NATIONAL SONG OF SIKKIM

MEANING OF THE ABOVE NATIONAL SONG OF SIKKIM IN ENGLISH VERSION 

SIKKIM FLAG

 Annexation of Sikkim by India government  just after In 1947, when  India Became Independent. In 1975  April of that year, the Indian Army took over the city of Gangtok and disarmed the Chogyal's palace guards.  On 16 May 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union, and the monarchy was abolished.To enable the incorporation of the new state, the Indian Parliament amended the Indian Constitution. First, the 35th Amendment laid down a set of conditions that made Sikkim an "Associate State," a special designation not used by any other state. Later, the 36th Amendment repealed the 35th Amendment, and made Sikkim a full state, adding its name to the First Schedule of the Constitution and provided with  special rights under  section 371 F constitution of India .

Till then under the monarchy of namgyal  dynasty there were two different complex design of flags  Until 1967,the previous flag showed a very complex design with a fanciful border and religious pictograms surrounding the khorlo.

A more simple design was adopted in 1967 because of the difficulty in duplication of the complex flag. The border became solid red, the pictograms were removed and the wheel was redesigned.
With the annexation of Sikkim to India, and with the abolition of the monarchy, the flag now has status as the flag of Indian state of Sikkim.

Flag of Sikkim (1877-1914)

                                                                            Flag of Sikkim (1914-1962)

Flag of Sikkim (1962-1967)

                                                           

                                                                             Flag of Sikkim (1967-1975)

BHUTIA LEPCHA

BHUTIA

Bhutia ( Denzongpa, Bhutia, འབྲས་ལྗོངས་པ་) are a community of people of Tibetan ancestry, who speak Sikkimese, a Tibetan dialect fairly mutually intelligible to standard Tibetan. In 2001, the Bhutia numbered around 35,000.The language spoken by the Bhutias in Sikkim is Bhutia, which is 85% intelligible with either Tibetan or Dzongkha. Most Bhutias practice the Nyingmapa school, followed by the Kagyupa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Bhutias are spread ,especially in the towns of Kalimpong and Darjeeling. when Sikkim was an independent monarchy; the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Sikkim before the mid-1970s plebiscite was the Bhutia Namgyal dynasty.Bhutia lepcha  aristocrats were called Kazis after similar landlord titles in neighboring regions. This feudal system was an integral part of the Chogyal monarchy prior to 1975, when Sikkim was an independent monarchy Among the Bhutias, the Lachenpas and Lachungpas have their own traditional legal system called the "Dzumsa" which means the meeting place of the people. The Dzumsa is headed by the village headman known as the Pipon. People of North Sikkim have been given full protection by the state government by deeming a status of Panchayat ward and the Pipon, a status of Panchayat head.

Clothing

The traditional outfit of Bhutias is called a bakhu (similar to the Tibetan chuba, but sleeveless) which is a loose cloak type garment that is fastened at the neck on one side and near the waist with a silk/cotton belt. Male members array thebakhu with a loose trouser. The womenfolk don the bakhu with a silken full sleeve blouse called honju; a loose gown type garment fastened near the waist, tight with a belt. In the front portion a loose sheet of multi-coloured woollen cloth with exotic geometric designs is tied. This is called the pangden and is a symbol of a married woman. This traditional outfit is complemented by embroidered leather boots by both men and women. Bhutia women enjoy a much higher status than their counterparts from other communities. Both women and men have a special weakness for gold in its purest form and, traditional jewellery is mostly made of 24 carats (100%) gold.

Houses

A traditional Bhutia house is called a "khim" and is usually rectangular.

The Bhutias have a stone structure outside the house which is used for burning incense. It is called "sangbum." "Sang" means incense and "bum" means vase; the shape of the structure is like a vase. It is used for burning sang, a sacred offering to the deities. The deities are offered scented dried leaves/stalks of rhododendron anthopogon, juniperus recurva, rhododendron setosum or incense sticks made of pine.

Cuisine

Bhutia people traditionally eat rice with animal-fat-fried vegetables or meat, usually pork or beef, and occasionally mutton or chicken. Other well-known foods are momo, steamed meat dumplings, and the thukpa, noodles in broth. The Losar and Loosong are two among many festivals celebrated by the Bhutia community. Almost all Bhutia festivals and holidays hold Buddhist religious significance.

