White New Year celebrated in Sikkim and Darjeeling, snow remains at higher altitudes
Sikkim and Darjeeling celebrate New Year in white on Wednesday!
The high altitude areas of Sikkim and Darjeeling hills received snowfall on Wednesday while people celebrated Losung (Sikkimese New Year of Bhutia) and Namsung, the beginning of the new year for the Lepcha community.
These festivals also mark the conclusion of the harvest season.
Sandakphu, the highest point in Bengal, situated at an altitude of about 12,000 feet in the Darjeeling hills, received snowfall for the second time this winter.
“It started around 2 pm in Sandakphu,” said Chandan Pradhan, secretary of the Association of Land Rover Proprietors of Singalila.
Sandakphu actually received its first snowfall of the winter on December 7.
Places like Lachen and Lachung in Sikkim, located at an altitude of about 13,400 feet above sea level, also received the first snowfall of the season on Wednesday.
These places, which are popular tourist destinations in Mangan district, were reopened for tourists only fifteen days ago, after the devastation caused by Glacial Lake Flooding (GLOF) in South Lhonak Lake in the north in central Sikkim. Night. Of 3rd October. .y 4.
Chungthang, a town located at the entry point of Lachung and Lachen, was severely affected by the GLOF.
Stakeholders interested in tourism said that the flow of tourists to Sikkim is increasing slightly. “However, we are yet to reach good data,” said a hotelier from Gangtok.
The actual visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Sikkim has also attracted tourists from the region to Gangtok.
The Sikkim government hosted a state banquet for the Dalai Lama on Wednesday, which was attended by Prime Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay).
Former Sikkim Minister Pawan Chamling also met His Holiness in Gangtok on Wednesday.
Sikkim Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya extended warm wishes to the people on the occasion of Losung and Namsung.
Acharya N said, “On this auspicious occasion of Losoong Namsoong, the New Sikkimese Year, I extend warm wishes to all my fellow Sikkimese…This year changes from the literal Year of the Water Cone to the Lunar Sikkimese Year of the Dragon of Madera. ” A written. Message.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) sources said the wave from the west brought snowfall, hailstorm and rain in the area on Wednesday.
“However, we expect the weather to become dry on Thursday,” an IMD source said.
Tourists were rescued
The Indian Army on Wednesday rescued 800 tourists stranded in the eastern part of Sikkim due to storm and sudden bad weather.
The army said, the rescue operation is going on.
