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Tucked away in the foothills of the
Himalayas, Sikkim is a Himalayan wonderland
with its lovely views and exotic orchids,
and its forest-trails. |
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A virtual Shangrila
overlooked by Mt. Kanchenjunga, the world’s
third highest peak, Sikkim is attractive
equally for the sightseer, the adventure
sports enthusiast and those interested in
Buddhism and Tibetology. Buddhism is the
predominant religion here, with many fine
old monasteries rich with frescoes,
religious paintings on silk and statues of
the Buddha’s various incarnations. In
Gangtok, the delightfully quaintcapital, are pagoda like roofs of many
buildings and the presence of crimson robed
monks in the bazaars. The Institute of Tibetology, the only one of its kind in the
world, was set up by the erstwhile ruler to
promote research on Mahayana Buddhism. Lower
down the hill is the famed orchid sanctuary
where 500 species of orchids indigenous to
Sikkim are cultivated. Sikkim offers several
treks that lead through pine forests,
through picturesque valleys, monasteries and
to mountain lakes. It is also the base for
mountaineering expeditions and the rivers
Teesta and Rangeet offer excellent river
rafting. A number of good hotels and lodging
houses exist in Gangtok. |
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Gangtok |
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Entry to Sikkim is most convenient by coach,
taxi or helicopter. The state of Sikkim lies
in the shadow of the mighty Kanchenjunga and
its capital, Gangtok, is a picturesque
mountain clinging town with monasteries,
parks, pagoda style houses and colorful
bazaars. |
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| Altitude: 5800 ft (1,547
meters). Climate (deg.c.):
Summer- Max. 20.7, Min. 13.1. Winter- Max.
14.9, Min. 7.7.Clothing:
Summer- Light woolens, Winter- Heavy
woolens. Languages spoken:
Sikimese, English. Best Season:
March to late May, October to Mid-December.
Places
Of Interest:
Chorten, Deer park, Enchey Monastery,
Government Cottage Industries Institute,
Orchid Sanctuary, Research Institute of
Tibetology, Tashi View Point, Dharma Chakra
Centre (Rumtek) and Saramsa Garden. Proposed
Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok. |
Excursions:
Bakkhim, Dzongri, Pemayangtse Monastery. |
Reach -
By Air: Nearest Airport is Bagdogra-
124 kms.
By Rail: The nearest railway stations
are Siliguri- 114 kms, New Jalpaiguri (NJP)
125- kms.
By Road: Siliguri- 114 kms, Calcutta-
725 kms, Darjeeling- 139 kms and Guwahati-
589 kms. |
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Pemayangtse |
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Pemayangtse in Sikkim nestles close to
Kanchenjunga. Pemayangtse is where 6000 ft
above sea level one of the most famous
Buddhist monasteries is located. The
Pemayangtse monastery is the second oldest
monastery in Sikkim and is the headquarters
of the Nyingma sect. Many priceless antique
idols are housed her containing some
magnificent sculptures. The monastery
suggest the feel of space and airiness From
the monastery one can also see the ruins of
the first palace of the Chogyals at Gezing
where only a chorten and a bit of masonry
have been left, though excavations could
reveal more. On one side of the monastery
are some typical old stone and wooden
dwellings decorated with wooden carvings.
The Pemayangtse monastery, an oasis of
serenity and a repository of centuries-old
wisdom and scriptures, surrounded by
mountains, glaciers and passes, is where you
feel time is frozen in a frame of
yesteryears. The evergreen shrubs of
rhododendron, with those large clusters of
trumpet shaped flowers can be seen blooming
everywhere, and yaks and musk deer and red
pandas follow you around the terrain. |
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