- A recent publication by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) sheds light on the flora and landscapes along the historic Silk Route in South Asia.
- Authors studied the 210-km route from Siliguri in Darjeeling to Kalimpong, Nathu La, Gangtok and reaches Lhasa in Tibet.
- Among the notable plants documented are the endangered Windamere palm (Trachycarpus latisectus) found in Kalimpong, and Rhododendron niveum, Sikkim’s state tree, which thrives in the Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary.
- The balsam, Impatiens sikkimensis, and Daphne ludlowii were historically used for making paper for Buddhist manuscripts.
- This route was the shortest path from medieval Bengal to Lhasa, with goods reaching Tamralipti (now Tamluk) port in Bengal and then transported by sea to Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and the Far East.
- British botanist J.D. Hooker, who studied Sikkim’s flora in 1848 and discovered 32 species of rhododendrons. This botanical exploration is deeply connected to the region’s politics, as botanists opened up the little-known Himalayan kingdom to the world.
- In 1903-04, Col. Francis Younghusband led the first European expedition to Tibet along the same route, further intertwining the region’s botanical and political history.
Dig Deeper: Read about Himalayan Passes which connect India’s northeast to Tibet.
