The people of Sikkim are warm, simple and friendly with a nature gaiety. The customs and rituals of Sikkim are as diverse as the ethnic that inhabit the land; the 'Lepchas -- essentially children of the forest , the 'Bhutias' and the 'Nepalese'.

All communities live in perfect harmony sharing each other’s culture, ethos, and traditions with the result that there is now a Sikkimese culture, which is composite of all the three prominent communities. Most of the people speak Nepali, which is also the state language. It is the harmony of the place that provides justification to the name of the state derived form Sukhim, meaning “happy home, a place of peace”.

The state's cultural life is related to Tibetan religious and aesthetic traditions. The cultural climax of the year comes with the 2-day Phanglhapsol festival, when masked dances are performed in honour of Kanchenjunga, presiding deity and the mountain. The Namgyal Institute of Tibetology has one of the largest collection of Tibetan books in the world. Many Buddhist monasteries are repositories of artistic treasures, including wall paintings, tankas (religious paintings mounted on brocade), and bronze images.

The Sikkimese culture finds expression in it's beautiful arts and crafts. Knotted woollen carpets with the dominating dragon emblem, and eight auspicious signs; wood carvings, Lepcha handlooms in traditional designs and rich colours for clothes, bags, linen and accessories; leather jackets and handbags, articles of homemade paper, Thanka (religious scroll paintings) and Sikkimese Dragon Jewellery make a fascinating collection of handicrafts, inspired by an age old culture. Carry back a momento of your holiday - be it an intricately carved piece of furniture (choktse), a highly embellished carpet or an artifact of woven bamboo.