Another harmonious
Himalayan highland!

Readers of our previous July-August-September issue who were delighted with our Assam article should rejoice again.

In our current October-November-December issue, it is Sikkim's turn to earn well-deserved applause.

The article, Harmonious Himalayan Highland, crafted by Hinduism Today star team Rajiv Malik (reporter) and Thomas Kelly (photographer), brings to life Sikkim and its people, who are widely diverse in their ethnicities, religions, cultures and languages, like the Assamese. And they, too, stand as a model of peace and amity.

Rajiv Malik has seen and reported on many tribes, groups, clans and communities since he joined Hinduism Today many years ago, but it is in Sikkim that he raved as we had not heard before:

Hinduism and Buddhism here in Sikkim coexist harmoniously, with devotees enthusiastically visiting the holy places and celebrating the festivals of both religions. I was struck by the happy, smiling faces and open-heartedness of Sikkim’s people. Almost everyone I met gave the impression of being in a state of meditation or just coming out of one. There is something in the Himalayan air of this [place] that infuses a kind of contentment and blissfulness. Perhaps the reverence for Lord Siva and the Buddha have deeply influenced not only the flora and fauna but all human beings who reside here. The state government is on the right track to promote Sikkim as a land of religious pilgrimage, for all who visit here can take back home with them an experience of true communal harmony—Sikkim’s premier export.

Especially notable is that, at the heart of it all, Hinduism has remained strong and is in fact becoming stronger, as well as other faiths of peace, such as Buddhism. More temples are being built, and the state is becoming an important pilgrimage center.

This encouraging article was subsidized by the Production Fund. True to Hinduism Today's mission, it informs Hindus and like-minded souls about one another worldwide, showing that theirs is indeed a venerable, ancient, enduring religion in renaissance—one that has the power to uplift individuals, families and communities, and inspire them to live sensible and satisfying lives. The world very much needs to know of these positive trends today, and most likely far into tomorrow.

It is Hinduism Today's delight to be able to point out, for all those who will hear, Hinduism's power for human peace and satisfaction, as done in the above articles.

Thanks again to all of you who support us in this endeavor.