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Rumtek Monastery : A drive through the picturesque terraced rice fields will bring you to the head quarters of the Dharma Chakra Centre, the present seat of His Holiness, the Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Kargyupa Sect. The main monastery is a recent structure, built by the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa in strict accordance with the traditional designs of his monastery in Tsurphu in Tibet.

Pal Zurmang Kagyud Monastery, Lingdum : For those interested in Buddhism, a visit to this monastery at Lingdum which lies on a bifurcation on the Gangtok-Rumtek road towards Ranks can be fruitful. It is the seat of the incarnation of Zurmang Gharwang Rimpoche. Built in 1997, this monastery is palatial in size.

Pemayangtse Monastery, Rabdantse Palace Ruins and Sanga Chelling Monastery : Pemayangtse monastery at an altitude of about 2105 m (6840 ft), is situated about 6 kms from Gyalshing town and less than a kilometer from Pelling. It is the most important monastery of the Nyingmapa order and was first built as a small temple in the late seventeenth century by Latsun Chembo. Later during the reign of the third Chogyal Chakdor Namgyal, Jigme Pawo who was the third reincarnate of Latsun Chembo extended and rebuilt the structure in the form of a big monastery. The main hall of the monastery has an area of about 180 square meters.The monastery houses numerous religious idols and other objects of worship, most of which are priceless because of their antiquity. On the top floor of the monastery there is a wooden sculpture potraying the Mahaguru’s Heavenly Palace Sangthokpalri. The main dance of the monastery is on the 28th and 29th day of the 12th month of the Tibetan calendar, normally corresponding to the month of Febraury three days before Losar. A particularly impressive Chaam is on the second day that of the god Mahakal-a huge 8 feet high effigy. The highlight of the third day is the unfurling of a huge thanka, the largest in Sikkim, depicting Sakya Muni the living Buddha, at the entrance of the monastery.Rabdantse, which is a couple of kilometers from Gyalshing bazaar and near the Pemayanste Monastery, was the second capital of Sikkim and was established in the late seventeenth century by the second Chogyal of Sikkim. It was abandoned towards the end of the eighteenth century because of the threat posed by the Nepalis and the capital was shifted to Tumlong. The Rabdanste Palace is in ruins and one has to trek about two kilometers from the main road near Pemayanste Monastery through a thick forest to reach it. The chortens around the palace have however withstood the elements of nature. The ruins are now being preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India and have been declared as a monument.Sanga Chelling Monastery, considered the oldest in Sikkim, lies amidst a thick-forested hill top opposite the Pemayanste Monastery towards the west. Less than a kilometer ahead of Pemayanste on the road to Yoksum is Pelling and it is from here that one starts walking to this monastery. The track is wide and moderately steep and it takes about half an hour to reach the monastery from Pelling. Just adjacent to the Pemayantse Monastery is Mount Pandim Hotel suited for the upper class tourist. For tourists on a low budget, cheap but comfortable accommodation is available at the Gyalshing bazaar. Daily bus services are available from Gangtok for Gyalshing.

Yoksum, Norbugang, Kartok lake and Dubdi Monastery : Yoksum is situated 33 kilometers away from Pelling. The first king of Sikkim was coroneted here on the throne made of stones close to the Norbugang monastery and the chorten. The footprint of one of the lamas, Latsun Chembo, who consecrated the king, can also be seen close to the throne. The small but beautiful Kartok Lake is also situated in Yoksum and is a nice place to spend a quiet moment. About a two kilometers walk uphill from Yoksum is the Dubdi Monastery, which is the oldest in Sikkim. Besides the trekkers huts, which can be booked through the Kanchendzonga Conservation Committee Hotel Tashigang as well as many other hotels, offer good accommodation. Yoksum is a takeoff point for treks to Dzongri.

Tashiding Monastery : This is another important monastery belonging to the Nyingmapa order and is about 40 kilometers from Gyalshing by road via Legship. It lies nestled on the top of a hill that looms up between the Rathong River and the Rangit River and is surrounded by a profusion of prayer flags that flutter in the air. There are also many chortens dedicated to some Chogyals and other religious personalities of Sikkim. Carved skillfully on stone plates surrounding the monastery are holy Buddhist mantras like “Om Mane Padme Hum” by the master craftsman Yanchong Lodil.Ngadak Sempa Chembo built the monastery in 1717 during the reign of the third Chogyal Chakdor Namgyal. The sacred ceremony of Bumchu is held here at midnight of the 14th and 15th of the first Tibetan month. A brief description of this festival is given elsewhere in this book. There is a bus service from Gyalshing to Tashiding. A trekkers hut is available for the tourist at Tashiding.

