Ravangla

Ravangla or Rawangla or Ravongla is a small tourist town situated at an elevation of 8000 ft in South Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is connected by state highway to other major towns in the state and lies between Pelling and Gangtok. It acts as the starting point for the trek to Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary. It is approximately 65 km away from the state capital Gangtok and 120 km away from Siliguri, West Bengal.

Ravangla
town
Temi Tea Gardens in Ravangla
Ravangla
Location in Sikkim, India
Ravangla
Ravangla (India)
Coordinates: 27°17′33″N 88°21′34″E
Country India
StateSikkim
DistrictSouth Sikkim
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total2,282
Languages
 • OfficialNepali, Bhutia, Lepcha, Limbu, Newari, Rai, Gurung, Mangar, Sherpa, Tamang and Sunwar
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registrationSK

Geographical situation

Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt. Pandim, Mt. Siniolchu, Mt. Kabru are just a few of the major peaks that are clearly visible from Ravangla.

Flora

Upper parts of Ravangla experiences snowfall during winter. During the months of April–May the place is surrounded by many flowers including orchids and rhododendrons.

Large Gautama Buddha statue in Buddha Park of Ravangla, Sikkim

Avifauna
Grey bushchat at Ravangla Sikkim.

Ravangla attracts a lot of Himalayan birds and is a bird watcher's paradise. Birds like verditer flycatchers, blue-fronted redstarts, grey bushchats, dark-throated thrush, blue whistling-thrush, green-backed tit and white-browed fantails can be easily spotted.

The forests around Ravangla have other birds like laughingthrushes, babblers, cuckoos and hill partridges. The rare satyr tragopan can also be spotted in Ravangla.

Tibetan community
View of Ravangla town
Ravangla main street
Tibetan Carpet Factory of Ravangla, Sikkim.

Ralang Monastery, a Buddhist monastery of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism is located six kilometres from Ravangla. The old monastery is also a few kilometers away towards Borong. There are plenty of small hamlets where these communities live. Tourism stands as a major source of income for these communities.[2]

View of the hotels and the Jeep stand

Education

National Institute of Technology Sikkim, established in 2010 has its temporary campus in this town.

See also

References
  1. "ravangla City Census". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  2. "Ralang Monastery". Buddhist-temples.com. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
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