1. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura are collectively known as the Seven Sisters. What happened in 1975 that caused them to be referred to as the Seven Sisters and One Brother?
2. Sikkim is the only State of India with an ethnic majority of which community?
3. What is the name of the aboriginal tribe of Sikkim, also called Rong?
4. The Tibetan name for Sikkim is Denjong (‘Valley of Rice’), while the Lepchas simply called it Nye-mae-el lang or ‘paradise’. But the most accepted history of the name Sikkim is that it is a combination of two Limbu words ‘su’ and ‘khyim’, which is believed to be a reference to a palace built by the first ruler, Phuntsog Namgyal. What does it mean?
5. In ancient Hindu religious texts, Sikkim finds a mention as Indrakil. What does the name mean?
6. What is the capital of Sikkim whose name means ‘top of the hill’ in the local language?
7. Sikkim’s highest point is situated on its border with Nepal. It is magnificent and is said to be the home of the State’s guardian deity. It also happens to be the world’s third-highest peak. What is its name?
8. Kangchenjunga was first climbed on May 25, 1955, by Joe Brown and George Band, who were part of a British expedition. What promise did they make to the Maharaja of Sikkim that has been followed by every climber or groups since then?
9. The Namgyal family with its branches were hereditary rulers of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975, when the monarchy was abrogated and its people voted in a referendum to make Sikkim India’s 22nd State. The reign of this dynasty was foretold by their patron saint Guru Rinpoche. What was the official title of these rulers that meant ‘divine king’?
10. In 1849 two British physicians, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker and Dr Archibald Campbell ventured unannounced into the mountains of Sikkim and were detained by the Sikkimese government. This led to a punitive British expedition against the kingdom after which a district was annexed to British India in 1853. What was this district’s name that became world-famous for its beverage?
11. Which major tributary of the Brahmaputra flows through Sikkim?
12. This mountain pass in the Himalayas in Sikkim is an offshoot of the Old Silk Route. It is one of the three open trading border posts between China and India. Historically, it played a key role in the 1903–1904 British expedition to Tibet, which sought to prevent the Russian Empire from gaining there. In 1904, Major Francis Younghusband, serving as the British Commissioner to Tibet, led a successful mission through this pass to capture Lhasa. What is its name?
13. Which monastery situated 28 km from Sikkim is the seat of the religious leader known as the Karmapa? Originally built by the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje in 16th century, it was rebuilt when the 16th Karmapa arrived in Sikkim in 1959, after fleeing Tibet, and became his main seat in exile.
14. Which institution in Sikkim holds one of the world’s largest collections of Tibetan books and manuscripts outside Tibet?
15. The Noble dendrobium is the official flower of Sikkim. To what family of flowers common in the North East does it belong?
16. Which animal also known as the cat-bear and named because of the distinctive colour of its fur is the State animal of Sikkim?
answers
1. Sikkim joined as the 22nd state of the Indian union
2. Nepali
3. Lepcha
4. New Palace
5. The Garden of Indra
6. Gangtok
7. Kangchenjunga
8. They stopped short of the summit as per the promise given to the Maharaja of Sikkim that the top of the mountain, which was the home of Sikkim’s guardian deity, would remain inviolate
9. Chogyal
10. Darjeeling
11. Teesta river
12. Nathu La
13. Rumtek monastery
14. Namgyal Institute of Tibetology
15. Orchids
16. The Red Panda