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Gangtok its captivating architectural beauty radiates with pagoda-like wooden houses, painted turquoise roofs and gay bazaars. Undoubtedly modern times have wound their way into this picturesque town, but the gently swaying and elegant costumes of the Sikkimese people, their smiling faces, the unhurried pace of their life-style.

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On the foothills of the Himalayas, the tiny state of Sikkim is often referred to as the "Switzerland of the East". Lofty, mist-clad mountains dominate the skyline of Sikkim. The gurgling river of the Teesta rushes through the hilly terrains lending the region breathtaking beauty.


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Much of the history of Sikkim is veiled by legends of antiquity and myths. However, its majestic peaks, its rushing rivers and tropical forests have played important role in shaping the history of Sikkim. But it is an established fact that the earliest inhabitants of the land were the Lepchas.


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Sikkim is renowned for its dazzling and appealing beauty. The charm of this state is ever enticing and no one can abstain from its allure. In fact, Sikkim is resplendent with not only its natural beauty but with its art and craft too.


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Sikkim's Kingdom Animalia has a large selection of animals and birds. The dense forests of Sikkim provide a comfortable habitat to the fauna in the state. Sikkim also allows snow leopard, wild ass, leopard, red panda, Himalayan black bear, musk deer and flying squirrel to roam in its area. In the alpine zones, the yaks are quite prominent and residents have also kept them to get milk, meat, wool and other useful items from the animal.

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Sikkim, sandwiched between Nepal in the West, Bhutan in the east, West Bengal State of India in the south and the Tibetan Autonomous Region China in the North is perhaps the last of the hot bio-diversity regions in the Himalayas that can be visited with more ease than its neighbors with political problems or high cost of travel or difficult permit procedures with little to no infrastructure.

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Although Buddhism appears to be the predominant  religion in Sikkim, the real side of religion in the state is Hinduism. Buddhism is followed by mostly the Tibetans and Sikkemes Bhutias. Hinduism is followed by the Nepalese. Other religions too flourish because of the tolerant mindset of the Sikkimese like Christianity, Sikhism and Muslim.