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A Southern Silk Route: Sikkim and Kalimpong Wild Flowers and Landscapes
Context: A recent publication by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) documents the flora and landscapes of one of the oldest trading Silk Routes in South Asia, passing through Kalimpong and Sikkim in the eastern Himalayas, and extending to Lhasa, Tibet.
What Does the Book Document?
- Flowering Plants: It documents 1,137 flowering plant species, providing valuable insights into their distribution, ecology, and conservation status.
- Butterflies, Insects, Birds, and Mammals: Beyond plants, the publication also explores the rich biodiversity of the region.
- Historical Context: It reveals how the Silk Route (ancient trade route) facilitated exchanges between medieval Bengal and Lhasa, with multiple routes crisscrossing the rugged terrain.
Noteworthy Flora Along the Silk Route:
- Windamere Palm (Trachycarpus latisectus): This wild palm species faces the threat of extinction, with only a few trees remaining in the Kalimpong region.
- Also known as T. sikkimensis and is heat-tolerant.
- Originating from elevations around 7500 feet in the Himalayas.
- Leaves: They feature huge, nearly circular leaves that cluster near the top of their smooth trunk.
- Rhododendron niveum: Endemic to the eastern Himalayas.
- Locally known as ‘hiun pate gurans,’ is honoured as the state tree of Sikkim. It thrives in the Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary along the Silk Route.
- An evergreen shrub of sturdy habit, up to 15 ft high; young shoots clothed with a whitish felt.
- Impatiens sikkimensis: A threatened balsam species.
- Daphne ludlowii: Historically used to make paper for Buddhist manuscripts.
Silk Route
- It connected Lhasa (Tibet) to Kalimpong, India.
- Usage: Active until the Chinese invasion of Tibet.
- Key Pass: Jelep-la, used as an overnight stop for traders.
- Route Path: Kalimpong – Pedong – Aritar – Dzuluk – Jelep-la – Chumbi Valley (Tibet).
- 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 inhabit — tiger, leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard.
- Trade Resumption: Reopened at Nathu La in 2006 after improved India-China relations.
- Current Status: Trade halted after the pandemic, affecting around 200 people on both sides.