the sides of this link road while traveling towards Pentok lies a public ground and Mangan Senior Secondary School. Just opposite to Mangan, separated by river Teesta, is seen a sloppy villages namely Lingdong, Barfok, Hee-Gyathang falling under Dzongu area. From the Pentok area, the picturesque view of mount Silnoulchu (a Range of mount Kanchendzonga) is also seen.
Singhik ViewPoint
Singhik is situated four kilometers away from Mangan towards the north. It has few shops on the roadside and a junior high school. The view point lies just on the road side from where is seen a very picturesque view of mount Silnoulchu . Right downwards from the viewpoint is seen the confluence of River Teesta and River Kanaka. Other sorrounding places too look very beautiful from the viewpoint. A nice and clean guesthouse, suitable for a night halt is also available near by.
Chungthang
Chunghthang is 30 kilometers away from Mangan further north. It is around 95 kilometers away from Gangtok. It is a small town on the way to Yumthang surrounded by high mountains that seem to be almost touching the sky. At an altitude of about 5,600 ft, Chungthang lies at the confluence of the Lachen Chu (Teesta) and the Lachung Chu {“ Chu” means river in bhutia language}. The north Sikkim highway bifurcates here to take different routes for Lachen and Lachung.
Spot of interest in Chungthang is a legendary rock having an imprint which is believed to be the foot mark of Guru Padmasambha. There is a small opening in the rock which remains filled with spring water. Adjacent to the rock there is a small stretch of paddy field defying the condition that demands the growth of paddy in this area.
Yumthang Valley & Hot Spring
Situated at an altitude of 12000 ft., Yumthang is a valley between the snow clad hills all around. It is around 75 kilometers from district headquarter, Mangan and around 95 kilometers from Gangtok. The route to Yumthang from Lachung-adjoining the Singba Forest Reserve has a very picturesque landscape and is lined with rhododendrons that bloom in different colour at their best during the month of May. The natural scenic beauty around Yumthang, look very much similar to that of Switzerland. The valley has a grassy plane area in the middle, a river on the side and a forest Dak Bunglo (Guest House), surrounded all sides by snow clad mountains. It is a big fun over here playing with the snow and throwing it at each other.
Before entering the valley a small pedestrian road goes through a small bridge right way which connects the Yumthang Hot Spring. Hot water rich in sulphur, emanates from a small spring and is diverted inside a hut where two pools are made for the bathers. In such a cold place, it is a very pleasant experience to bath in the water, which is so hot in its natural form.