Sikkim is a beautiful hill state in North-East India. The Himalayan state borders China occupied -Tibet in the North, Nepal in the West, the Indian state of West Bengal to its south and the mountain kingdom of Bhutan in the East. Famous for Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world at 8,586m, the state offers tremendous variety of both flora and fauna besides a diverse ethnic mix of people with rich cultural traditions. It is one of the smallest states of India and has a total population of just over 600,000 people. It’s natural beauty and ethereal Himalayan views would captivate any visitor. Sikkim has its own distinct and impressive traditions, festivals and culture. The state is famous for the peaceful nature and simplicity of its people. Gangtok is the capital city and the largest town of the state. The area is an exquisite combination of natural beauty and a salubrious atmosphere. Sikkim Tourism and Civil Aviation along with the Government of Sikkim organised the The Sikkim Winter Carnival, 2014. This carnival celebrates the beauty of the winter season in the state. This annual tourism festival has been one of the most popular events in the north east region of India. The Carnival started with the formal inauguration by the Chief Minister of the state, Shri Pawan Chamling at Ridge Park in the presence of Geetanjali Thapa, Brand ambassador of the winter carnival. Sikkimese cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines of North-East India and is home to variety of dishes. The Sikkimese people are traditionally rice eaters. Nepalese cuisine is also very popular in Sikkim as Sikkim has a large Nepali population. Momos are the most commonly available food in Sikkim. However, Sikkimese cuisine a much larger variety to offer than just momos . Every community has their own style of cooking with a unique taste and flavour, using ingredients typical to them. Visitors who come to the winter carnival get the opportunity to try the different varieties of food not only from Sikkim but also from other parts of the world. The cultural richness of Sikkim is visible in its quality handicrafts. The Government of Sikkim is making constant efforts to keep traditional arts and crafts alive. The Directorate of Handicrafts and Handlooms has been established to preserve and revive the diminishing ethnic traditional Arts and crafts of the state. Most of the handloom and handicraft items produced in the state are showcased here. Sikkimese weaving is one of the oldest form of carpet weaving in the world and the women of the Bhutia community are expert carpet weavers. This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The Wilderness Films India collection comprises of 50, 000+ hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, XDCAM and 4K. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast form