Small but beautiful. Sikkim is situated in the eastern Himalayas . Spread below the Mount Khanchanjunga (8534 mts), the third highest mountain in the world, and revered by the Sikkimese as their protective deity. With an area of 7,300 sq kms and measuring approx. 114 kms from the north to south and 64 kms from east to west, the elevation ranges from 300 mts to over 8540 mts above sea level.
Amidst the grandeur of the mountain peaks, lush valleys, fast flowing rivers, hills, Sikkim offers her visitors a rare and singular experience. Within a matter of hours one can move from the sub tropical heat of the lower valleys to the cold of the rugged mountain slopes that reach up to the area of perpetual snow .
Small but beautiful. Sikkim is situated in the eastern Himalayas . Spread below the Mount Khanchanjunga (8534 mts), the third highest mountain in the world, and revered by the Sikkimese as their protective deity. With an area of 7,300 sq kms and measuring approx. 114 kms from the north to south and 64 kms from east to west, the elevation ranges from 300 mts to over 8540 mts above sea level.
Amidst the grandeur of the mountain peaks, lush valleys, fast flowing rivers, hills, Sikkim offers her visitors a rare and singular experience. Within a matter of hours one can move from the sub tropical heat of the lower valleys to the cold of the rugged mountain slopes that reach up to the area of perpetual snow .
Rumtek Monastery:
24 km away from Gangtok , the capital of Sikkim, situated amidst bewitching countryside is Rumtek Monastery, seat of the Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Kagyu Order, one of the 4 major sects of Tibetan Buddhism. The old monastery, built in 1717 lies a little further away from the present one. The new monastery was constructed in the sixties by His Holiness, the 16th reincarnation of Gyalwa Karmapa who cane here after the Chinese occupation of Tibet. The architecture and style of the monastery is strictly traditional and patterned on the lines of the lamaseries of Tibet. It is a close replica of the Karmapa’s monastery at Tsorphu in Tibet, the original Kagyu headquarters. The sect has over 200 centers worldwide. It is the largest monastery of its kind outside Tibet. Tse-Chu Chaams are performed on the 10th day of the 5th month of the Tibetan calendar which usually falls around June.
Orchid Sanctuary:
Located next to the Institute of Tibetology, the sanctuary has on display more than 200 varieties of orchids. Among them are some rare wild Himalayan varieties.
Lal Bazar:
The colourful local market which is situated in the heart of town is the hub of Gangtok. This is the place where one can see and meet the local people going about their business oblivious of the outside world.
Shrishing Yungdrung Dungdrakling Monastery:
This monastery is situated in Sosing in South Sikkim below Rabong-la on the way to Pemayangste. It is the only monastery in Sikkim that follows the Bon faith. Bon was the indigenous animistic religion of Tibet before Buddhism was introduced in the seventh century. This shamanistic religion flourished in Tibet before the arrival of Buddhism. However, the impact of Buddhism on it was so overpowering that it could only survive by adopting Buddhist methods and interpreting its doctrine in Buddhist terminology. Bonism as it survives today is hardly more than an off-shoot of Buddhism, or merely another sect of Lamaism. In fact it never appears to be non-Buddhists but merely different from the other better known sects.
Pemayangtse Monastery:
About 120 km from Gangtok, Pemayangtse “the sublime perfect lotus”, was originally built as a small temple at the end of the 17th century. Later, during the reign of the third Chogyal, it was extended and rebuilt into a monastery. It is the head of all the other monasteries of the Nyingma sect in Sikkim. It houses religious idols and priceless antiques. On the top floor is a wooden sculpture the “Zangdok Parli” portraying the Mahaguru’s heavenly palace.
About 7 km away from Pemayangtse on top of another hill is Sanga Choling monastery, “the place of secret spells”. As old as Pemayangtse belonging to the same sect, this monastery was built over one of the spots consecrated to Guru Rinpoche.
Rabdanste Palace Ruins:
Rabdanste, which lies below the Pemayangste Monastery, was the second capital of Sikkim. It was established in the late seventeenth century by the second Chogyal of Sikkim. It was abandoned towards the end of the 18th centuary because of the threat posed by the Nepalese and the capital was shifted to Tumlong. The Rabdanste Palace is in ruins and one has to trek about 2 km from the main road near the Monastery through a thick forest to reach it. The chortens around the palace have withstood the elements of nature and the ruins are now being preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India as a national monument.
Kheochopalri Lake (Kechoberi):
Kheochopalri or the ‘Wishing Lake’ is situated about 33 km from Pelling off the main road to Yuksom. The water of this lake is placid and crystal clear. Not even a leaf can be seen on it’s surface although there is a dense forest above the lake. It is said that if a leaf drops on the surface of the water it is picked by a bird. It is one of the many sacred lakes in Sikkim and a place of pilgrimage for the devout Buddhists.
Yuksom:
Yuksom was the first capital of Sikkim and it was here that the first Chogyal was consecrated by the three holy Lamas. The stone throne where this ceremony took place in 1642 can still be seen here. Declared a national monument, it is now under the care of the Archeological survey of India. Situated on a hill overlooking Yuksom and about an hours walk uphill is the Dubdi Monastery, one of the oldest in Sikkim. Built around 1700, Dubdi means ‘The Retreat’, an apt name for a monastery set aloof amidst a thick forest. Yuksom is also the starting point for all treks into the west Sikkim Himalayas.
Dubdi Monastery:
Dubdi, situated on top of a hill above Yuksom is Sikkim’s oldest monastery it was built in 1700 by the patron saint of Sikkim, Lahtsum Chhembo. A smaller shrine at the back of the main building contains an image of “Chang Dorjee” or Durga in the Hindu mythology.
Tashiding Monastery:
South of Yuksom, 19 km away and standing in majestic isolation on top of a hill, is Tashiding, the holiest of all the monasteries. This monastery is sanctified by a chorten which contains some of the funeral remains of Shakya Muni. It was deposited here by Jigmey Pawo, the incarnation of Lahtsum Chhembo. This sacred chorten is called Thong-wa Rang-to “savior by mere sight”. It is believed that just the act of seeing it cleanses one of all sins.
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Capital : Gangtok
Altitude: 5,840 ft
Population: 5,40,493 92001 census)
Climate: Summer Max- 21°C Min - 13°C
Winter Max -13°C Min - 0°C
Rainfall : 325 cm per annum
Best Season: March to May & October to December.
Clothing: Summer - Light Woolens Winter- Heavy Woolens.
Language Spoken: Nepali, Bhutia, Lepcha, Tibetan, English, Hindi.
Nearest Airport: Bagdogra airport in Siliguri, West Bengal, 124 km from Gangtok.
Nearest Railway Station: Siliguri, 114 km from Gangtok, New Jalpaiguri, 125 km from Gangtok.
Climate: Cold winters from November to February with minimum temperatures dipping to 0 degrees C during January-February. In March to May sunshine is quite abundant. Summer is from May to October, but in the monsoon from June to September non-stop rains at times continue for several days. September to October is autumn. The monsoons can be experienced throughout the year at times barring May-June and October-November. Summer Max- 21°C Min - 13°C Winter Max -13°C Min - 0°C Rain: 325 cm. RF / Year Best season: March to May and October to December
