 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(May 2012) |
| Raj Bhavan, Gangtok | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 27°20′28″N88°36′56″E / 27.3411°N 88.6155°E |
| Owner | Government of Sikkim |
| References | |
| Website | |
Raj Bhavan (translation: Government House) is the official residence of the governor of Sikkim. It is located in the capital city of Gangtok, Sikkim. The present governor of Sikkim is Gangaprasad.
After the Sikkim Expedition drove Tibetan forces out of Sikkim in 1888, the British sent John Claude White as Assistant Political Officer with the expeditionary force. In 1889, he was offered the post of Political Officer of Sikkim. Although White was a Civil Engineer employed by the Public Works Department, he was so enamoured with Sikkim that he accepted the post of Political Officer unhesitatingly.
White built what is today the Raj Bhavan at Gangtok. He gives a vivid account of how he personally selected the site, why it appealed to him and his travails in building it in his memoirs first published in 1909.
:"One of the first things to be done on my appointment to Sikkim was to build a house, not an easy task in a wild country where masons and carpenters were conspicuous by their absence, where stone for building had to be quarried from the hillsides and trees cut down for timber. In my jungle wanderings around Gangtok, I came across a charming site in the midst of primeval forest which seemed suitable in every way, so I determined to build on it, felling only the trees which might possible endanger the safety of the house, a necessary precaution, as many of them were quite 140 feet high, and in the spring the thunderstorms, accompanied by violent winds, were something terrible and wrought havoc everywhere. By leveling the uneven ground and throwing it out in front, I managed to get sufficient space for the house, with lawn and flower beds around it. Behind rose a high mountain, thickly wooded, which protected us from the storms sweeping down from the snows to the north-east, and in front the ground fell away with a magnificent view across the valley, where, from behind the opposite hills, Kanchenjunga and its surroundings snows towered up against the clear sky, making one of the most beautiful and magnificent sights to be imagined, and one certainly not to be surpassed, if equaled, anywhere in the world."
White retired in October 1908. The Residency he built was a lasting legacy he left behind. After White, all the incumbents of the post of Political Officer Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet based in Gangtok enjoyed the comforts of the English villa-like Residency he had built. They were: Sir Charles Bell, Major W.L. Campbell, Lt. Colonel W.F. O’Conner, Major F.M. Bailey, Major J.L.R. Weir, Frederick Williamson, Sir Basil Gould and Anthony J. Hopkinson.(three officers – David McDonald, Capt. R.K.M. Battye and H. Richardson – also temporarily held the post).
Sir A.J. Hopkinson was the last British Political Officer of Sikkim. When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, the Residency became the residence of the Indian Political Officer, locally referred to as the Burra Kothi. A span of 86 years between 1889 and 1975 (Claude White to Gurbachan Singh) lay between the first Political Officer's appointment and the withdrawal of the last.
White's completed Residency was a revelation, an object of much curiosity for the Sikkimese hitherto not exposed to such a house. They would often call on the Whites and request permission to wander around the house; to see how the Whites lived and what European furniture was like. The Residency had bay windows and a round dining table. This really fired the imagination of the local Sikkimese Kazis who also incorporated bay windows and copied the round table for their own residences.
In 1975, the institution of the Chogyal, the hereditary leader of Sikkim, was abolished and the state was formally inducted into the Indian Union as her 22nd State. For having made this culmination possible, Shri B.B. Lal was made Governor of Sikkim on 18 May 1975 the same day that the amendment Bill received the President's assent. This marked the conversion of the Residency into a Raj Bhavan. In its previous designation as India House or Baara Khoti, it had been rated as one India's best Ambassadorial residences-it would now qualify as India's most attractive Raj Bhavan. Sited well above the town and insulated from the noise and fumes of the bazaar, the classic gabled structure lends into the greenery and trees of the landscape and looks on the entire Kanchendzonga range. The area of the compound is approximately 75 acres (30 ha) consisting of lawn and garden as well as kitchen garden and fruit orchards. Several incumbents since then (Sarva Shri H.J.H. Taleyar Khan, K. Prabhakar Rao, B.N. Singh, T.V. Rajeshwar, S.K. Bhatnagar, R.H. Thailiani, P. Shiv Shankar, K.V. Ragunath Reddy, Chaudhary Randhir Singh, Kidar Nath Sahani, R.S. Gavai, V. Rama Rao, Sudarshan Agarwal) have held the post of Governor of Sikkim and resided at the Raj Bhavan. White's Residency has stood a silent spectator for over a hundred years as the winds of change blew over Sikkim's political landscape.
Sikkim is a state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siliguri Corridor, which borders Bangladesh. Sikkim is the least populous and second smallest among the Indian states. Situated in the Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim is notable for its biodiversity, including alpine and subtropical climates, as well as being a host to Kangchenjunga, the highest peak in India and third highest on Earth. Sikkim's capital and largest city is Gangtok. Almost 35% of the state is covered by Khangchendzonga National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Raj Bhavan, Karnataka is the official residence of the governor of Karnataka located in Bengaluru city, in the State of Karnataka, India. Constructed in the late 18th century.
Gangtok is a city, municipality, the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim and also the headquarters of Gangtok District. Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayan range, at an elevation of 1,650 m (5,410 ft). The city's population of 100,000 consists of the three Sikkimese ethnicities the Bhutias, Lepchas, Nepalis and also plainsmen from other states of India have settled here. Within the higher peaks of the Himalayas and with a year-round mild temperate climate, Gangtok is at the centre of Sikkim's tourism industry.
