Sikkim is a small Himalayan region, astride the ancient trade route linking China and the Indian sub-continent, nested between Nepal in the West and Bhutan in the East. On its Northern border towers the Plateau of Tibet and it shares its Southern border with West Bengal. The Lepchas are the original residents of the land. These people have in-depth knowledge about their surroundings, which comprises of forests, rivers, mountains and animals. They get food, medicine and numerous other household items from the nature itself. Most of the people are Buddhists in Sikkim.
About five centuries ago, the Bhutias migrated to Sikkim. Legend has it that they were the descendents of Tibetian Chieftain who had signed a treaty of brotherhood with the Lepcha Chieftain. Earlier a set of invaders tried to capture the charming & resourceful land of Sikkim and to save the land from the attacks of Nepal and Bhutan, the people of Sikkim asked for assistance from the Tibetians and the British, they responded and found it rewarding to reign over the region. The British encouraged emigration from Nepal as they wanted to indulge in rice and cardamom cultivation and thus terrace farming was started. Sikkim offers the exotic combination of divine beauty, hospitality and freshness. In 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state of India.
