History

 History Of Sikkim

Sikkim is a truly mystical land, a confluence of advancement and mysticism. It is India’s least populated state, hosts Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest peak, have borders with Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal and only open border with China (Nathula-Pass). Very little is known about its history and it was added to the Indian Republic only in 1975.
In pre-historic time it was inhabited by three tribes namely Naong, Chang and the Mon. The Lepcha tribe who entered later completely absorbed these tribes. Lepchas are believed to be the natives of the border area of Tibet and Burma. They were a very peace loving people, shy, worshipping nature and deeply religious, which can still be sensed among the present Sikkimese people.
An Indian monk Dipankar Srijana or “Atisha” visited Tibet in the 10th century.  He  led  a  missionary  journey  and  preached  celibacy &  moral  abstinence and  opposed  the  tantric  arts.  The Gelugpa or the reformed order, originated during this period of time. The Gelugpa sect is now headed by the Dalai Lama. The unreformed or the old order was the Nyingmapa, whose source of inspiration was the great mystic yogis of that time. The Nyingmapa trace their origins to the great yogi Milarepa. They resisted the reform of the Gelugpaand and maintained their beliefs in the tantric practices. The gap between the followers of the two sects deepened. In time, the Gelugpa sect, headed by the Dalai Lama, became the prominent influence in Tibet, while the Nyingmapa sought refuge in Sikkim. In  the  15th  and  16th  centuries Buddhism  was  introduced  in  Sikkim  primarily  due  to  this conflict  among  the Buddhists  of  Tibet.