A yak herder brings in his yak herd from the upper reaches of the Teesta river, in Sikkim, India. The yak, Bos grunniens, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia. Yaks have shaggy hair to insulate them from the cold. Their habitat is treeless uplands such as hills, mountains and plateaus. They eat grasses, lichens and other plants. The yaks are seen grazing in front of Chomiomo, Kanchenjau and others peaks located on the Tibetan plateau, in north Sikkim, India near Teesta river valley. These peaks also lay en route the high altitude lake of Gurudongmar. The fence one sees in front protects visitors from straying into the mine fields that are still active from the India-Chinese wars from back in the 1960's!

Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state located in the Himalayan Mountains. The state borders Nepal to the west, China's Tibet Autonomous Region to the north and east, and Bhutan to the southeast. The Indian state of West Bengal lies to the south. River Teesta or Tista is said to be the lifeline of the Indian state of Sikkim, flowing for almost the entire length of the state and carving out verdant Himalayan temperate and tropical river valleys. The emerald-coloured river then forms the border between Sikkim and West Bengal before joining the Brahmaputra as a tributary in Bangladesh. The total length of the river is 309 km (192 mi), draining an area of 12,540 km². A large portion of this was situated in Nepal. But after Sugauli treaty it was acceded to British India.

The river originates from mount Kanchanjunga situated in Nepal later after British and Nepal controversial it was taken by India as a part of it. Before this controversy Darjeeling, Sikkim and Silguri was a part of Nepal. The Teesta River is then fed by rivulets which arise in the Thangu, Yumthang and Donkia-La ranges. The river then flows past the town of Rangpo where Rangpo River merges into it and where it forms the border between Sikkim and West Bengal up to Teesta Bazaar. Just before the Teesta Bridge, where the roads from Kalimpong and Darjeeling join, the river is met by its main tributary, the Rangeet River. At this point, it changes course southwards flowing into West Bengal. The river hits the plains at Sevoke, 22 km (14 mi) north of Siliguri, where it is spanned by the Coronation Bridge which links the northeast states to the rest of India. The river then courses its way to Jalpaiguri and then to Rangpur district of Bangladesh, before finally merging with the mighty Brahmaputra at Fulchori.

Through its course, the Teesta River has carved out ravines and gorges in Sikkim meandering through the hills with the hill station of Kalimpong lying just off the river. Variegated vegetation can be seen along this route. At lower elevations, tropical deciduous trees and shrubs cover the surrounding hills; alpine vegetation is seen at the upper altitudes. The river is flanked by white sand which is used by the construction industry in the region. Large boulders in and around the waters make it ideal for rafting enthusiasts.

Source: Wikipedia

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