Gyalshing district

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Gyalshing district
District
Geyzing district
Rabdentse Palace, Sikkim, India.jpg
Rabdentse Palace in Rabdentse in Gyalshing district, Sikkim
Gyalshing in Sikkim (India).svg
Location in Sikkim
Coordinates: 27°17′N88°15′E / 27.283°N 88.250°E / 27.283; 88.250
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Flag of the Government of Sikkim.svg Sikkim
Headquarters Gyalshing or Geyzing
Government
  District Collector (DC)Smt Yishey D. Yongda [1]
Population
 (2011) [2]
  Total71,675
Time zone UTC+05:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 code IN-SK
Vehicle registration SK-02, SK-06
Website gyalshing.nic.in

Gyalshing District or Geyzing District [3] is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its headquarter is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite with trekkers due to the high elevations. Other important towns include Pelling and Yuksom. Local people also call it as Pallo-Sikkim and Sano-Sikkim commonly.

Contents

History

Gyalshing district is the site of the ancient state capital Yuksom. It served as Sikkim's capital beginning in 1642 for almost 50 years until it was shifted to Rabdentse. The district was under the occupation of the Nepalese for 30 years in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. After Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16), the district was returned to Sikkim.

Geography

Gyalshing district covers an area of 1,166 square kilometres (450 sq mi). Attractions include the Khecheopalri Lake, where, according to legend, not a leaf is allowed to fall on the surface of the lake and the Dubdi Monastery, the first monastery of the state.

Assembly constituencies

The district was previously divided into 5 assembly constituencies.

National protected area

Economy

The economy is mainly agrarian, despite most of the land being unfit for cultivation owing to the precipitous and rocky slopes.

Transport

Roads are in poor condition owing to the frequent landslides.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Gyalshing district has a population of 136,435, [2] roughly equal to the nation of Grenada. [4] This gives it a ranking of 608th in India (out of a total of 640). [2] The district has a population density of 117 inhabitants per square kilometre (300/sq mi) . [2] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 10.58%. [2] It has a sex ratio of 941 females for every 1000 males, [2] and a literacy rate of 78.69%. [2]

After bifurcation the district had a population of 71,675. 5.60% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 3,391 (4.73%) and 31,847 (44.43%) of the population respectively. [2] :59

The people are mainly of Limbu descent. Other ethnic groups include the Lepcha and Bhutia communities. Nepali is the most widely spoken language in the district.

Religion

Religion in Gyalshing district (2011) [5]
Hinduism
60.07%
Buddhism
25.99%
Other (mainly Kirat Mundhum )
6.73%
Christianity
6.06%
Islam
0.94%
Other or not stated
0.21%
Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple Legship shiva temple.jpg
Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple

Hinduism is followed by majority of the people in the district. Buddhism followed by a considerable population. [6]

The Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple, a major Hindu pilgrimage centre in Sikkim, is situated in Legship in the district. [7]

Languages

Languages of Gyalshing district (2011)

   Nepali (51.85%)
   Limbu (22.61%)
   Lepcha (8.68%)
   Bhotia (7.05%)
   Sherpa (2.69%)
   Rai (1.55%)
   Hindi (1.48%)
  Others (4.09%)

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 51.85% of the population in the district spoke Nepali, 22.61% Limbu, 8.68% Lepcha, 7.05% Bhotia, 2.69% Sherpa, 1.55% Rai and 1.48% Hindi as their first language. [8]

Flora and fauna

Natural view of mountain ranges in Gyalshing district A natural view of West Sikkim, photo taken from hilltop.jpg
Natural view of mountain ranges in Gyalshing district

Gyalshing district houses a great diversity of flora and fauna, many of which are used by Indigenous and local communities. [9] Since most of the district is hilly it enjoys a temperate climate. Above 3,800 m (12,000 ft) the slopes are full of rhododendron forests.

