The Cultural Heritage of Sikkim
The Cultural Heritage of Sikkim

Author: Sarit K. Chaudhuri

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-03-10

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 1000079228

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Sikkim has been a region of anthropological interest since the 1930s when Geoffrey Gorer and John Morris did their fieldwork among the Lepchas of Dzongu, north Sikkim. While it was mentioned in various writings of travellers and administrators during the British period, there is a dearth of literature even today on the rich heritage of Sikkim. This collection of twenty-five essays presented first at the international conference on Cultural Heritage of Sikkim, organized by the Department of Anthropology, Sikkim University, Gangtok goes a long way in breaching this gap. The book will be of immense interest to scholars and students of Anthropology, Sociology and Cultural Studies and will lead to new research on the people and the places of Sikkim and India’s North-East. Please note: This title is co-published with Manohar Publishers, New Delhi. Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Culture, Heritage and Identity: The Lepcha and Mangar Communities of Sikkim and Darjeeling
Culture, Heritage and Identity: The Lepcha and Mangar Communities of Sikkim and Darjeeling

Author:

Publisher: KW Publishers Pvt Ltd

Published: 2015-02-15

Total Pages: 102

ISBN-13: 938571421X

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This book is about cultural politics and the quest for identity of two marginal communities of Sikkim and Darjeeling – the Lepcha and the Mangar. Sharing insights into the knowledge, aesthetics, aspirations and dreams of two marginal communities who have been innovatively and differentially appropriating ‘culture’ to exploit the politics of difference, it is a narrative about their ethno-cultural consciousness, notions of identity and anxieties over being minority communities in a pluralistic democracy. The narrative is essentially presented in the form of a field-trip diary, with observations and comments which try to situate the issues within a larger perspective. Based on two years of intensive field study, the book chronicles the endeavour of these two communities to reclaim their cultural past, and forge an identity that would ensure material security, self-esteem, dignity and also the fruits of ‘modernity’. The book will be useful to scholars and students of anthropology, sociology, politics and history, especially those engaged in the study of culture and ethnicity in the Eastern Himalayan region.

From Dust to Digital
From Dust to Digital

Author: Maja Kominko

Publisher: Open Book Publishers

Published: 2015-02-16

Total Pages: 724

ISBN-13: 1783740620

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Much of world’s documentary heritage rests in vulnerable, little-known and often inaccessible archives. Many of these archives preserve information that may cast new light on historical phenomena and lead to their reinterpretation. But such rich collections are often at risk of being lost before the history they capture is recorded. This volume celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Endangered Archives Programme at the British Library, established to document and publish online formerly inaccessible and neglected archives from across the globe. From Dust to Digital showcases the historical significance of the collections identified, catalogued and digitised through the Programme, bringing together articles on 19 of the 244 projects supported since its inception. These contributions demonstrate the range of materials documented — including rock inscriptions, manuscripts, archival records, newspapers, photographs and sound archives — and the wide geographical scope of the Programme. Many of the documents are published here for the first time, illustrating the potential these collections have to further our understanding of history.

Sikkim
Sikkim

Author: Andrew Duff

Publisher: Birlinn

Published: 2015-05-14

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0857902458

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This is the true story of Sikkim, a tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that survived the end of the British Empire only to be annexed by India in 1975.It tells the remarkable tale of Thondup Namgyal, the last King of Sikkim, and his American wife, Hope Cooke, thrust unwittingly into the spotlight as they sought support for Sikkim's independence after their 'fairytale' wedding in 1963. As tensions between India and China spilled over into war in the Himalayas, Sikkim became a pawn in the Cold War in Asia during the 1960s and 1970s. Rumours circulated that Hope was a CIA spy. Meanwhile, a shadowy Scottish adventuress, the Kazini of Chakung, married to Sikkim's leading political figure, coordinated opposition to the Palace. As the world's major powers jostled for regional supremacy during the early 1970s Sikkim and its ruling family never stood a chance. On the eve of declaring an Emergency across India, Indira Gandhi outwitted everyone to bring down the curtain on the 300 year-old Namgyal dynasty. Based on interviews and archive research, as well as a retracing of a journey the author's grandfather made in 1922, this is a thrilling, romantic and informative glimpse of a real-life Shangri-La.

Sikkim
Sikkim

Author: Preet Mohan Singh Malik

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2021-05-16

Total Pages: 261

ISBN-13: 9354226914

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Sikkim is an enigma for most, its history and its 1975 merger with India shrouded in mystery. This book fills the lacunae on both fronts, combining insights into the erstwhile royal kingdom's unique history with the intriguing story of how it became India's twenty-second state. It examines the often-fraught relationship between its original inhabitants, the Lepchas, and the Bhutias (people of Tibetan origin) who established institutions of religion and governance - Lamaist Buddhism and the Namgyal dynasty respectively. Aspects of the Indian relationship with Tibet form part of this narrative, in particular due to the British involvement in the Himalayan region as a consequence of the 'Great Game' and great power rivalry with the Russian empire. For India today, Sikkim remains significant from a strategic point of view, given its proximity to the border with Tibet, now China, and the presence of the vital Siliguri Corridor that connects India's northeast with the rest of the country.

India: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
India: UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Author: Shikha Jain

Publisher:

Published: 2021-09-15

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9783777435718

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The World Heritage Sites list created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aims to promote awareness and preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage around the world, sites that are considered to have outstanding value for all humanity, regardless of location. To date, UNESCO has named thirty-eight such sites in India, all of which are presented in this volume, together with commentary by architects and conservationists and stunning photographs by Rohit Chawla. The cultural sites selected in India are a rich repository of the country's long, layered history, bearing witness to the creativity and influence of multiple communities, crafts, and religions. The sites covered in this volume range across the length and breadth of India--from the earliest periods of rock art, Buddhist caves, and Hindu temples, Sultanate and Mughal forts, palaces, tombs and memorials, medieval Hindu and Islamic cities, step-wells, and observatories to Portuguese churches and Victorian and Art Deco ensembles to, finally, twentieth-century industrial and modern heritage sites. The natural and mixed-use sites include national parks of exceptional natural beauty and sites of long interaction between people and the landscape. India is a beautiful and lavishly illustrated publication for every traveler and lover of Indian culture.