Sikkim, the 22nd state of India has few peers as far as its scenic beauty, lush-vegetation and continuous stretch of fascinating forest are concerned. Sikkim is verily the Eden Garden of India. It has mountains, 7,300 meters. and more in height and far greater in number per square Kms than anywhere else on the globe. The fabulous Kanchenjunga, with its dizzy heights of 8,597 meters, is the third highest in the world. Called Khang-chen-=dzod-nga, "the house of five treasures" represented by its five peaks, has forest on its slopes, that rank amongst the finest. A little less than half of Sikkim' s total area is covered with forest often extending to the snow lime. This small Himalayan State of Indian Union is bounded in the north by China and Tibet, in the east by Bhutan, in the south by West Bengal and in the west by Nepal. Once, a remote mountain Kingdom, Sikkim is now open to tourist and proving an enchanting new world with its varied and fantastic flaura and fauna, ancient Buddhist monasteries, colourful-simple hill-folk and breathtaking vistas. It has more than 4,000 species of plants, most of them rare. In the subtropical zone upto the height of 5,000 ft,. above sea level, there are ferns, tree ferns, figs, terminalia, laurels, plantains, orchids, pandanus, sal and several varieties of bamboo. The bamboo is considered here as a wonder-tree and is used in making houses, weapans, rafts, pots , mats, and musical instruments and its tender shoots for preparing delicious dishes. In the overall enchanting spectacle of colours and variety, orchids and rhododenrons, Sikkim has over 35 species. Again, there are varieties of primula and gentian that can be seen richly carpeting the slopes in their variety, shape, sizes, hues, quality and loveliness. They splash even those places with colours where they are least expected.
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