In 1977, the district became home to Khangchendzonga National Park, which has an area of 1,784 km2 (688.8 sq mi). [10] It shares the park with North Sikkim district. [11]

Divisions

Administrative divisions

Three chortens - rabdentse.jpg
Three chortens in Rabendtse
Glacier valley, near Thangshing.JPG
Glacier valley near Thangshing

Scenes from the district

Gyalshing district is divided into two sub-divisions: [12]

A clickable map of West Sikkim exhibiting its two subdivisions. West Sikkim Subdivisions All.png
A clickable map of West Sikkim exhibiting its two subdivisions.
NameHeadquartersNumber of villages [13] Location
Gyalshing Gyalshing
West Sikkim Subdivisions Gyalshing.png
Soreng Soreng
West Sikkim Subdivisions Sorreng.png

Related Research Articles

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gangtok district</span> District in Sikkim, India

Gangtok District is an administrative district of the Indian state of Sikkim. It was renamed in 2021 as a result of administrative reorganisation of the state, which also saw three subdivisions of the East Sikkim district spawned off as a separate Pakyong district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Sikkim</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mangan district</span> District of Sikkim in India

North Sikkim is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its district headquarters is Mangan. It is the seventh least populous district in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namchi district</span> District in Sikkim, India

Namchi District is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its headquarters is at Namchi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Champaran district</span> District in Bihar, India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darjeeling district</span> District of West Bengal, India

Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas. The district is famous for its hill station and Darjeeling tea. Darjeeling is the district headquarters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuksom</span> Town in West Sikkim, India

Yuksom is a historical town in Geyzing subdivision of West Sikkim district in the Northeast Indian state of Sikkim. It was the first capital of Kingdom of Sikkim established in 1642 AD by Phuntsog Namgyal who was the first Chogyal of Sikkim. The coronation site of the first monarch of Sikkim is known as the "Throne of Norbugang". Yuksom is where there is the Norbugang Chorten near the Norbugang throne, the place Namgyal was crowned and several monasteries and a lake. The dynastic rule of the Chogyals lasted for 333 years.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khangchendzonga National Park</span> Protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sikkim, India

Khangchendzonga National Park, also Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve, is a national park and a biosphere reserve located in Sikkim, India. It was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in July 2016, becoming the first "Mixed Heritage" site of India. It was included in the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. The park is named after the mountain Kangchenjunga, which is the third-highest peak in the world at 8,586 m (28,169 ft) tall. The total area of the park is 849.5 km2 (328.0 sq mi).

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Darjeeling district's population today is constituted largely of the descendants of the indigenous and immigrant labourers that were employed in the original development of the town. Although their common language, the Nepali language, has been given official recognition at the state and federal levels in India, the recognition has brought little economic progress to the region, nor significant political autonomy. A culture of both pride and dependence has evolved in the tea plantations where jobs have levelled off but housing can be inherited by a worker within the family. The population of Darjeeling meanwhile has grown substantially over the years. Many young locals, educated in government schools, have taken to migrating out for the lack of employment matching their skills. Like out-migrants from other regions of northeastern India, they have been subjected to discrimination and racism in some Indian cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikkimese people</span> People of Sikkim, India

Sikkimese are people who inhabit the Indian state of Sikkim. The dominance ethnic diversity of Sikkim is represented by 'Lho-Mon-Tsong-Tsum' that identifies origin of three races since seventeenth century. The term 'Lho' refers to Bhutias (Lhopo) means south who migrated from Southern Tibet, the term 'Mon' refers to Lepchas (Rong) lived in lower Eastern Himalayas and the term 'Tsong' refers to Limbus, another tribe of Sikkim. The pre-theocratic phase of Sikkim was inhabited by the Kiratis, “Sikkim is also known as the home of the Kirati tribesmen from the pre-historic times.Society in Sikkim is characterised by multiple ethnicity and possesses attributes of a plural society. The present population of Sikkim is composed of different races and ethnic groups, viz., the Lepchas, the Bhutias, the Nepalis and the Plainsmen, who came and settled in different phases of history. The historic 8 May agreement between Chogyal, Government of India and political parties of Sikkim defines Sikkimese as Sikkimese of Bhutia-Lepcha origin or Sikkimese of Nepali origin including Tsongs and Schedule castes. The community in Sikkim is inclusive of three sub-cultural sectors: the Kiratis, the Newaris and the Indian Gorkhas.

