Rumtek monastery

One of the most significant and largest monasteries in Sikkim, Rumtek is perched on a hill overlooking Gangtok. The monastery was founded by Wangchuk Dorje, 9th Karmapa Lama in the 16th century. Originally called the Dharma Chakra Centre, it includes a beautiful shrine temple and a monastery for the monks. The shrine was established with a reason to spread the teachings of the Buddha throughout the world. The Rumtek Monastery is located at a distance of 23 km from Gangtok and is surrounded by lush green mountains. It is a visual retreat besides offering spiritual solace. The architectural design of the monastery is very similar to Kagyu headquarters, one of the schools for Tibet Buddhism. A Buddhism college, Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies is situated opposite to the monastery. A walkway surrounds the Rumtek monastery, where monks, pilgrims and visitors perform kora (one of the circuits round a monastery). Inside the main monastery there is a -year retreat center, a monastic college, stupas, a protector's shrine, institutions for the lay community and various other establishments. The beautiful monastery has preserved a golden stupa and many sculptures which belong to the 16th Karmapa. The monastery gained its importance after China annexed Tibet because many religious gurus relocated from Tibet to Sikkim. It is a store house of many religious art objects and some of the world's most unique religious scriptures. The main structure of the building i...

High in the Himalayas, nestled between Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal and is the north eastern Indian state of Sikkim. Sikkim was a small independent Buddhist kingdom until the 1970s, after which it became a state of India. Buddhism still plays an important role in the life of the state (the state motto is Conqueror of the Three Worlds, the name of a protective Buddha aspect). The largest Buddhist monastery in Sikkim is Rumtek monastery, which is the main seat-in-exile of Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. View of the capital of Sikkim, Gangtok, from Rumtek Monastery. By 1956, the monastery was almost in ruins. When Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, visited Sikkim on pilgrimage, lamas from Rumtek asked him to visit the monastery. Karmapa replied that he would come later, but the time was not yet right. Three years later, the 16th Karmapa, along with Mipham Chokyi Lodro, His Holiness the 14th Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, had to escape from China and leave Tibet. They were welcomed in Bhutan, before being invited to Sikkim. The 16th Karmapa was offered several sites in the kingdom to establish a new seat in exile, by the Maharaja, Sir Tashi Namgyal. He chose Rumtek because it possessed all of the auspicious attributes needed for the seat of activity of a Karmapa: seven streams flowing towards it, seven hills facing it, a mountain behind, snow ranges in front, and a river below, spiralling downhill like the form of a conch-shell. The view from R...

• History • Places to visit • How to reach Popular as one of the most stunning shrines in Sikkim, Rumtek Monasteries is culturally and visually appealing. These monasteries are located in best places to visit in Sikkim to refresh Mind, Body, and Soul. An important seat of one of the major sects of Kagyu, it beckons a large number of Buddhist monks, looking for spiritual solace. Perched atop an incredible height of 4900 feet, the Rumtek Monastery seems to overlook the lovely city spread around. From a high vantage point, the views of the panoramic valley around the city are strikingly beautiful. Besides enjoying this magnificent sight, people seem to lose themselves in the beauty of nature abundantly bestowed on the city. The distinctive topography of the monastery makes it look fascinating. Every year, it brings hordes of travelers from all over the world and the country. The place is famous among soul seekers, who wish to spend some quiet time in the hills. Upon reaching here, there is a strong sense of feeling one with the all-powerful or the God. The peacefulness of the area brings people to this beautiful place where they feel a sense of quiet and harmony washing over them. The picturesque views of the city and environment from the highest point of the Monastery leave people speechless. The monastery is located approximately 24 km from the city. Best Time to Visit Rumtek Monastery September to June is the best time to visit Rumtek Monastery. The minimum temperature hov...

Rumtek Monastery also popularly known as “Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre'' is one of the largest and enthralling Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Sikkim. It is located in east Sikkim at a distance of 23 Kilometres away from the capital city Gangtok and it almost takes 1 hour road journey to reach here. Rumtek monastery is positioned at an altitude of 1500 meters that is (4900 ft.) above sea level and is settled right opposite to the gorgeous capital city of Gangtok. This monastery is surrounded by beautiful valleys and mountains and also one can witness the gorgeous view of the whole Gangtok on the opposite side from here. Rumtek monastery is nowadays considered as one of the main tourist attractions in Sikkim and it is also a bestplace for those who are looking for a peaceful atmosphere to refresh their mind and soul. The beautiful valley and mountains encircling the Rumtek Monastery provides hiking through the dense forest of alpine trees where people from different regions will also witness some Himalayan birds and plants. Rumtek monastery was constructed in 1966 by the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk and was affected by an earthquake and the monastery was again rebuilt later by the late 16th Gyalwa Karmapa. It almost took 4 years to complete this monastery. One can see some of the few Buddhist religious artwork of the whole sphere such as wall murals, 1001 tiny golden models of Buddha, and also the statues and paintings which belong to the 9th Karmapa. . It is also a very famous center...

Perched on a hillock, around 20 km from Gangtok, the Rumtek Monastery is also known as the Dharma Chakra Centre and serves as the seat of His Holiness Gyalma Karmapa the XVI, the head of the Karma Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism. Built in the 16th century, it is the largest monastery in Sikkim and displays the best of Tibetan architecture, along with rare Buddhist art pieces. The massive prayer hall inside the monastery is decorated with splendid murals, statues and ancient thankas (Buddhist paintings on fabric). One can also observe beautiful paintings of Kargyu lineage and eight Bodhistavas. It is a world-renowned centre for Kargyu teachings. The main structure of the building was made in accordance with the traditional designs of Tibetan monasteries. Its interior is adorned with murals, frescos and paintings. There is a shrine hall in the main building with a 10-feet-high statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. The monastery is enshrined with four other statues, those of Virupaksha, Virudaka, Dritarashtra and Vaishravana, considered to be the guardians of the universe. It is believed that when the 9th Karmapa threw holy rice after performing a ritual, four rice grains were scattered in Sikkim and one of the grains fell on the spot where the old Rumtek Monastery is erected today, which is a 15-minute walk down the slope from the Dharma Chakra Centre. Read More