Rumtek Buddhist Monastery

Rumtek Buddhist Monastery - SikkimGo Heritage Journeys India Pvt. Ltd. takes you to the beautiful north-eastern state of Sikkim. Behind the establishment of this monastery there lies an old history. It was said that Tibet was invaded by Chinese in the year 1959, when the Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, the 16th Karmapa arrived in Sikkim. At the time of invasion, he was made to leave the country. Therefore, he chose to settle at Rumtek in Sikkim.


The monastery was first originally constructed by 9th Kamapa Wangchuk Dorje in 1740. Soon, after the settlement of 16th Karmapa, the monastery was rebuilt into the largest monastery in Sikkim. It gradually started to gain its popularity since 1961 when Gyalwa begun working on the ruins of the monastery. Although, the government and the royal families of Sikkim has contributed to make this monastery a beautiful place fro the devotees to live and the tourists to admire.


Rumtek Buddhist MonasteryThis monastery is located 5500 feet above the sea level, facing towards the Gangtok. It is considered to be the seat of the 16th Karmapa, who later went into exile. The dominant feature of this monastery is for its four storied golden sculpture of Buddha as designed on the roof-top. The place represents as a home for the lamas and is breathtakingly beautiful with Snowcladded Mountain on one hand and cliff on the other.


The monastery is home for the lamas of Kagyu lineage and they celebrate festivals in the name of Lord Buddha, during summer and winter. Go Heritage India Journeys invites you to this beautiful monastery which has preserved the old relics, hand written scripts and murals from the ancient times. Just in front of the monastery, Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Studies has been established.


Visiting to this monastery will represent a specific way of lifestyle of a monk from the Kagyu Lineage. One can also learn about the Buddhist rituals and practices performed by these monks.


Gangtok is a mesmerizing hill-station for the tourists to experience which is just 24 km away from the Rumtek Monastery. A large number of tourists visit Gangtok every year with their families and Rumtek monastery has become one of their favorite destinations as well.