Phodong Monastery, Labrang Monastery and Tumlong Palace ruins : All these three are located within an area of one square kilometer and about 40 kilometers from Gangtok on the North Sikkim Highway.Phodong Monastery which belongs to the Kargyupa Sect (Karmapa), is situated about a kilometers uphill by a jeep able road that bifurcates from the North Sikkim Highway. The Chogyal Gyurmed Namgyal built Phodong monastery somewhere in the first quarter of the eighteenth century.The main annual puja is performed on the 28th and 29th day of the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar two days before Losoong when the religious Chaams or dances are also demonstrated.Another kilometer uphill from Phodong Monastery on the same jeep able road is the Labrang Monastery, which was built about, one hundred years later but belongs to the Nyingmapa sect. Just below the road between Phodong Monastery and Labrang Monastery are the ruins of the third capital of Sikkim Tumlong. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, the capital of Sikkim was shifted from Rabdanste to Tumlong, which then remained the capital for almost ninety years.The Raja’s house is now in complete ruins covered with a thick canopy of bushed but we can conjure up an image of what it looked like Dr. Hooker’s account during his visit the imprisonment here in 1849. He wrote in the Himalayan Journal.The chortens surrounding the Palace have however withstood the vagaries of nature and many of them can be seen.There are many buses plying of the route on which Phodong lies. Taxis are also readily available for Phodong from Gangtok. Cheap accommodation is available at Phodong Bazar, which also has a few shops.

Enchey Monastery
This 200-year old monastery is an important seat of the Nyingmapa Order, and is built on the site blessed by Lama Druptob Karpo, a tantric master known for his fl ying prowess. Its annual chham (masked dance) is performed with great fanfare once every year around January.

Bon Monastery : The Bon Monastery Yung Drung Kundaak Ling. It has been in existence since 1984 and houses a very small number of monks.
The monks in this monastery are very broad-minded and hospitable. They offer butter tea or sweet Indian tea and pastries to the visitors.
We are allowed to visit their library and participate in the ceremonies in the temple...
...Until Buddhism found its way from India in the 7th century, the Bon religion was the religion of Tibet. The belief in an Almighty God and in gods, spirits and demons living in nature belongs to the ancient elements of it. The priests carried out shamanistic practices. By means of an intellectual reform, Bon was able to continue to exist alongside Buddhism. The writings in Tibetan script show strong elements of Buddhism as well as of Hinduism and Manichaeism. The spirits and demons of the Bon religion were integrated into Buddhism as guardian deities. During the religious festivals the monks put on the masks of the old Gods of terror and enact the fight of good against evil in mystery plays: the enemies of the religion are crushed and the clouds of ignorance dispersed with the sword.
As in Buddhism and Hinduism, a mountain is seen as a centre of the world. The Kailash in western Tibet is regarded as Meru (the world mountain) in all three religions. There is a religion founder, Tonpa Shenrab who, similar to Buddha, had a predecessor and will have a successor...

Dubdi Monastery : Dubdi Monastery, one of the oldest monastery in Sikkim, is located at the top of a hill about an hour's walk from Yuksam. Also known as the Hermit's Cell after its reclusive founder Lhatsun Namkha Jigme, it was built by the followers of the Nyingmapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The trail to Dubdi winds through lush forests high above the village, offering scenic overlooks and impressive mountain views. For bird watchers, an early morning or late afternoon visit is particularly rewarding. Dubdi means 'the retre

Sanga Choling Monastery : This Monastery is situated on a ridge above Pelling and the famous Pemayangtse Monastery. Built in 1697 A.D., it is considered to be one of the oldest monasteries in the State. In order to reach this Monastery one has to be prepared to spend at least 40 minutes walking up the steep hill slope which leads through rich forest covers.

Travel in Sikkim

HOLY PLACES

FLORA & FAUNA

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