Sikkim Monasteries
The beautiful and serene atmosphere of the Monastery is considered as the best place for the meditation or offering prayers to the almighty or seeking some peace from the rat race of the outer world. One can easily get the feeling of closeness to God within the premises of any monastery. The numerous monasteries located in Sikkim make this beautiful Himalayan state of India an amazing place for visiting in the search of peace of the mind.
The blend of the enchanting sound of the sacred words and the whirring of the prayer wheels made a spiritual impact on the mind and body in any of the monasteries located in any corner of Sikkim. The spiritual monks dressed in their religious attire of red robes and chanting the sacred Buddhism religious hymns in the sync of the sound of thumping of drums and trumpets make an enchanting environment which is so peaceful and soothing to the mind.
The land of Sikkim is the home to more than 200 big and small monasteries and Gompas. These Buddhism religious places primarily belong to the two main Buddhism sects known as the Nyingmapa Sect and the Kargyupa Sect. Apart from these two main sects, the monasteries of the few other Buddhism faiths are also present in the Sikkim and these faiths are the Gelugpa faith, Sakyapa faith and the Bon faith.
Some of the biggest and important monasteries of Sikkim are so much respected by the people here that these monasteries make an emphatic impact on the culture and traditions of the local people and also influence their lifestyles. These monasteries also possess very rich heritage values as well as preserve and demonstrate the ancient rules and rituals which are practiced by the people even in recent times.
Almost all of the small or big monasteries have been built on the beautiful hilltops or in the lap of the pure Nature surrounded by the dense greenery and white snowy mountains. The marvelous surroundings and the divine ambiance of the monasteries are not only the perfect setup for meditation, but also is a great place for the sightseeing.
The most famous monasteries dot the landscape of the Sikkim are the Rumtek monastery in the capital city of Gangtok, Pemayangtse monastery in the city of Pelling in the West Sikkim, Tashiding monastery near the Yuksam city in the West Sikkim, Phodong Monastery near Gangtok, Enchey monastery in Gangtok, Ralang Monastery in Ravangla in South Sikkim, old Sanga-Choeling monastery located near the city of Pelling where you can reach by trekking along with many other monasteries worth visiting while on the Sikkim tour.
Few of the monasteries in Sikkim also hold various festivals on different occasions every year at any particular time of the year. However, the months of February and March are considered as the festive months in Sikkim as there are many different festivals organized in various monasteries during this time. The festival such as Losar is held in February/March, Tse Chu held in July in Rumtek monastery, Chaam festival held in December/January in Rumtek monastery along with the few other festivals.