The history of Sikkim begins with the indigenous Lepcha's contact with early Tibetan settlers. Historically, Sikkim was a sovereign Monarchical State in the eastern Himalayas. Later a protectorate of India followed by a merger with India and official recognition as a state of India. Lepchas were the main inhabitants as well as the Ruler of the land up to 1641. Lepchas are generally considered to be the first people, indigenous to Sikkim also includes Darjeeling.
Tashi Namgyal Academy (TNA) is a public school in the Himalayan state of Sikkim in India. It was founded in 1926 by the late Sir Tashi Namgyal, KCSI, KCIE, the 11th consecrated Ruler of Sikkim. It is an autonomous English-medium, co-educational and residential-cum-day school.
Thutob Namgyal was the ruling chogyal (monarch) of Sikkim between 1874 and 1914. Thutob ascended to the throne succeeding his half-brother Sidkeong Namgyal who died issueless. Differences between the Nepalese settlers and the indigenous population during his reign led to the direct intervention of the British, who were the de facto rulers of the Himalayan nation. The British ruled in favour of the Nepalese much to the discontent of the chogyal, who then retreated to the Chumbi Valley and allied himself with the Tibetans.
Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the governor of Arunachal Pradesh. It is located in the capital city of Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. The present governor of Arunachal Pradesh is Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik.
Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the governor of Kerala. It is located in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Built in 1829 as Palace Guest house of Travancore Government Guest, this heritage structure hosts the present governor of Kerala, Arif Muhammad Khan.
Raj Bhavan, Dehradun or Governor's House, Dehradun is the official residence of the governor of Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand is one of the few Indian states which have two official buildings of Raj Bhavans. The first one is located in the capital city of Dehradun. The second Raj Bhavan of Uttarakhand is located in Nainital. The current governor of Uttarakhand is Gurmit Singh.
Raj Bhavan, Pune is the monsoon official residence of the governor of Maharashtra. It is located in the city of Pune, India.
The Daly College is a co-educational private boarding and day school located in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. It was founded by Sir Henry Daly of the British Indian Army during India's colonial British Raj, following an English public school model. The school started in 1870 as the Residency School. It was then renamed as the East Rajkumar College in 1876, and in 1882, it came to be known as The Daly College. It was established by the Resident Governor of the erstwhile Presidency, to educate the children of the royalty, nobility and aristocracy of Central Indian Princely States of the 'Marathas', 'Rajputs', 'Mohameddans' and 'Bundelas'. It is one of the oldest co-educational boarding schools in the world.
Kazi Lhendup Dorjee, also spelled Lhendup Dorji or Lhendup Dorji Khangsarpa was an Indian politician who was the 1st chief minister of Sikkim from 1975 to 1979 after its union with India. He was the 1st Prime Minister of Sikkim from 1974 to 1975. He also served as the Executive Council of Sikkim from 1967 to 1970. He was a member of INC after 1975 and Sikkim National Congress before 1975.
The Kingdom of Sikkim, officially Dremoshong until the 1800s, was a hereditary monarchy in the Eastern Himalayas which existed from 1642 to 16 May 1975, then it was merged with the Republic of India. It was ruled by Chogyals of the Namgyal dynasty.
Balmiki Prasad Singh was the 14th Governor of Sikkim, India. He is a retired IAS officer and has written books and articles relating to Indian culture, in particular the culture of North-East India. Among his prominent books are Bahudha and the post 9/11 World and The problem of change: a study of North East India.
The Treaty of Tumlong was a March 1861 treaty between Great Britain and the Kingdom of Sikkim in present-day north-east India. Signed by Sir Ashley Eden on behalf of the British and Sikkimese Chogyal, Tsugphud Namgyal, the treaty secured protection for travellers to Sikkim and guaranteed free trade, thereby making the state a de facto British protectorate.
Champions of Change (COC) is an Indian award for promoting Indian values like community service, social development, healthcare, education and national unity, selected by constitutional jury members headed by K. G. Balakrishnan, the Former Chief Justice of India and Former Chairman NHRC and Justice Gyan Sudha Misra, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India. The awards are organised annually and usually presented by the President of India, Vice President of India, former President of India, former Vice president of India or any leading political figure of India.
Mary Hepburn Scott was a Scottish missionary and educator who pioneered women's education in Sikkim. Despite her lack of formal medical training, she became the leading medical, educational and religious missionary in Gangtok, educating an entire generation of Sikkimese physicians and significantly improving health outcomes, despite Christian missionaries historically not being allowed in Gangtok for political and religious reasons. Scott also founded Gangtok's first girls school, the Paljor Namgyal Girls' School, which still exists today and has been credited with greatly improving the overall state of women's education in Sikkim both historically and currently. Additionally, Scott has been recognized for almost-single-handedly creating the largest period of growth in Christianity in Sikkim, which still significantly impacts Sikkim's religious demographics.
Sikkim National People's Party (SNPP) was a regional political party (State Party (Unrecognized)) in the Indian state of Sikkim. Election symbol was Pen Nib. SNPP didn't have any relationship with Sikkim National Party (SNP) in same state or National People's Party (NPP) in the state of Meghalaya.
Bhanu Prakash Singh was an Indian politician. He was the Governor of Goa. He was elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India as a member of the Indian National Congress.