National Song of Independent Sikkim


Jahan Bagcha Teesta Rangeet was the national song of independent kingdom of Sikkim. The song is in Nepali which was enormously sung during the last decade of monarchy in the erstwhile tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Sikkim. It was written in praise of our motherland and about its natural beauty.

The National Song of the independent Sikkim carries with it the much coveted sensibilities of the noblest souls. It not only praises our motherland but also ignites the mind set of every individual to strive for the nation building process. The reference made to various flowers exhibits the assimilation of different ethnic cultures in the kingdom of Sikkim. The monarchs are placed at the loftiest position and they have been termed as the savior and this shows the loyalty of the subjects. This is also seen that people’s temperament to get overwhelmed with the sense of patriotism and dedication is not superficial but eternal. The urge to remain over entangled with the pious land shows the keen passionate feelings bred in every heart. Conclusively, this can be said that the Teesta, which is not only a river but a source of energy and zeal, has been given the pinnacle position. It wipes away every possible mischief and sin from each of the Sikkimese populace and it is here that the final culmination of the greatness of the river and its bearing with the land of Sikkim is connected.
Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal with his American Gyalmo Hope Namgyal
The lyrics of the song was written by Sanu Lama and the music composed by Dushyant Lama. It was first sung on the birth anniversary of Late Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal on 4th of April 1970 at Gangtok by the melody queen of Nepali Music Aruna Lama along with Dawa Lama and Mani Kamal Chettri. (http://sikhim.blogspot.com)
After the merger of Sikkim with India in 1975, the song was banned by the Indian Government to curtail the raising tide of nationalism from the minds of Sikkimese nationalists. Later it was re-released with the replacement of two words in the 4th Stanza where it says Janma Bhumi (Motherland) that had original word Raja and Rani (King and Queen). 


JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT, JAHAN KANCHENDZONGA SEER
YEHI HO HAMRO DHANA KO DESH, TAPAWAN HO PYARO SIKKIM 

INTERLUDE

PHULCHAN YEHA AANGANAI MAA, CHAAP , GURANS, SUNAKHARI 
SWARGASARI SUNDAR DESH, HAMRA PYARA PYARA RAJA RANI
JANHA BAGCHA……

BATASHLE BOKCHAA YEHA, TATHAGAT KO AAMAR WAANI

SHRADHA, BHAKTI GARCHAU SADHA, YEHI MATOKAA PHOOL RAHAU HAMI.

JANHA BACHA…..

BUDHAM SARANAM GACHAMI, DHARMAM SARANAM GACHAMI, SANGAM SARANAM GACHAMI.

JANHA BAGCHA…

The English translation of the Sikkimese National Song is as under:- 
Where Teesta and Rangeet flow ahead,
Where Kanchenjunga is placed as the head,
This is our country of rice,
The pious Sikkim is our land so nice.
Where Teesta and Rangeet flow ahead,
Where Kanchenjunga is placed as the head,

Here the beautiful flowers blooming at our courtyard look so genuine,
It’s almost like a celestial abode by dint of our king and queen.
Where Teesta and Rangeet flow ahead,
Where Kanchenjunga is placed as the head,

The air carries here immortal preaching words of Buddha, who did the ultimate toil,
We adore and worship it always as we pine to remain as the flowers of this soil.
Where Teesta and Rangeet flow ahead,
Where Kanchenjunga is placed as the head,

I will take retreat to Buddha,  I will take retreat to Dhamma  I will take retreat to Sangha.

Note: The Song in new version  is available on YouTube 



The Gurkha's Daughter: Stories by Sikkim's student creates publishing buzz in London


LONDON: Prajwal Parajuly, a 27-year-old student at the University of Oxford from Gangtok, Sikkim, India, created quite a furore in the publishing world of London this week by being signed by the Steig Larson trilogy publisher Quercus Books in a respectable five-figure pound advance. With the signing, Mr. Parajuly becomes the youngest author at Quercus. 



