With reference to Pang Lhabsol festival of Sikkim, consider the following statements: 1. It is celebrated annually to pay tribute to the Mount Khangchendzonga. 2. The festival is celebrated at the onset of monsoon. 3. It is also celebrated in Assam, Meghalaya as folk festival. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is 1 and 2 only. Key Points This festival is unique to Sikkim in which the snowy range of the Mount Kanchenjunga is worshipped for its unifying power. It also marks the signing of the treaty of blood brotherhood between the Lepchas & Bhutias by Khye & Tetong Tek where the local deities are invoked to witness the occasion. It is celebrated annually by people of Sikkim to pay tribute to Mount Khangchendzonga. It is considered as the guardian deity of Sikkim. Hence, statement 1 is correct. This festival is celebrated only in Sikkim. ​Hence, statement 3 is incorrect. The festival is celebrated at the end of monsoon, in the 7th lunar month in the Tibetan calendar, which puts it in between August and September. ​Hence, statement 2 is correct. Mount Kanchenjunga is also the highest mountain in India. Important Points Government's initiative for North-eastern culture : Destination North East-2020 : The focus for 2020: "The Emerging Delightful Destinations". Ministry of Development of North-East Region (DoNER) launched its logo and song in 2020. It is a four-day event. Organisations Involved: Ministry of Development of North-East Region. North Eastern Council (NEC): Nodal agency for the economic and social development of the NE Region. It was constituted in 1971 by an Act of Parliament. NERCORMP: North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP): It is an initiative of the NEC, Ministry of DoNER and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Government Initiatives for NE Region: North Eastern Region Vision 2020 document deals with the framework for the development of the NE Region. Digital North East Vision 2022. The North East has been kept as a priority area under RCS-UDAN. Mission Purvodaya: Development in the steel sector in North-eastern states. Additional Information Sikkim : Capital: Gangtok. Languages: Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepali. State Symbols: Animal: Red Panda. Tree: Rhododendron niveum. Flower: Noble Orchard. Boundaries: West: Nepal, North: Tibet Autonomous Region of China, South: West Bengal, Bhutan to the southeast. Known for: 1st organic state. World's 1st principal Cardomom producer. Himalayan Zoological Park. Paradise of Botanists. Dance: Tamang Selo, Dhaan Nach, Zo-Mal-Lok,Chu faat, Sorathi etc. Festivals: Bumchu, Drupka Teshi etc. GI Tags: Sikkim large cardamom. National Park– Khangchendzonga Park. Sanctuary – Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, Fambonglho Wildlife Sanctuary, Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary, Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary etc.