As part of the Year of Tourism 2010, The Government of Sikkim has decided to organize – among many other activities, the International Rhododendron Festival starting from 25th April 2010 up to 14th May 2010. However, the year long celebration will go on for a year.

Ever since Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, the eminent plant explorer visited Sikkim around 1849, and published his most monumental work: “The Rhododendrons of Sikkim Himalaya” in which he has categorized and named over 30 species then unknown to science, the Rhododendrons of Sikkim has been the flag-bearer among its 4000 odd flowering plants that are found in this small geographical area of a little over 7096  Sq kms. In the temperate region of the world Sikkim is synonymous with rhododendrons. Sikkim, not only depicts the classic variation of physical features in the entire Himalayan chain from the point of view of latitude and longitude, but Sikkim also has the entire range of altitudes from 250 m  right upto Mt. Khangchendzonga which is a little over 8484 m ( the 3rd highest mountain in the world and the guardian deity of Sikkim). The 38 odd species of rhododendrons from R.arboreum starting from just over 1820 m altitude to R. nivale that could be found as high as 2500 m is a case example in itself.

These very rhododendron species are the plants that have been hybridized many times over in order to have the various beautiful hybrids that have glamorized the palaces, the castles, homes and gardens in the western world, besides creating a breed of people – the ‘ rhododendron maniacs’. It is the first time, that Sikkim and its people are making a sincere effort to have a Festival of an International level to remind the world of the original habitat of so many Rhododendron species and importantly how this Himalayan flowering plant has taken the central stage in the unfolding world of eco-tourism and how the government as a whole is involved in its conservation in their natural habitat for the posterity.