Already touted as the next big thing in South Asian fiction by various publications of the Indian sub-continent, Prajwal's The Gurkha's Daughter: Stories clinched him the deal in a two-book signing, proving that talent -- irrespective of the market for short-story collections -- doesn't go unrecognized. This will be the first time a book on fiction has been written about Nepali-speaking people without the contents restricting themselves to Nepal. 

"Yes, the stories are based all over -- Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Nepal, Bhutan, New York," Prajwal said. "Nepali-speaking people don't live in Nepal alone. Those in the Diaspora, too, have amazing stories that needed to be written." 

Prajwal was represented by Susan Yearwood at the Susan Yearwood Literary Agency in London. 

The Gurkha's Daughter: Stories encapsulates various aspects of lives of Nepali-speaking people from troubled Gurkha pensioners to Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees living in a state of statelessness for more than two decades, and Diversity Visa winners struggling in New York to a retired Nepali-speaking Indian woman contemplating a premarital affair, these tales take us into fascinating worlds of a people who are oscillating from one identity crisis to another. 
Prajwal, the first Indian to be selected into the University of Oxford's highly selective Creative Writing Master's, worked as an advertising executive at "The Village Voice" in New York before embarking on writing his book. He has been the editor in chief of "detours: an explorer's guide to the midwest", a national award-winning travel magazine based on Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, in the United States.


The article was published in Sikkim Times http://sikkimnews.blogspot.com on 25th of September 2011

Namchi grieves for the earthquake victims

Namchi mourns for the Earthquake victims
The earthquake of 18th September has greatly astounded Sikkim, the tiny Himalayan State of Indian Union. The incident was perhaps a shocking episode in the history of Sikkim and it is hard to forget to all those who have come across the catastrophe. Even after the span of 5 days from the apocalypse the government measures are still struggling to reach to the victims. We all are getting reports, some official and some unofficial about the desolation caused by the earthquake. Amid to these reports, the rumor is playing a vital role to create panic among the traumatized people. Yesterday morning I received a text on my mobile which was a sufficient stuff to get terrorize for all of us who are trying to surmount the fatality. It states thus:
Students of Namchi Govt. College
Earthquake can occur within 48 hours due to lava at Guru Dongmar Lake and it can damage entire Sikkim. These people, whom I prefer to, say anti-socials are leading a key role to play with the innocence of the Sikkimese people. 
The cataclysm came and gone but has left an untold miseries. I saw a picture published on an English Daily from Gangtok which has greatly stroked me. It was a picture of a school girl from Mangan who was searching her books and copies on the debris of her dismantle house. Every newspaper is chock-full with the reports and pictures of devastation. It is really harsh to believe that all the pictures are from our state and the people on those pictures are our fellow brethrens.
Silent Prayers of Namchi 
In order to show our concern to all the departed souls, ailing individuals and affected families of the disaster, NTSF has organized a “Candle Rally” at Namchi on 23rd September.  A crowd of around 500 have made a “Candle March” which was started from Central Park Namchi at 6:20 P M.  The march was attended by the students, teachers, journalists, and lawyers and so on. The accomplices were holding placards on their hands to show their concern towards the departed souls. I have also witnessed few Buddhist Monks chanting “Om Mani Padme Hung” to prevent such incidents in the near future. People gathered for march have prayed for the salvation of the departed souls as well as for the speedy recovery of injured in the catastrophe of September 18th. The only prayer of every individual before his almighty was to bless the Mayalyang in the near future from such apocalypse.    

