The national flag of Sikkim consisted of a Buddhist khorlo prayer wheel with the gankyil as the central element.
Until 1967, the previous flag showed a very complex design with a fanciful border and religious pictograms surrounding the khorlo.
A more simple design was adopted in 1967 because of the difficulty in duplication of the complex flag. The border became solid red, the pictograms were removed and the wheel was redesigned.
With the annexation of Sikkim to India, and with the abolition of the monarchy, the flag was also abolished. In 1994, the nationalist party Sikkim Democratic Front came into power, and predominantly ethnic Nepalese have used its party flag like a national symbol since then.
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