Gangtok | |
|---|---|
Clockwise from top: M.G. Marg, Gangtok cable car, Gangtok from Tibet Road, Rumtek Monastery, Dro-dul Chorten, Kangchenjunga view from Gangtok | |
  Gangtok Location of Gangtok in Sikkim  Gangtok Gangtok (India)  Gangtok Gangtok (Asia) | |
| Coordinates: 27°20′N 88°37′E / 27.33°N 88.62°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State |  Sikkim |
| District | Gangtok |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation |
| • Body | Gangtok Municipal Corporation |
| • Mayor | Nell Bahadur Chettri[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 19.3 km2 (7.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,650 m (5,410 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 100,290 |
| • Density | 5,332/km2 (13,810/sq mi) |
| Languages[3][4] | |
| • Official | |
| • Additional official | |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 737101 |
| Telephone code | 03592 |
| Vehicle registration | SK-01 |
| Website | gangtokdistrict |
Gangtok (Nepali: [gantok] gāntok, Sikkimese: [ɡaŋt̪ʰòk]) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayan range, at an elevation of 1,650 m (5,410 ft). The city's population of 100,000 consists of the three Sikkimese ethnicities: the Bhutias, Lepchas, Nepalis as well as plainsmen from other states of India. Within the higher peaks of the Himalayas and with a year-round mild temperate climate, Gangtok is at the centre of Sikkim's tourism industry.
Gangtok rose to prominence as a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site after the construction of the Enchey Monastery in 1840. In 1894, the ruling Sikkimese Chogyal, Thutob Namgyal, transferred the capital to Gangtok. In the early 20th century, Gangtok became a major stopover on the trade route between Lhasa in Tibet and cities such as Kolkata (then Calcutta) in British India. After India won its independence from the British Empire in 1947, Sikkim chose to remain an independent monarchy, with Gangtok as its capital. After Sikkim's merger with India in 1975, Gangtok continued as the state capital.
- ^ Ravidas, Rajeev (5 May 2021). "Nell Bahadur Chettri sworn in as the new mayor of Gangtok". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
FallinGrainwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "1977 Sikkim government gazette" (PDF). sikkim.gov.in. Governor of Sikkim. p. 188. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ "50th Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). 16 July 2014. p. 109. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2019.