Cloudy Sikkim (41 photos)

Photos from a Closed Himalayan Kingdom

Alice S. Candell.





Today, Sikkim is the most sparsely populated of the Indian states, located high in the Himalayas. But in the past, this region was a closed monarchy, where special permission was required to visit. 300 photographs taken in Sikkim before it lost its independence are freely available. Being part of India, Sikkim borders the Tibet Autonomous Region (PRC), Nepal and Bhutan. There are 75 Buddhist monasteries here, some of which are built so high in the mountains that they are difficult for most travelers to reach. The local population is mainly Hindu and Buddhist. Sikkim was often called the "Lost Kingdom" due to the lack of airports and train stations. The airport in Sikkim only opened in 2018.

Dr. Alice S. Kandell was lucky enough to visit the area in the 1960s and 1970s. She received a special invitation to the coronation ceremony. In 1965, her college friend became the first American-born queen of Sikkim. The monarchs asked Kandell to document the uniqueness of their land, and she managed to create a veritable encyclopedia of life in Sikkim before the region became part of India in 1975.

Candell returned to Sikkim several times. She completed her project in the 1970s. During her last trip in 1979, she photographed the wedding of Princess Yangchen Dolma and Simon Abraham. Her collection consists of more than 15,000 shots, which captured the traditions and life of the local population against the backdrop of amazing mountain landscapes.

Alice Candell visited the most remote parts of Sikkim, attended religious ceremonies, communicated with monks and monastic teachers, local artisans, farmers and traders, stayed in their homes and was able to photograph their way of life. At the same time, Candell remained close to the royal family. She created a series of photographs of the monarch in formal settings and at home. The pictures were included in two books about Sikkim, published in 1971, and a number of articles in various publications.

During an exhibition of Sikkim photographs in New York in 1971, Candell said, "I tried to use my camera to convey the warmth and openness of the people of Sikkim. I wanted to capture the beauty that was everywhere." During an exhibition of Sikkim photographs in New York in 1971, Candell said, "I tried to use my camera to convey the warmth and openness of the people of Sikkim. I wanted to capture the beauty that was everywhere."

Buddhist monks.



Plowing rice terraces.





Lama blowing gyalings before entering the temple.



A bridge in North Sikkim.



Typical hearth.



Alice Candell with a villager, 1971.



Llamas play cymbals during a New Year ceremony, Gangtok, 1969.



On a haystack near Singhik, 1969.



Lama spin prayer wheels at the old Rumtek monastery, 1965.



Boys Carrying Logs, 1965.



Bridge, 1970.



Woman Whipping chasuymu, 1965.



Chasuymu (Tib. ཇ་སྲུབ་མ་ - whipped tea, or Tibetan tea - Tib. བོད་ཇ་) is a drink popular among Tibetans and some other peoples of southwestern China, as well as in Bhutan and Ladakh. It contains tea, milk, yak butter and salt.

Lama with drum near Singhik, 1969.



Young lama with teacher against the backdrop of the Kanchenjunga mountains, 1969.



Dancers, Gangtok, 1969.



Lama with a Silver Jug, Lachung, 1970.



Boys blowing gyalings in front of the main palace temple Tsuk La Kang, Gangtok, 1969.



Village headman with children, Lachung, 1971.



Near the Nunnery, Lachung, 1969.



Rainbow in the Mountains, Lachung, 1971.



A boy with a basket spinning a prayer wheel in a stone niche, Lachung, 1971.



A girl with a birthday cake at a monastery, Lachung, 1969.



A lama at a New Year ceremony, 1969.



The princess, standing right, in traditional dress, during her coronation, Gangtok, 1965.



The Chogyal at home, 1965.



A Sikkimese princess in a formal dress, 1971.



Monarchs during the coronation, 1965.



The Chogyal (monarch) inspects troops, 1971.



Monarchs and retinue.



Market, Gangtok, 1969.



Kids, ok. 1965.



Schoolchildren at the parade in honor of the birthday of Chogyal (monarch) Palden Thondup Namgyal, 1971.



Lama praying as they descend from the mountains, 1969.



Lama meditating, circa 1965.



People carrying firewood



Primrose in West Sikkim.



A suspension bridge over a river, 1969.



A mountain village in North Sikkim, 1971.



Two brothers with a horse, 1971.



A married couple at home in North Sikkim.