CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF SIKKIM.

 The customs and rituals of Sikkim are as diverse as the ethnic that inhabit the land ; the 'Lepchas' — essentially children of the forest , the 'Bhutias' and the 'Nepalese'. The people of sikkim love to celebrate.Communities, Cultures, Religions and Customs of different hues intermingle freely here in Sikkim to constitute a homogeneous blend. The predominant communities are the LEPCHAS, BHUTIAS and NEPALESE. In urban areas, many plainsmen have also settled and they are almost engaged in business and Government service.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.