Years of Culture in Sikkim is Rumtek Monastery
Monasteries are a soulful place with peaceful ambiance with chants and prayers soothing your mind and soul and taking you a step closer to the God. Monasteries are not only the place to worship, they hold rich cultural heritage and traditions of that place. Such a place is Sikkim where, along with other breath-taking views and places to explore, you have nearly 200 monasteries where you can spend hours to seek spirituality and the tranquillity that you need.
Each monastery in Sikkim has a rich history which it is carrying and these monasteries also play a vital role in the lives of the people of Sikkim. The monasteries here are also called “Gumba” which means solitary place. There is another striking fact about the monasteries are that they are always east facing so that the sunlight hits the monastery first. Likewise, there are many interesting and unknowing facts about many monasteries in Sikkim, and one of them, the most famous one is the Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim.
The Rumtek monastery is also known as the Dharma Chakra Centre, it is situated 24 km away from Gangtok and you can reach here easily by road. The Rumtek Monastery was first established in the year 1730 which also got ruined in the fire, after that the recent architecture has been created. It is said that this monastery is the exact replica of the Kagyurpa monastery in Tibet, the Rumtek monastery also hold many important and oldest manuscripts of history.
There are many histories about this monastery. Rumtek Monastery is famous for its “chaams” which is the ritual lama dance and also because of the “opera” performances also done by the lamas. These performances and dances are mainly organized two days prior to the Tibetan New Year which happens every 10th day of the fifth month in the Tibetan Calendar. There is a history behind this “chaams” also, it is believed that the “chaams” is actually the manifestation of the life of the Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava is the one who consolidated Buddhism in Tibet and the Sikkimese also consider Padmasambhava as the Guru Rimpoche since, during his travels, he visited Sikkim as well. These dances are the manifestations of different phases of his life, his struggle and battle against the force of evil.
The Rumtek Monastery was built by the 16th Karmapa and now this monastery is still preserving a Golden Stupa which belongs to the 16th Karmapa. The importance or the fame of this monastery increased after China took possession of Tibet and after which many Tibetan monks relocated from Tibet to Sikkim. Inside the Rumtek monastery, there are a monastic college, stupas, a protector’s shrine, institution for the lay community and many other establishments. It also stores a lot of religious artifacts and some of the world’s most unique religious scriptures.
There are two ways you can visit the Rumtek Monastery Gangtok, by trail or by air. If you are traveling by air then the nearest airport would be Bagdogra and Rumtek Monastery is 126 km from Bagdogra, to reach the monastery you can take a jeep, taxi or private vehicles which are easily available from Bagdogra.
If you want to travel by train, then the nearest station would be NJP (New Jalpaiguri) and this place is very well connected to all major cities around.
The best time to visit this monastery in Gangtok is from October to mid-December, at this time with the very pleasant weather, you can take a full tour of the Rumtek Monastery and satisfy your eyes and soul along with the beauty of Sikkim. To explore the Rumtek monastery along some other precious monasteries in Sikkim, you need to spend quite a few days here and to accompany your memorable journey with the monasteries, Teen Taley resort can make you experience a great stay as well.
This budget resort has been awarded the excellence for the best Eco-friendly resort in 2008-2009 by the Sikkim Government, Tourism Department. Teen Taley is the pioneer in an eco-conscious resort, there are lush green gardens and sub-tropical forests amidst this luxurious resort. This cottage has spacious modernized rooms which are aesthetically designed to give you the comfort and the privacy. You get all the modern amenities and a private balcony just for your privacy. The main block also has a central kitchen and a dining lounge. In one word, this resort has ample space where you can roam as per your comfort and wish, you wake up to the birds’ chirps and take the hot sip of your favorite drink in your private balcony.
However, your trip plan can vary from a long to a short one. For every trip plans, Teen Taley has some packages for you as well to customize all your needs:
Day 1 Bagdogra to Rumtek (135kms in 4hrs)
Day 2 Rumtek Monastery Visit and drop to Gangtok
Day 1 Bagdogra to Rumtek (135kms in 4hrs)
Day 2 Rumtek Monastery Visit and Gangtok Full day tour
Day 3 Rumtek to Bagdogra or Darjeeling / Pelling drop
Day 1 Bagdogra to Rumtek (135kms in 4hrs)
Day 2 Tsongo Lake Excursion or Temi Tea Garden Excursion
Day 3 Rumtek Monastery Visit and Gangtok Full day tour
Day 4 Rumtek to Bagdogra or Darjeeling / Pelling drop
Day 1 Bagdogra to Rumtek (135kms in 4hrs)
Day 2 Hiking to Phambongla Sanctuary
Day 3 Day Excursion to Tsongo Lake or Temi / Rabangla Excursion
Day 4 Full day Gangtok and Rumtek Monastery
Day 5 Rumtek to Bagdogra or Darjeeling / Pelling drop
These packages help you in planning your trip according to your convenience and you don’t need to worry much when you have chosen one of these packages with Teen Taley. Everything will be taken care of so that you can create memories with your trip.
