A trip to Gangtok

I had the privilege of touring Gangtok a few years back. Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim. It is located at an altitude of 5800 feet and is one of the most important tourist spots of North-East India. It is located on the once busy trade routes with Tibet.


Kanchenjungha awed me with its majestic grandeur and the fluted pyramid of Siniolchu is a magnificent point.


The town of Gangtok has a unique ambience. It derives its flavour from the pleasant blend of modernity and tradition.


The Stupas, Monasteries, lush valleys, terraced hills, and fast flowing rivers of Sikkim offer the visitors a rare and once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I have lived in Gangtok for a couple of years and I love this place.

Rumtek Monastery is one of the points that attracted me the most. A forty-minutes drive out of the Capital takes you to the famous headquarters of the Kagvu order of Tibetan Buddhism. The Rumtek Dharma Chakra Center bears close resemblance to the original Kagvu in Tibet. The Dharma Chakra Center is home to some of the most rare art objects of the world.

I also loved visiting the Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Garden. It is situated 24 kilometers away from Gangtok at an altitude ranging between 1800 meters and 2200 meters. This garden was established in the year 1987.

From Gangtok, we traveled to Pelling at West Sikkim. It is situated at an altitude of 68000 feet. It offers a magnificent view of the entire mountain ranges.

We visited the Pemayangtse Monastery, which is one of the oldest monasteries in the state. It was originally established, by Lhatsun Chempo, one of the revered Lamas, in the 17^th Century. This monastery belongs to the Nyingmapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered as one of the principal monasteries in the state. It was entrusted with the task to perform all religious functions of the erstwhile Monarch. The Monastery is situated at an altitude of 71000 feet.

The principal hall of the Pemayangtse Monastery has an area of about 1500 sq ft. Originally it was established as a superior monastery for “Pure Monks” who are referred to as Ta-Sang. There is a wooden structure inside the monastery. The structure depicts the heavenly palace of Mahaguru, which is referred to as Sang tok palri. It is considered a masterpiece created by late Dungzin Rimpoche.

In West Sikkim, we have also visited the Singshore Bridge and Uttarey. Singshore is the highest bridge in Sikkim and the second highest gorge bridge in Asia. It is situated about 2.5 km from Pemayangtse.
After about a twenty-minute drive from this place, we reached Uttarey, which is a base camp at Adventure Tourism for Singalila range trail.

On the third day of our Gangtok trip, we toured North Sikkim. We went to Kabi Lungchuk, which is located seventeen kilometers from Gangtok. This place is covered with dense forest. It is a historical place where the treaty of blood brotherhood, between the Lepcha head Te-kungTek and the Bhutia head Khev-Burn-Sar, was signed ceremonially.

I loved the Phensong Monastery, which we visited next. It is located on the gentle slope that stretches from Kabi to Phodong. This slope boasts of one of the best landscapes in the region. The Phensong Monastery was built in 1721 during the period of Jigme Pawo.

The Phensong Monastery was built under the Nyingmapa order. It was gutted by fire in 1947 and was rebuilt in 1948.

I particularly liked the Phodong Monastery in North Sikkim. It is a forest village with a primary school. The roads are beautiful and accessible. They lead to Kalamati, cutting through dense forests boasting of rich wildlife. One can catch a glimpse of a large number of peacocks there, at dawn.

There is a Watch Tower two to three kilometers from Kalamati, at Chukchukia. A Deer Park has been newly opened for tourists.

Have any of you visited North Sikkim?

South Sikkim is beautiful. Rabong-La forms an integral part of South Sikkim. It is a small township and acts as a transit to various destinations in South and West Sikkim. Ra-bongla is at a height of 6800ft and is saddled on the ridge between the Menam (10,600 ft) and Tendong (8500 ft) peaks of the South District of Sikkim.

Rabongla is situated on the state highway between Gangtok and Pelling and is an ideal destination to witness the national heritage and the rich culture of Sikkim.

Rabongla is at a distance of 134 kilometers from New Jalpaiguri, 120 kilometers from Siliguri and 65 kilometers from Gangtok.

Namchi is a beautiful place near Rabongla. Namchi means “As high as the sky”. Namchi is nestled among the hills at an elevation of 5500 feet. I was spellbound by the panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains and vast stretches of valley that Namchi offered.

Namchi is the H.O. of the South District. It is at a distance of 100 kilometers from Shiliguri and 78 kilometers from Gangtok.

There is a children’s park at Namchi where one can see rare species of Orchids in diverse colors during an exhibition in February that I was lucky to witness.

From Namchi, we went to the Tendong Hill.

Your post reminds me of my visit to Rabongla and Tendong Hill. Historically Tendong Hill is a place of recluse for Buddhist Lamas who spend years in meditation amidst the serenity and scenic grandeur. Tendong Hill is a small flat stretch of land surrounded by a lush green ancient forest. The hill is above Damthang. It overlooks Namchi and is at a height of 8530 ft.
I remember our trek to Tendong from Damthang Bazar, the nearest road-head. It was a mere casual walk of about two hours.

While I write about Sikkim, my mind drifts back to the childhood days when I toured Arunachal Pradesh with my parents.

I too have visited Gangtok some months back. All the happy memories and the picturesque sceneries came flooding back. It is really a beautiful place. We first arrived at the New Jalpaiguri station by the NorthEast express from New Delhi. From there we hired a Sumo for Gangtok.
I particularly enjoyed the Rumtek Monastery and the Jawahar Lal Nehru Botanical Park.