The indigenous people of Sikkim are the Lepchas; the naturalized ethnic populations of Limbus, Bhutias, Kiratis, immigrants such as Indian Gorkha of Nepalese descendants who have an enduring presence in shaping the history of modern Sikkim. The indigeneity criteria for including all peoples of Sikkim and Darjeeling hills is a misnomer as it is clearly known that Lepchas are the first people who trace their origin and culture of their ethnogenesis to the historical and somewhat political geography of Sikkim history as is well documented by colonial and immigrant settler history. However many tribes preceded the migration of the colonial powers and can trace their migratory background as well as ancestral heritage and a well formed history of civilization and cultural locus that is not inherently indigenous to Sikkim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legship</span> Town in Sikkim, India

Legship is a small town in Gyalshing district of the Indian State of Sikkim. Legship is the gateway to Gyalshing City. It is located on the main road connecting Gyalshing City with the rest of the state, on the banks of river Rangit. The place is in fact a main crossing point of roads from Yuksam, Tashiding, Kewzing, Rabangla, Gangtok, Jorethang, Pelling, Gyalshing and other places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Gorkha</span> Ethnolinguistic group in India

Indian Gorkhas, also known as Indian Nepalis, are an ethno-cultural group native to India, who speak Nepali as a common language. They inhabit mainly the states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Northeast and Uttarakhand, including their diaspora elsewhere in India and abroad. The modern term "Indian Gorkha" is used to differentiate the Nepali language Speaking Indians from Nepalis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalimpong district</span> District in West Bengal, India

Kalimpong district is a district in the state of West Bengal, India. Originally known as Dalingkot tehsil, the region was alternatively under the control of Sikkim and Bhutan. In 1865, it was annexed from Bhutan by British India under the Treaty of Sinchula, and administered as a subdivision of the Darjeeling district from 1916 to 2017. In 2017, it was carved out as a separate district to become the 21st district of West Bengal.

Bhuta-Lepcha is an ethnic grouping consisting of people of the Bhutia and Lepcha communities in Sikkim, India. Both these groups are listed as Scheduled Tribes by the Government of India.

Soreng district is a district in the Indian state of Sikkim, administered from Soreng. Soreng District was officially created from Gyalshing District in December 2021 by The Sikkim Act, 2021, hence becoming the sixth district of Sikkim. Its shares borders with Nepal on its west, Gyalshing district to north, Namchi district to east and Darjeeling district of West Bengal to the south.

References

  1. "District Collectors". sikkim.gov.in. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "District Census Hand Book – Sikkim" (PDF). Census of India . Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  3. "thetelegraph.com". Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  4. US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2011. Grenada 108,419 July 2011 est.
  5. "East Sikkim District Religion Census 2011". Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  6. "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Sikkim". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  7. "Some of the Religious Places of Sikkim". Cultural Affairs & Heritage Department. Government of Sikkim. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  8. "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Sikkim". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  9. O'Neill, Alexander; et al. (29 March 2017). "Integrating ethnobiological knowledge into biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 13 (21): 21. doi: 10.1186/s13002-017-0148-9 . PMC   5372287 . PMID   28356115.
  10. O'Neill, Alexander (29 March 2017). "Sikkim claims India's first mixed-criteria UNESCO World Heritage Site" (PDF). Current Science. 112 (5): 893–994. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  11. Indian Ministry of Forests and Environment. "Protected areas: Sikkim". Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  12. Sikkim Administrative Divisions (PDF) (Map). The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, New Delhi, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  13. "MDDS e-Governance Code (Sikkim Rural)" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2011.