INDIA - SIKKIM
The former Buddhist kingdom of Sikkim (Namgyal Chogyal Dynasty 1642-1975) is situated on the slopes of the Himalayas with the 8534 metre Kanchenjunga to the west, the Tibetan high plateau to the north and the kingdom of Bhutan to the east. The Lepchas and Bhotias originally from Mongolia and Tibet live together with people belonging to Nepalese groups of people. In 1835 the era as an English protectorate began for Sikkim. However, until 1975 Sikkim remained an autonomous Buddhist kingdom until it was annexed by India and became the 22nd state of India (this was not totally unwanted and even encouraged a little due to fear of the Chinese). The former king Palden Thodup Namgyal, 12th Chogyal, who was also well known due to his marriage to the American Hope Cooke, died in 1982. His son from his first marriage, Wangchuk Namgyal was named the 13th king, but with severely reduced power. | The legacy of the former English colonial powers is still evident today. As they left the country the English left, for example, many Landrovers that even then were pretty old. Due to the care their current owners dedicate to them they are still carrying out their duties today. Many highly polished metal patches give the Landrovers a strange appearance and they provide a favourite and very worthwhile image for photos. |
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