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A recent publication by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) documents the flora and landscapes of one of the oldest trading routes of south Asia — the Silk Route, meandering through Kalimpong and Sikkim in the eastern Himalayas and going to Lhasa in Tibet.
The book A Southern Silk Route: Sikkim and Kalimpong Wild Flowers and Landscapes not only documents 1,137 flowering plants, a host of butterflies, insects, birds and mammals but also the historical significance of the route and the link between botany and politics of the region.
The key flowering plants documented in the publication and found along the silk route are Windamere palm (Trachycarpus latisectus) a wild palm species facing the threat of extinction with only a few trees left in Kalimpong region.
The State tree of Sikkim — Rhododendron niveum, endemic to the eastern Himalayas and found in Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary along the Silk Route — is another interesting species.
The Impatiens sikkimensis, a threatened balsam species, and and Daphne ludlowii, which was used to make paper for Buddhist manuscripts, are also among the important flora found along the route.
Scientists involved in the publication have documented several such species along the 210-km route from Siliguri in Darjeeling to Kalimpong, Nathu La and Gangtok
Rajib Gogoi, the lead author of the book and head of Sikkim Himalayan Regional Centre, said that the idea for the book came while working on an environmental impact assessment of a road in Sikkim.
“We realised that it was the road which was used in ancient times as the Silk Route. The trade between medieval Bengal and Lhasa was carried out along multiple routes. The shortest of all these routes from India to Lhasa was the one through Sikkim and Kalimpong. The merchandise reached Tamralipti (now Tamluk) port in Bengal and was relayed through sea route to Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and the far East,” Mr. Gogoi said.
Historical highlights
The publication also throws light on the history of botany in the country by highlighting the contributions of British botanist J.D. Hooker. He studied the flora of Sikkim as early as in 1848 and his major contributions include the discovery of 32 species of rhododendrons in the State.
“The botanic history of Sikkim is also connected with the politics of the region as these botanists opened Sikkim, a little-known Himalayan Kingdom, to the world. Later, in 1903-1904, Col. Francis Younghusband led the first expedition to conquer Tibet by any European Army along the same route,” said J.H. Franklin Benjamin, another author of the BSI publication.
The publication, running over 600 pages, contains many photographs of the plants, birds, butterflies and mammals in the region, including Sikkim’s State bird and animal — the threatened red panda and the blood pheasant, respectively. Historical photographs of people and places also find a place in the book.
Cover of the book A Southern Silk Route: Sikkim and Kalimpong Wild Flowers and Landscape.
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Special Arrangement
Besides Mr. Gogoi and Mr. Benjamin, other authors who contributed to the publication are Norbu Sherpa, Geetamani Chhetri, Srijana Mangar, Bishal Chettr and Ashiho Asosii Mao, director of BSI.
There are five protected areas along the Silk Route — Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Neora Valley National Park, Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary and Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary. Four big cats — tiger, leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard — inhabit the areas along the route.
Tourism opportunities
C S Rao, Principal Secretary of Sikkim Tourism Department, said that the promotion of the Silk Route will lead to new avenues in tourism, particularly adventure tourism, in the State. The touch of history of the Silk Route will boost the potential for people taking up adventure tourism, he suggested.
“There are some areas where the older boulders along the trade route are still found. We have asked the forest department to preserve these routes,” the official said.
Noting that trade in the old days was mostly done on mules and horses, Mr. Gogoi said that certain stretches along the Silk Route still had birdle paths with boulders and they need to be preserved.
Tourism is one of the primary economic activities of Sikkim and the State has been taking steps to promote adventure tourism, particularly trekking, mountaineering and biking.
Blood Pheasant, State Bird of Sikkim
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Last legacy
The Silk Route that connected Lhasa (Tibet) to Kalimpong was in use even a few decades ago until the Chinese invasion of Tibet. It was commonly used by traders travelling to Tibet through Jelep-la (‘la’ stands for mountain pass) as an overnight base. The route started from Kalimpong and passed through Pedong, Aritar, Dzuluk and Jelepla to Chumbi valley in Tibet.
Trade between the Old Silk Route at Nathu La reopened in July 2006 after relations between China and India improved. However, the trade that involved about 200 people on both sides of the border has not resumed after the pandemic.
