Gangtok (redirected from Gangtok, Sikkim)

Gangtok: see Sikkim.

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Gangtok

Town (pop., 2001: 29,354), capital of Sikkim state, northeastern India. At an elevation of 5,600 ft (1,700 m), it overlooks the Ranipool River. It was the governmental seat of the kingdom of Sikkim until the monarchy was abolished (1975) and India annexed Sikkim (1976). It was an important point on the trans-Himalayan trade route until the border with China was closed in 1962. The former royal palace and chapel are located there; the noted Buddhist monastery of Rumtek is nearby.

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Gangtok

a town in NE India: capital of Sikkim state. Pop.: 29 162 (2001)

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Gangtok 

capital of the principality of Sikkim. Situated in a mountain valley near the Natu Pass in spurs of the Himalayas; altitude, 1,900 m. It has a damp climate (yearly precipitation approaches 3,300 mm). Average temperatures: 8° C in January, 20° C in July. Population, 12,000 (1964).

Gangtok is one of Sikkim’s major commercial and transportation centers. Roads link it with the railroad junction in Siliguri and the airport in Baghdogra (India). A ropeway leads to the pass. Cottage industry is important; it includes woodworking, tanning, paper production, embroidery, and carpet weaving. There is also a printing press establishment, a publishing house, an electric power plant, and an institute of Tibetan studies. The city consists largely of single-story dwellings, but one can also see the modern stone edifices of hotels, movie theaters, and stores. The residence of the ruler of the principality stands at the top of a hill, together with a monastery that is a typical example of Tibetan religious architecture.

REFERENCE

Prazauskas, A. Butan, Sikkim. Moscow, 1970.