The aftermath of Earthquake at Namchi



Statue of Lord Shiva- The Trisul is broken Pic. Pranika Gurung
The earthquake that occurred on 18th of September will be always remembered by every Sikkimese till the end. It was a horrific shake, a mind-boggling of which none of our people have ever imagined. The earthquake measuring 6.9 Richter Scale nearly swept the smallest state of the Indian Union. The massive event took place at 6:10 on Sunday evening when most of our people were busy in their homely affairs . The sound was terrible, a bloodcurdling one. The whole structure was shivering and I got tuck within my room doing nothing to help my family. It was perfectly a dying situation, a catch 22. In such circumstances, when my wife hugged me, I realized how important life is for all and also apprehended the value of a loved one during a trouble. After the shake of almost 40 seconds the horror got solace and we managed to make ourselves out of the building. After the wobble, when I rushed down to the street I saw an unusual gathering in which most of them were crying with their near and dear ones.
It was raining outside- the day was also disobliging. Due to the power cuts we were unable to recognize each other on the street but, I can witness fear in everyone’s eyes. Most of them were shivering and telling the tale of how they got escape from the mouth of fatality. From the street, one and all were busy in getting connected to their family members. I too made a call and got a relief to know that my family was safe without any physical damage. Though, the cell phones were not working we had been able to receive few calls from outside the state. My friends from Mumbai, Pune and New Delhi informed me about the magnitude of the earthquake. After hearing it I literally got frisson. On my silence my wife asked me about the matter but, I simply answered her “We escape death”.  
A Cracked House at a Village of South Sikkim Pic. Pranika Gurung
After the havoc, rumor reined the entire state. Many of them in the crowd were talking about a next devastation. Most of them were equating the event with the judgment of God. Few intellectuals were discussing about the movement of tectonic plates and many others were listening to the rumors of another fatality. After spending nearly three hours on the street we made our way to our house. The entire night no one slept in the whole town and in the whole state. Everyone spent the night of 18th September in counting the aftershocks. All together there were nearly 20 aftershocks subsequent to the big hit of 6:10.
The next day when our cell phones began to function, I got many calls from my friends scattered all around India. Few local friends informed me about the damages taken place in various heritage sites of Sikkim. I felt very bad to hear that the famous Enchey Monastery in Gangtok, Tashiding Monastery in West Sikkim and Dubdi Monastery (the oldest monastery of Sikkim) was badly damaged due to the massive earthquake. Pende Laptse, popularly known as Nga Dak Monastery which is also a lone heritage site of Namchi might have born the shake. If possible and if it is standing, I will be posting more posts on this 300 year old monument of Southern Sikkim.
Today I got a report from one of my students Miss Pranika Gurung of Namchi Government College about the devastation made by the Hit at the periphery of Namchi. According to this Official Report there is a massive destruction in the south Sikkim as well.
Earthquake Updates form Namchi as Informed by DPO LR&DDM Pempa Narbu Sherpa.
Miniram-Singithang: 65 house severely damage.
Lunchuk-kameray: 50 houses severely damage.
Ralong-Nalang GPU; 50 houses fully damage and three houses collapsed.
Mikhola-Kitam: 7houses fully damaged and 1 mandir damaged.
Tingrithang GUP: 29 houses fully damaged 100 houses severely and partially damaged and 20 families will be shifted at Namchi Government College by 9pm today and 10 families had given safe shelter at Chief Minister’s home at KLholaghari.
Temi Tarku GPU; 114 houses severely Damaged and 20 families are safely evacuated and provided safe shelter.
Namchi: More than 50 RCC buildings severely damaged and had cracks.
SPIL buildings got crack on walls and cracks on walls and staff quarters of Namchi District Jail. 
Boomtar landslide aggravated and nearby houses was shifted to safe shelter.
Sai Mandir Assangthang: several cracks had been reported.
Solophok Char Dham; Trisul broken, Ringfinger holding dammaruo broken, several cracks on the body of statue of 5mm.
Gate leading to statue sustain cracks about 2 to 6 inch and many cracks had been found leading to Solophok road.
Melli PHC had been severely damaged and shifted to nearby school and private houses.
More than 9 school buildings fully collapses including kaccha building and 8 schools got major damaged.
BAC Sikip: 7 houses fully damaged.

Namthang BAC: 30 houses damaged.
Namchi mourns for the victims Pic. Pranika Gurung 
Apart from Namchi, Mangan the epicenter of the earthquake is in a total distressing situation. The death toll is increasing hour after hour at the epicenter. I have been trying to call my friends there but unable to do so due to network hurdles. I wish everyone’s safety at Mangan and pray for those who have lost their lives in the earthquake.