State of Sikkim Local Customs

  The woman talking to us.
by goutammitra
 
  • The woman talking to us.
      The woman talking to us.
    by goutammitra
  • The baby is so beautiful.
      The baby is so beautiful.
    by goutammitra
  • This was when I asked for permission.
      This was when I asked for permission.
    by goutammitra
  •   Local Customs
    by goutammitra
  •   Local Customs
    by goutammitra
 
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Please Ask for Permission for Photographs!

by goutammitra

Many of us get tempted to photographs of local babies and woman but sometimes these innocent people feel the photographs taken by the plain landers may not be auspicious for their babies. So please ask for permission before taking photographs of babies. They understand little bit of English but that sign language is universally understandable. In Sikkim, everybody understands Nepali, you may ask like " Bahini ( my sister), may I take your/ baby's picture"? "Bahini for young woman" or " Didi"for older woman and "Daju"for men are respectful words in Nepali or Bhutia language. If you use, there is a 100% chance that he or she will talk to you and become friend.Look at this poor Road onstruction Labour woman, she was very shy to see the camera, but I was tempted to take picture of thebaby, he was so beautiful. So I asked her in broken & wrong Nepali, "Bahini baby ko lagi ekta photo...

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Drinking of Chaang or Tumba with the Bhutias.

by goutammitra

In Sikkim and not tasted Channg??? Oh yeah, how can I allow that to happen? I did taste the famous drink twice at Lachung at Keysang hotel. It was really very refreshing and energetic drink. I was little bit down at Gurudongmar and on way so on my return at the suggestion of our driver Baichung Bhutia ( who also owns the hotel , his wife and mom in law runs it) I tried the famed drink. He poured the fermented millet in the pot added hot water and after 10mts it was ready. I was feeling warm again. Though, I thought it will be highly intoxicating and was drinking very carefully but I was wrong. It refreshed me and I was feeling well again. I also had sound sleep at Lachung. I had it again next day after returning from Yumthang.Fermented alcoholic beverages have strong ritual importance among the various ethnic groups of people of the Sikkim Himalayas. The social activities in these...

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Tongba-millet beer

by mantru

I dont know much about how it is supposed to be enjoyed but i did try sipping few gulps. Tongba is prepared by cooking and fermenting whole grain millet. The millet is then dried; traditionally it is stored under a roof for about six months. It is consumed in a unique way: the fermented millet is put in a container, also traditionally called a Tongba, and boiled water is poured in it to the brim. It is then left undisturbed for about five minutes. Once the five minutes has passed it is ready to drink; a fine bamboo straw with a blind end, but perforated on the side to act as a filter, is inserted into the container to suck out the warm water and alcohol from the millet grains. More hot water is added as the tongba becomes dry, and the process is repeated until the alcohol is exhausted.Tongba is the traditional and indigenous drink of the Limbu people of eastern Nepal. To the Limbu,...

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tibetan tea

by mantru

Around these parts its very cold so people drink lots of tea,most people who have not heard of any other tea accept that tea can be with milk and sugar might not like the taste of the buttered tea.But i find it very refreshing the salted tea coz it does not leave the sticky sugary taster afterwards.You can see the gur gur where they churn the tea.....churn!! its not butter but they do so...

Local Traditional Kitchen Tools [2]

by Fudge

This was another form of a grinder. Again, for grinding maize, corn, millet etc.They needed 4 men to carry that huge stone base you see in the picture. The men brought it out of the shed on the left. As it is so heavy, it is not usually moved around.We all had a go at this stone machinery. Pretty hard & heavy stuff!

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Local traditional Kitchen tools [1]

by Fudge

This area, KEHDI was about 1.5 hrs east of Gangtok. Here we saw this village being coordinated by the organisation (KEHDI) with the locals also holding office. They are interested in building a successful ecotourism plan for the village to get the villagers to become more active in their day to day activities. Used from a long time ago, this corn grinder works on a simple principle of placing corn kernels between these two huge stone slabs and with the help of a strong vertical level (what is being held by the human hand in pic) you are able to grind the corn into corn flour, for bread etc. By the way, it was extremely heavy to grind the blessed thing! We had to use both hands.

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Tailors at the Lallmarket in Gangtok.

by sachara

At the open air Lallmarket in Gangtok the tailors can make costumes and other clothes on demand.The market is in the centre of Gangtok south of the big Mahatma Ghandi Marg.

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Local traditions and culture in State of Sikkim

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Hello, We have planned a trip to sikkim in April and we will be arriving gangtok on 19th April 2012, just wanted to know whether... 

anilpradhanshillong profile photo

A: 1. A lot depends on the weather. For example, today (16/04/2012) Tsogmo Lake is closed owing to bad weather. 2. The route is Gangtok-->Mangan-->Lachun (4 or 5 hours)... 

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