Khangchendzonga National Park

The Khangchendzonga National Park in northern India is home to a diverse range of plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers, and beautiful, snow-capped mountains covered in ancient forests, including one of the world’s highest summits, Mount Khangchendzonga.

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as a National Park and Biosphere Reserve in the state of Sikkim. This National Park’s physical features, flora and animals, vegetation, cultural heritage, and importance to biodiversity are all essential aspects.

Location

The Khangchendzonga National Park, located in northern India’s state of Sikkim, features a diverse range of plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers, and beautiful, snow-capped mountains covered in ancient forests, including the world’s third highest peak, Mount Khangchendzonga. Mythological legends are related with this mountain and a variety of natural components (caves, rivers, lakes, etc.) that are revered by Sikkim’s indigenous people. The sacred meanings of these stories and traditions have been incorporated into Buddhist beliefs, and they form the foundation of Sikkimese identity.

History of the Establishment

The following events occurred during the formation of Khangchendzonga National Park:

1.Mt. Khangchendzonga is successfully climbed for the first time in 1955.

2.The Government of India designated it in 1977.

3.It was expanded by 1,784 km2 in 1997.

4.The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve was certified as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in 2000.

5.The Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project was launched in 2010.

6.UNESCO designated the National Park as a World Heritage Site in 2016.

Physical Characteristics

The property is located within the Himalaya global biodiversity hotspot and features an unrivalled mix of subtropical to alpine ecosystems.

1.It encompasses 25% of the state of Sikkim and is one of India’s most significant biodiversity hotspots.

2.There are 18 glaciers in the park, including Zemu Glacier.

3.The property contains 73 glacial lakes, including over 18 crystal pure and placid high altitude lakes.

4.The massif is divided into five main ridges that extend in opposite directions and contain numerous summits that soar beyond 6,000 metres:

a. Mt. Siniolchu is located on the east ridge.

b. Mt. Jannu’s west ridge

c. Mt. Kabru North’s south ridge

d. The north ridge’s twins

5. Pandim Peak is located on the southeast ridge.

6. The Tholung Monastery, one of Sikkim’s most sacred monasteries, is located within the Khangchendzonga National Park. It is a World Heritage Site.

Biodiversity Characteristics 

1.This National Park is home to a diverse array of large mammals, including numerous apex predators.

2.The six confirmed cat species are as follows:

a. The Clouded Leopard

b. The Snow Leopard

c. The Jungle Cat

d. The Golden Cat

e. The Leopard Cat

3.Other creatures include the Jackal, Tibetan Wolf, huge Indian Civet, Red Panda, Goral, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Tahr, Mainland Serow, two Musk Deer species, two monkeys, four pika species, and various rodent species, including the parti-colored Flying Squirrel.

4.It is home to nearly half of India’s bird species, as well as wild trees, orchids, and rhododendrons, as well as one-third of the country’s flowering plants.

5.The site is home to 1,580 vascular plant species, including 106 pteridophytes, 11 gymnosperms, and 1,463 angiosperms.

6.The National Park is home to 114 lichen species.

Sikkim is believed to be exceptionally rich in invertebrate variety. There are over 650 species of butterflies in the state, with the majority of them being tracked in Khangchendzonga as well.

Khangchendzonga’s Religious and Cultural Heritage

1.Mount Khangchendzonga is the centre of Sikkimese and syncretistic religious and cultural traditions.

2.Dzonga, Sikkim’s guardian god and the land’s owner and defender, lives on Mount Khangchendzonga.

3.The cultural importance of the property stems from the idea that the area, particularly the mountain, is sacred to Buddhists via the concept of ‘beyul’ (hidden land)

4.The hallowed Buddhist significance of the location began in the 8th century with Guru Rinpoche’s initiation of the Buddhist sanctity of the valley, and later occurs in Buddhist scriptures such as the Lama Gongdu prophetic book.

Protection and management requirements

The protected area status of Khangchendzonga National Park under India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 assures robust legal protection of all species and flora, as well as mountains, glaciers, water bodies, and landscapes that contribute to wildlife habitat. This also ensures the maintenance and conservation of the natural elements’ remarkable natural beauty and aesthetic value within the Park. The property is made up of state-owned land and has been designated as a National Park since 1977, with the buffer zone designated as a Forest Reserve.

Natural characteristics with cultural significance are protected by notifications issued by the Government of Sikkim, n.59/Home/98 and n.70/Home/2001. They recognise sacred features and govern their use as worship sites. Some of the monuments are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, while others are controlled by monastic and local populations through traditional management methods that extend to the monastery’ immediate and wider surroundings (gya-ra and gya-nak zones). 

Conclusion 

We conclude that Khangchendzonga National Park contains approximately half of India’s bird diversity, as well as wild trees, orchids, and rhododendrons, as well as one-third of the country’s floral plants. It has the Himalayan region’s largest and most widespread zone of krummholz (stunted woodland).