Chyang is the favourite drink of the Bhutias, and increasingly of other communities coexisting with the Bhutias as well. It is made of fermented barley or millet, and is served in a bamboo container called the Tongba. Tea with milk and sugar, and butter tea, are also served at religious or social occasions.

Religion

Bhutia are  Buddhist by religion either Nyingma or Kagyu .Most of the  Monastery  practices   either Nyingma or Kagyu buddhist and accordingly there is a little differences  of their heads / Rinpoches  (Chowai-lam) meaning lama /guru which will lead our soul after death. 

LEPCHA

 Lepcha / Róng people also called Róngkup (Lepcha: ; "children of the Róng"), Mútuncí Róngkup Rumkup (Lepcha: ; "beloved children of the Róng and of God"), and Rongpa (Sikkimese: རོང་པ་), are among the indigenous peoples of Sikkim and number between 30,000 and 50,000. Many Lepcha are also found in  Kalimpong, Darjeeling in the hills of West Bengal. The Lepcha people are composed of four main distinct communities: the Renjóngmú of Sikkim; the Támsángmú of Kalimpong, Kurseong, and Mirik; the ʔilámmú of Ilam District, Nepal; and the Promú of Samtse and Chukhain southwestern Bhutan.

The origin of the Lepcha is unknown. Lepcha people themselves firmly believe that they did not migrate to the current location from anywhere and are indigenous to the region.The Lepchas, who call themselves “Mutanchi-Rong-kup” or “Rongpa” or only “Rong”, were, perhaps, the indigenous inhabitants of Sikkim and Darjeeling in the lap of the Great and Lower Himalayas. Mutanchi Rong-kup means the most cared loved offspring of Mother Earth; and this traditional belief exists in Lepcha Lore. Previously it was commonly held by scholars that the Lepchas migrated from Tibet or southern China; but the Lepchas hold on a story mentioned in Chunakh-Aakhen, a Lepcha book of history, tradition and folk-lore that a Lepcha king named Pohartak Panu sent his army to help Chandragupta Maurya, the Mauryan emperor in his war with the Greeks in Takshashila. In the book, the name of Alexander is mentioned as the leader of the Greeks. The Lepcha word Panu means king; and in Chunakh-Aakhen Chandra Gupta is named as Chandra Gop Panu. Historically there did not take place any war between Chandragupta Maurya and Alexander; but the war mentioned in the Lepcha book could the one between Chandragupta Maurya and the Greeks after the departure of the Great Macedonian from India.

Language

The Lepcha have their own language, also called Lepcha. It belongs to the Bodish–Himalayish group of Tibeto-Burman languages. The Lepcha write their language in their own script, called Róng or Lepcha script, which is derived from the Tibetan script. It was developed between the 17th and 18th centuries, possibly by a Lepcha scholar named Thikúng Mensalóng, during the reign of the third Chogyal (Tibetan king) of Sikkim. The world's largest collection of old Lepcha manuscripts is found with the Himalayan Languages Project in Leiden, Netherlands, with over 180 Lepcha books.

Clans

Lepchas are divided into many clans (Lepcha: putsho), each of which reveres its own sacred lake and mountain peak (Lepcha: dâ and cú) from which the clan derives its name. While most Lepcha can identify their own clan, they do not always know the corresponding lake or mountain peak. Lepcha clan names can be quite formidable, and are often shortened for this reason. For example, Simíkmú and Fonyung Rumsóngmú may be shortened to Simik and Foning, respectively. Some of the name of the clans are "Sada", "Rongong", etc.

Religion

Most Lepchas are  Buddhist by religion, which was brought by the Bhutias from the north, although a large number of Lepchas have adopted Christianity today. Some Lepchas have not given up their shamanistic religion, which is known as Mun. In practice, rituals from Mun and Buddhism are frequently observed alongside one another among some Lepchas. For example, ancestral mountain peaks are regularly honored in ceremonies called cú rumfát. According to the Nepal Census of 2001, out of the 3,660 Lepcha in Nepal, 88.80% were Buddhists and 7.62% were Hindus. Many Lepchas in the Hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong are Christians.

