That sikkim is inordinately beautiful is something you know even if you have never set foot in the state or seen a single photograph of it. After all, what else could a tiny mountain kingdom set amid the Himalayas be? Luxuriant meadows, slopes a flame with rhododendrond, over 450 species of orchids, the swirling white waters of the teesta and rangeet rivers, mist- laden peaks- when it comes to counting its natural blessings, sikkim wouldn’t know where to stop. It could, equally, be the realization that it is possible to feel perfection, even if only for a fleeting moment, as you watch the mists part to reveal a distant peak and rows of prayer flags sway in the breeze as the sound of sacred chants fill the air.
