Rumtek Monastery

About Rumtek Monastery

The tranquil landlocked nation of Sikkim is famed for its numerous religious sites and is blessed with a variety of flora and fauna. Rumtek Monastery, a monastery in the Tibetan style, is perched on a mountaintop at a height of 5800 feet, surrounded by an alpine forest, and it has a commanding view of the bustling town of Gangtok. Rumtek Monastery is often referred to as the Sikkim Dharma Chakra Center. The largest monastery in Sikkim, Rumtek Monastery is where the monks practice Karma Kagyu lineage ceremonies and practices and is located 24 kilometers from Gangtok. His Holiness, the XVIth Gyawla Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism, has his residence at Rumtek Monastery. It resembles the Kagyu headquarters in Tibet almost exactly.

Rumtek Monastery Architecture

Rumtek Monastery, built in 1960 by the Gyawla Karmapa, is renowned among tourists for its enchanting architecture. The travel to Rumtek Monastery is an unforgettable experience in itself, surrounded by the steep mountains sprinkled with pine trees. The pleasant ride to Rumtek Monastery is a visual treat for the traveler as they go down the winding road while enjoying the picturesque vista of the shifting landscape of paddy fields and beautiful pine trees. Rumtek Monastery’s beauty is enhanced by the panoramic view of Gangtok town, river streams meandering through the mountain valley, and the looming figure of the snow-capped Himalayan Mountains that can be seen from the misty mountaintop where the magnificent Rumtek Monastery is located. The three stories Rumtek Monastery house some of the rarest Buddhist religious artifacts in the world in form of thankas and murals.

What to See in Rumtek Monastery

The ground floor of the Rumtek Monastery has a large prayer hall. The hall has large hand-painted and intricate wall murals, thankas, silk paintings, and statues. Apart from thankas, murals, and silk paintings, Rumtek Monastery has some artifacts which belonged to the Gyawla Karmapa and one of them is a hat. The legend says that after the first Karmapa ended his long years of meditation in a cave, he was greeted by 1000 fairies each one of them gave him a strand of their hair. All those hairs were woven into a hat. Now the hat is kept in a box or held by someone because it is said if the hat is left ideally it would fly off. Along with the mythical flying hat, Rumtek Monastery also houses Vajra Mukut, a black hat studded with precious gems, diamonds, and gold.

Vajra Mukut was presented to the 5th Karmapa in the 15th century by the then emperor of China. Being sited on a scenically blessed hilltop, tourists are not only lured towards Rumtek for its pictorial scenery and architecture but the main attraction, however, is the Rumtek Monastery, the seat of His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa of the Kagyu sect of Buddhism. On the backside of Rumtek Monastery tourists can see a stairway that leads them to the Nalanda Institute of Higher Buddhist Studies. The institute houses a golden stupa of 16th Karmapa which is made of pure gold. The valley surrounding the Rumtek Monastery offers a few walking trails through the dense forest of alpine trees where tourists with keen eyes will spot some Himalayan birds. From a quaint forest walk to the precious hats and astounding murals, Rumtek Monastery has it all.

Why You Should Visit Rumtek Monastery

Rumtek Monastery has drawn visitors to Sikkim with its amazing architecture and picturesque scenery. Immerse yourself in the tranquil environment of the monastery while being amazed by the wonderful view of the neighboring valley. The best collection of religious artworks in the world can be found at Rumtek Monastery, which is far from the chaos of everyday life and provides visitors who are interested in learning more about 16th-century religious practices with a window into Buddhist culture.