Clothing

The traditional clothing for Lepcha women is the ankle-length dumdem, also called dumdyám ("female dress"). It is one large piece of smooth cotton or silk, usually of a solid color. When it is worn, it is folded over one shoulder, pinned at the other shoulder, and held in place by a waistband, or tago, over which excess material drapes. A contrasting long-sleeved blouse may be worn underneath.

The traditional Lepcha clothing for men is the dumprá ("male dress"). It is a multicolored, hand-woven cloth pinned at one shoulder and held in place by a waistband, usually worn over a white shirt and trousers. Men wear a flat round cap called a thyáktuk, with stiff black velvet sides and a multicolored top topped by a knot. Rarely, the traditional cone-shaped bamboo and rattan hats are worn.

Marriage customs

The Lepcha trace their descent patrilineally. The marriage is negotiated between the families of the bride and the groom. If the marriage deal is settled, the lama will check the horoscopes of the boy and girl to schedule a favourable date for the wedding. Then the boy's maternal uncle, along with other relatives, approaches the girl's maternal uncle with a khada, a ceremonial scarf, and one rupee, and gains the maternal uncle's formal consent.

The wedding takes place at noon on the auspicious day. The groom and his entire family leave for the girl's house with some money and other gifts that are handed over to the bride's maternal uncle. Upon reaching the destination, the traditional Nyomchok ceremony takes place, and the bride's father arranges a feast for relatives and friends. This seals the wedding between the couple

CHOGYAL "Religious King"

CHOGYAL "meaning "Dharma Raja" or "Religious King"(NAMGYAL DYNASTY)

The Chogyal ( ཆོས་རྒྱལ) were the monarchs of the former kingdoms of Sikkim  ruled by the Namgyal family. The Chogyal, or divine ruler, was the absolute potentate of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975, when monarchy was abrogated and annexed by India to  make Sikkim India's 22nd state on16-th.May 1975 The Sikkim Kindom was occupated by India .

The reign of the Chogyal was foretold by the patron saint of Sikkim,Guru Rimpoche. The 8th-century saint had predicted the rule of the kings when he arrived in the state.

In 1642, Chogyal Phuntsog Namgyal was crowned as Sikkim's first ruler in yuksom The crowning of the king was a great event and he was crowned by three revered lamas who arrived there from three different directions, namely the north, west and south.

From 1642 to 1975, Sikkim was ruled by the Namgyal Monarchy (also called the Chogyal Monarchy), founded by the fifth-generation descendants of Guru Tashi .Chogyal means 'righteous ruler,' and was the title conferred upon Sikkim's Buddhist kings during the reign of the Namgyal Monarchy.

In 1641, Lama Lutsum Chembo travelled from Tibet to Denjong (meaning hidden country) now known as Sikkim to propagate the Buddhist religion. He was then joined by two other lamas, Sempa Chembo and Rinzing Chembo. The trinity of the most revered lamas belonged to the Kham district in Tibet. Their primary aim was to perpetuate Tibetan hold on Sikkim and with a mission to propagate Buddhism in Sikkim. They assembled from different directions at Norbugang, later came to be known as Yuksom ( originally spelled in lepcha Meaning meeting point of three hold priest) 

  . The area in Rathong chu valley at Narbugong was considered as blessed by Guru Padma Sambhava (Guru Rim-bo-che). Since the vision of Saint Padmasambhava (Guru Rim-bo-che) had predicted the essentiality of a fourth person for the purpose, the Lamas went in pursuit of the fourth person, as the three lamas represented three directions of North, South and West in Tibet. According to legend, Guru Rinpoche, the 9th-century Buddhist saint had also foretold the event that a Phuntsog from the east would be the next chogyal of Sikkim. In 1642, the three lamas went in search of the chosen person in the eastern region. Near the present day Gangtok, they found a man churning milk. He offered them some refreshments and gave them shelter. So impressed were they by his deeds that they realised that he was a chosen one. They also identified Phunstsog Namgyal's ancestral royal links with Tibet and decided that he was the right person to become the temporal and religious head of the region, and then they brought him to Yuksom. They then crowned him at Norbugang near Yuksom as the temporal and religious king of Sikkim, with the title of “Chogyal”. The crowning took place at Norbugang on a pedestal set in stones, in a pine-covered hill, and he was anointed by sprinkling water from a sacred urn. At that time he was 38 years of age. He was a fifth generation descendant of Guru Tashi, a 13th-century prince from the Mi-nyak House in Kham in Eastern Tibet.

