After few days of writing, modifying and adding codes, Sikkimonline has now full photo contest section where our amateur or even professional photographer members can participate, comment and vote. The basic rules for the Photography Contest are simple for now, participant must be Sikkim Online member, Photo taken must be original, no text or watermarks, no nudity. Photo editing programs can be used to correct brightness, contrast, resize etc., but do not over tamper. Winners are purely based on Internet user votes, so there would be no conflicts regarding the winner, what so ever.

For more information click here.

Dashain, the time of happiness, joy and blessings. Just the pronunciation of the word ‘Dashain’ is a mesmerizer, a complete package of radiance and memories of the past years. It is like eid to a Muslim and Xmas to a Christian.

For me, this year’s Dashain was completely different, filled with excitement and joy. We went to visit different places in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and in Sikkim. People rushing around with their kids to meet elders, loud music playing in every shop, drunkers hitting the jackpot on the road sides, it was entirely quite a sight.

Darjeeling and Kalimpong had a different sight, people wearing “Daura Sural”, and ladies wearing “Chaubandi and fariya”. In these hills, people are obliged to wear traditional gurkhali dress for some political reasons. But backin Gangtok, it was quiet, unlike usual days few people roaming around, this hustle center seemed to embarace rathar unusual stillness.  I wonder where do people go in Dasain?

The Himalayas is a mystic adventure for many people especially from the west and the far-east. Grand white mass of mountains, dark forested hills, beautiful waterfalls…the list of rhetoric are endless. They all seem to attract the discerning travelers as the bees to flowers. The memories are sweet nectar.

My 3 hrs hike to Taktsang Monastery in Paro, Bhutan was one that transported me to an era that I thought existed only in a digital studio in some corner of Hollywood. Bhutan has always prided herself in the ‘Thunder Dragon Kingdom’ ruled by a benevolent King. So, it is a surprise not to experience that in Paro, a truly picturesque valley. There are many things to do in Paro…from admiring the Dzongs to lounging in discos. Since I am not a party animal I took the path that gradually takes one through the blue pine hills never dropping in altitude until one has the view of the unbelievable work of art resting heavily on the mystical Buddhist legend. It is so powerful…that you accept the translation ‘The Tiger Nest’ probably as immediately as Yeshey Tshogyal had transformed herself into a Tigress on whose back Guru Padmasambhava flew to the grand rocky edifice in Paro in the 8^th Century.