| Pakyong पाक्योंग |
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| — city — | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| State | Sikkim |
| District(s) | East Sikkim |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
• 1,120 metres (3,670 ft) |
Pakyong is a town in the foothills of the himalayas located in the East Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Pakyong used to be a small settlement until the Central government grant for the first airport in Sikkim to be built in this town brought it into the limelight in the late nineties.
The town has a missionary run School called St. Xavier's [1]. The school ranked as one of the top two schools in Sikkim during the nineties. Notable among its alumni are the Padmashri awardee footballer Baichung Bhutia.
The "National Research Centre for Orchids", (ICAR Institute) is also located here (Pakyong- 737106).[2]
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Not much is known about the historical past of this little town. But the existence of old British bunkers at British Killa suggest the presence of armed bunkers sometime in the past.
Located in East Sikkim at an altitude of 1700m(5577ft), it shares its borders with Bhutan and China.Topography is hilly and a good agricultural area.
The local economy is confined to the school and minor businesses run by the locals. Ginger is cultivated and floriculture is popular, the geographical location makes these a very viable sector. Gundruk, Kinema, Sinki are popular fermented foods sold in the local market. "Dalle Khorsani", the red hot chilli is also popular among the local vegetable cultivators. The villages surrounding the small town are Dikling, Pacheykhani, Dugalakha, Karthok etc. Cow milk, Curd, Churpi(residue of boiled buttermilk) are other means of earning income for the villagers.
The town is well connected to all major parts of Sikkim and its neighbouring states with a good number of taxi services to Gangtok, Kalimpong and Siliguri. Direct taxis services to Kalimpong and Siliguri are available usually before 9:00 AM and they usually ply back home by evening; hence the early timings. However, taxis to local destinations like Gangtok and Ranipool are available all day at nominal fees. For a more personalised and comfortable option, taxis could be reserved to go to other non-serviced towns such as Darjeeling, Kurseong, Jorethang, Changu etc.
Pakyong is connected to the rest of India by an all-weather metalled highway, NH-31A which runs from Siliguri to Gangtok. The NH-31A can be accessed from Pakyong at Ranipool (18 km) or at Rangpo (26 km).
The total distance from Pakyong to Siliguri is 120 km. The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport, 16 km (9.9 mi) from Siliguri. Although Sikkim does not have an airport, it is linked to Bagdogra airport, near Siliguri, via a regular helicopter service, the Sikkim Helicopter Service from Gangtok. Greenfield Airport at Pakyong is under construction.
Ethnic Nepalis, who settled in the region during British rule, comprise the majority of the population of Pakyong. Lepchas, native to the land, and Bhutias also constitute a sizable portion of the populace. Immigrant resident communities not native to the region include the Marwaris who form the backbone of the business community and own most of the shops; the [Biharis], people from State of Bihar, who are engaged in different trades owing to their talents, like any other parts of India. Thanks also to the school, the town has attracted quite a cosmopolitan population with sprinkling of people from as far down south as Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Nepali is the most widely spoken language. English and Hindi are also widely spoken and understood in most parts of the state as a whole. Other languages spoken include Bhutia (Sikkimese), Tibetan and Lepcha.
Being secular, all major Indian festivals, such as Diwali, Christmas, Id, and Makar Sankranti (the popular Hindu festivals) along with the Buddhist festivals like Losar, Loosong, Bhumchu, Saga Dawa, Lhabab Duechen and Drupka Teshi are celebrated in with most government offices and schools remaining closed.
Hill people are by nature sports and music lovers and it is common to see school kids scurrying home with guitars strung on their backs. Western rock music being played in homes,restaurants and in school concerts is common. Football (soccer) and cricket are the two most popular sports and the [3] St Xaviers School ground serves as the venue for enthralling battles for various tournaments most notably the Independence Day Cup which have in the past featured teams as far as from Calcutta, Nepal and Bhutan. The school ground is a very popular cultural venue with public functions like Independence Day celebrations being held here on grand scales.
Local favourites like momo, thukpa, chowmein, gyathuk and wonton are available in the most of the small restaurants in Pakyong. The momo is a popular snack made from vegetable, beef, or pork filling, which is steamed and served with a soup. The hills traditionally have quite a liberal attitude towards drinks and in many of the local functions like marriages etc, alcohol plays an important role.
The attractions in Pakyong are the Shivalaya temple, Pacheykhani cave, Changey monastery, Devi Mandir,Karthok monastery and Monks’ Retreat Centre.Wednesday Bazar 'hart' is a popular local attraction.
RDD complex is the best place to visit in winter with pine trees surrounded and a small park with a frost chilling cold.
St. Xavier's School, Dikling Sr. Sec School are popular educational institutions. Pakyong Palentine College is providing higher education to the local students. Puspanjali school located in Pakyong is one of the best educational institution in the town.