Thereafter, the dynastic rule of Chogyals, propagation of the Buddhist religion and building of monasteries and chortens took firm roots in Sikkim. The Namgyal monarchy of 12 kings lasted from 1642 till 1975 (333 years). Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism known as Vajrayana sect was introduced, which ultimately was recognized as the state religion of Sikkim.

#	Reign	Portrait	Ruler	Events during reign
1	1642–1670		Phuntsog Namgyal	Ascended the throne and was consecrated as the first Chogyal of Sikkim. Made the capital in Yuksom.
2	1670–1700		Tensung Namgyal	Shifted capital to Rabdentse from Yuksom.
3	1700–1717		Chakdor Namgyal	His half-sister Pendiongmu tried to dethrone Chakdor, who fled to Lhasa, but was reinstated as king with the help of Tibetans.
4	1717–1733		Gyurmed Namgyal	Sikkim was attacked by Nepalese.
5	1733–1780		Phuntsog Namgyal II	Nepalese raided Rabdentse, the then capital of Sikkim.
6	1780–1793		Tenzing Namgyal	Chogyal fled to Tibet, and later died there in exile.
7	1793–1863		Tshudpud Namgyal	The longest-reigning Chogyal of Sikkim. Shifted the capital from Rabdentse to Tumlong. Treaty of Titalia in 1817 between Sikkim and British India was signed in which territories lost to Nepal were appropriated to Sikkim. Darjeeling was gifted to British India in 1835. Two Britons, Dr. Arthur Campbell and Dr. Joseph Dalton Hooker were captured by the Sikkimese in 1849. Hostilities between British India and Sikkim continued and led to a treaty signed, in which Darjeeling was ceded to British India.
8	1863–1874		Sidkeong Namgyal
9	1874–1914		Thutob Namgyal	Claude White appointed as the first political officer of Sikkim in 1889. Capital shifted from Tumlong to Gangtok in 1894.
10	1914		Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal	The shortest-reigning Chogyal of Sikkim, ruled from 10 February to 5 December 1914. Died of heart failure, aged 35, in most suspicious circumstances.
11	1914–1963		Tashi Namgyal	Treaty between India and Sikkim was signed in 1950, giving India suzerainty over Sikkim.
12	1963–1975		Palden Thondup Namgyal	The 12th Chogyal, Indian sovereignty post plebiscite.

The son from the first marriage of Palden Thondup Namgyal, Wangchuk Namgyal, was named the 13th Chogyal after his father's death on 29 January 1982, but the position no longer confers any official authority.

BLOOD BROTHERHOOD

KABI LUNGCHOK 

 Kabi Lungchok The literal meaning of 'Kabi Lungchok', pronounced ‘Kayu sha bhi Lungchok’, is "stone erected by our blood." Life-size statues of the Lepcha and Bhutia 'blood-brothers' who signed the treaty has been erected here is a historic site of significance, which is located 17 kilometers  north of Gangtok on the Northern Highway in northeastern Indian state of Sikkim. The historicity of the site is attributed to the fact that the Lepchas, the ethnic tribals of Sikkim and Bhutias (ethnic Tibetans), the immigrants from Tibet who settled down in Sikkim from the 14th century onwards, ceremonially signed a "Treaty of Blood Brotherhood" with religious fervor  Stone pillars mark the location where the treaty was signed. The Treaty was signed at Kabi Lungchok by the Tibetan prince, Khye Bumsa representing the Bhutias and the Lepcha Chief Thekong Tek. 

 The Lepchas, known for their peaceful, religious and reserved nature led a tranquil tribal life in the mountains of Sikkim practicing shifting cultivation (growing maize and rice) as their vocation, and worshiped “nature or spirits of nature.

