Ram Gauri Sangralaya

A private museum in Rhenock Bazar, East Sikkim, Ram Gauri Sangrahalay is home to ethnographic objects like driftwood, artistic stones, utensils, old documents related to the state, rare manuscripts, coins and stamps. In the museum library, one can also find Sanskrit documents which probably date back to the 18th century and are on their road to decay; all the issues of Kanchenjunga, the first news journal of the state; and issues of the Sikkim Herald, the state’s first government-run newspaper which started publishing in 1957.

The museum, named after the parents of its current owner, Shri Ganesh Kumar Pradhan, plays a crucial role as the keeper of Sikkim’s political history. Ram Gauri Sangrahalay’s collection includes documents telling the story of the political development of the former Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim, and tax receipts that give us a glimpse of the feudal times of the pre-Independence era. This also includes bank receipts issued by the first bank of Sikkim, Bhojraj and Jethmul Bank.

Despite the commendable archival efforts of its owner, who manages the entire expenditure of the museum on his own, with greater resources the museum could spend on modern scientific processes necessary for preservation of its invaluable collection.