sikkim is india’s least populous state with 6,10,577 people as per 2011 census. it is also india’s least densely populated state with only 86 persons per square kilometre. there are three main communities in sikkim – lepchas, bhutias and nepalese. apart from them, there are lot of migrants to sikkim who have arrived from all over india and from nepal.

lepchas, original sikkim inhabitants, are divided into many clans with each clan deriving its name from sacred lakes or sacred mountains who they worship. they are mainly found in central part of sikkim which covers the confluence of lachen and laching rivers and dickchu. they are intelligent, hospitable and have simple lifestyle.

bhutias are people of tibetan origin who migrated to sikkim after 15^th century. most bhutias follow the kagyu order of tibetan mahayana buddhism. constituting around 16% of the total population of sikkim, bhutias regard priesthood as their academic as well as spiritual choice.

nepalese came after lepchas and bhutias. they migrated in large numbers and became the dominant community in sikkim. today they comprise of around 70% of total population in sikkim and are spread through out sikkim. with the exception of sherpas, tamang and gurung the majority of nepalese people are hindus.