Some time in the 15th century, they organized themselves under the leadership of Tur ve pa no who was elected their king. Subsequent to his death in a skirmish, three kings, namely Tur Song Pa No, Tur Aeng Pa No and Tur Alu Pa No, took up the reigns of the kingdom, and their reign also ended with the death of Tur Alu Pa No. The Lepchas then adopted the democratic process of electing their leader and followed the leaders advice on all matters.

  in the 9th-century prince of the Kingdom of Minvang in eastern Tibet. This dynasty had ruled Chumbi and Teesta valley for considerable time. In the 13th century, prince of this dynasty known by the name Guru Tashi, based on a clairvoyant vision, decided to go south of Tibet to Sikkim, then known as "Denzong-the valley of rice" to seek his fortune. While travelling on this mission with his family, he came to the Sakya Kingdom where a monastery was being built, and they were facing problems in erecting the pillars of the monastery. Then, one of Tashi's five sons, the elder son, erected the pillars of the monastery on his own and was honoured with the epithet "Khye Bumsa" (meaning: superior of ten thousand heroes). Pleased with the achievement of Khye Bumsa, the Sakya King gave his daughter in marriage to him. Bumsa then settled down in Chumbi valley where he met the Lepcha religious leader, Thekong Tek, several times seeking his blessings to beget children. Following the blessings of Thekong Tek, Bhums'a wife gave birth to three sons, and out of gratitude he visited the grand old sage in several times more in Sikkim nurturing an amicable relationship between them. However, Thekong Tek had no children and there was also a prophesy that one of Khye Bumsa's descendent would become the ruler of Sikkim. Thekong Tek then decided that after his death Bhumsa would take over the reins of power in his kingdom. Then a treaty of blood brotherhood was signed at Kabi Lungchok between Thekong Tek and Khye Bumsa to reinforce the bonding between the two communities of Lepchas and Bhutias of Sikkim. The solemn oath taken on the occasion was that Bhumsa "would not discriminate his newly acquired Lepcha subjects". Since then this location has been commemorated as symbol of friendship and brotherhood between the Lepchas and Bhutias of Sikkim and stone pillars have been erected to mark the place symbolically. In 1642, Phuntsog Namgyal, the grandson of Khye Bumsa was crowned the first Chogyal of Sikkim at Yuksom.

BEY -YUL DEMOZONG

A SACRED LAND BLESSED BY GURU - RIMPOCHE  HIMSELF .

LAND OF PEACE AND TRANQUILITY , PLACE WHERE NEW HORIZONS AND NEW RELATIONS  WERE  BORN  BETWEEN TWO TRIBE CALLED BHUTIA LEPCHA.
SINCE I DON'T WANT TO WRITE THIS NAME AS BHUTIA AND LEPCHA ,THE WORD "AND" MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PEOPLE .

UNDER THE GUARDIAN OF MOUNT KANCHENJUNGA ORIGINALLY SPELLED AS KHANG-CHEN-DZENGA.  WHY THIS NAME WAS MENTIONED IS AS PER OUR LOCAL BELIEF MT. KANCHENJUNGA  IS OUR MOTHER DEITY  LIKE  A   MOTHER  HOLDING HER CHILD IN HER ARMS , THE NAME  NAME ITSELF SIGNIFY ITS MEANING AN FIVE MOST IMPORTANT  TREASURE HIDDEN IN FIVE DIFFERENT CABINS BUILD INSIDE MT. KANCHENJUNGA  WHICH WILL OPEN ONLY AFTER  THE END OF  WORLD AND WILL REESTABLISH THE LIVING THINGS  IN THIS WORLD.

THE FIVE DZE-NA(DZE MEANS TREASURE AND NA MEANS FIVE)

1. CHA KI DZE ( HIDDEN TREASURE OF SALT)
2. SHEY THANG NYOUL  KI DZE ( HIDDEN TREASURE OF GOLD & SILVER)
3. DO THANG MENA  KI DZE ( HIDDEN TREASURE OF MEDICINE)
4. KHUCHEN KI DZE ( HIDDEN TREASURE OF CLOTHES )
5. CHOE THANG  NOR KI DZE ( HIDDEN TREASURE OF EDUCATION & HOLY PRAYERS)