Told in the hills
How a hilltop hamlet became a royal capital
For most of Sikkim's royal history, Gangtok was not the capital. The Namgyal dynasty began at Yuksom in 1642, moved its seat to Rabdentse and later to Tumlong in the north. Gangtok was a small hamlet on a ridge. Its first draw was religious: a monastery was built here in the 1840s, on the site now occupied by Enchey, and pilgrims began to come. The present Enchey building dates from 1909.
In 1894 the Chogyal Thutob Namgyal, ruling under close British supervision after the Treaty of Tumlong of 1861, moved his capital to Gangtok. A new palace and state buildings followed. The town grew as a stop on the trade route between Lhasa and British India, with mule trains carrying wool and other goods over the Nathu La and Jelep La passes. Roads and a telegraph line came in during these years.
After 1947 Sikkim stayed a separate kingdom under Indian protection, with Gangtok as its capital. Trade slowed after 1959 and the passes were sealed after the 1962 war. In 1975, after a referendum held on 14 April, the monarchy was abolished and Sikkim became India's 22nd state on 16 May, with Gangtok kept as capital. Limited border trade through Nathu La reopened in 2006, and the old trade road became the tourist road to Tsomgo Lake and the pass that most visitors now drive.
Pinned to the board
Did you know
MG Marg is widely described as India's first spit-free, litter-free and smoke-free zone, and no vehicles are allowed on it.
Snow is rare in Gangtok itself: Wikipedia lists 1990, 2004, 2005 and 2020 as recent years when the town received snowfall.
The foundation stone of the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology was laid by the 14th Dalai Lama on 10 February 1957, and Jawaharlal Nehru opened it on 1 October 1958.
