Sir Basil Gould Collection No. 7 - Procession at Gangtok

Traditional games, dancing and music among the people of Sikkim - in vivid colour

The beauty of the landscape and the traditional culture of Sikkim, amid the spring flora and fauna of northeastern India's Himalayan foothills, is captured in full colour in this amateur film. At a festival, local boys compete in games. Temple flags flutter and local dignitaries greet the English guests with ceremonial pleasure. The extraordinary mountain cows and calves make an appearance.

Civil servant Sir Basil Gould spent his career in the Himalayan region, including in Afghanistan and Tibet. The film shows a sensitive eye for detail and respect for its subject matter, concentrating on the beauty of the land and the relationship of local people to it. Towards the end of the film, boys play the Susira, a traditional wind instrument of Sikkim. Preti Taneja