Sikkim is a small landlocked Indian state located in the Indian Himalayas. Kangchenjunga, the
world's third-highest Himalayan peak, is located on the Nepal-Sikkim border.
The Himalayan mountains surround the northern, eastern and western borders of
Sikkim.
According to legend, the Buddhist guru Padmasambhava visited Sikkim in the 8th
century CE, introduced Buddhism and foretold the era of the Sikkimese monarchy.
N.K. Roerich. RINCHENPONG, 'Sikkim'. 1924
Nicholas Roerich (1874–1947), Russian painter, writer, archaeologist and
theosophist
N.K. Roerich. SANGA CHELLING, 'Sikkim'. 1924
Sikkim is a rather popular tourist destination thanks to its beauty and
diversity of nature and unique culture.
Rumtek monastery, Sikkim
The traditional Gumpa dance being performed in Lachung during the Buddhist festival of Losar.
The state has five seasons: winter, summer, spring, autumn, and a monsoon
season between June and September. Sikkim's climate ranges from sub-tropical
in the south to tundra in the north. Most of the inhabited regions of Sikkim
experience a temperate climate, with temperatures seldom exceeding 28 °C (82
°F) in summer. The average annual temperature for most of Sikkim is around
18 °C (64 °F).
Sikkim's hot springs are renowned for their medicinal and therapeutic
values.
Sikkim is one of the few states in India to receive regular snowfall.
