Sikkim Travel Information
Small
but beautiful. Sikkim is situated in the eastern Himalayas . Spread below
the Mount Khanchendzonga (8534 mts), the third highest mountain in the world,
and revered by the Sikkimese as their protective deity. With an area of 7,300
sq kms and measuring approx. 114 kms from the north to south and 64 kms from
east to west, the elevation ranges from 300 mts to over 8540 mts above sea
level.
Amidst the grandeur of the mountain peaks, lush valleys, fast flowing rivers,
hills, Sikkim offers her visitors a rare and singular experience. Within a
matter of hours one can move from the sub tropical heat of the lower valleys
to the cold of the rugged mountain slopes that reach up to the area of perpetual
snow .
Sikkim is the 22nd state of India came into existence with effect from 26th
April, 1975. Sikkim has been divided into four districts and each district
has further been bifurcated into two sub-divisions for administrative purpose.
Sikkim state being a part of inner mountain ranges of Himalayas, is hilly
having varied elevation ranging from 300 to 8540 meters. But the habitable
areas are only up to the altitude of 2100 mtrs. Constituting only 20% of the
total area of the state. The highest portion of sikkim lies in its north west
direction.
A large number of mountains having altitudes of about seven thousand meters
stands here with - Kanchenjunga (8598 m.), The third highest peak in the world.
The high serrated, snow capped spurs and peaks of Kanchenjunga look attractive
consisting of Kumbha Karna (7711 m.), Pendem (6706 m.), Narsingh (5825 m.),
Kabru Dome (6545 m.), etc.
A number of glaciers descends from eastern slopes of Kanchenjunga into Sikkim
where snow clad line is found above 5300 mtrs. The biggest of them is Zemu,
from whose snout above Lachen monastery rises the river Teesta. Teesta is the
main river and its main tributaries are Zemu, Lachung, Rangyong, Dikchu, Rongli,
Rangpo and Rangit which form the main channel of drainage from the north to
the south. It boasts of the great mount Kanchendzonga as its crown.
LOCATION
Sikkim is a very small hilly state in the Eastern Himalayas, extending approximately
114 Kms from north to south and 64Kms from east to west, surrounded by vast
stretches of Tibetan Plateau in the North, Chumbi Valley of Tibet and the kingdom
of Bhutan in the east, Darjeeling district of West Bengal in the south and the
kingdom in Nepal in the west . The state being a part of inner ranges of the
mountains of Himalayaa has no open valley and no plains but caried elevations
ranging from 300 to 8583 mtrs above means sea level consisting of lower hill,
middle and higher hills, alpine zones and snow bound land, the highest elevation
8583 mtrs. being the top of the Mt. Kangchendzonga itself.
CLIMATE
The climate of the state has been roughly divided into the tropical, temperature
and alphine zones. For most of the period in a a year, the climate is cold and
humid as rainfall occurs in each month. The area experience a heavy rainfall
due to its proximity to the Bay of Bengal. The rainfall in north district is
comparatively less than of the other districts. The general trend of decrease
in temperature with increase in altitude holds good every where. Pre-monsoon
rain occurs in April-May and monsoon (south-west) operates normally from the
month of May and continues up to early October.
Click here for
Reservation/More Information
