A land of mesmerizing beauty with its peaceful environment - Gangtok is the exuberant capital of Sikkim that lures you for an unforgettable journey. Sikkim is sandwiched with Nepal in the west and Bhutan in the East. Situated in the eastern Himalayas, it is spread below the Mount Khanchendzonga (8534 mtrs.), the third highest mountain in the world. It is a land where haven touches the earth, wheels spin in the hands of Lamas mumbling invocations to God, landscape dominated by elements, the ambience creates mystery, silence can be heard, vision tends to travel beyond the horizon, soul starts meditating and a land that makes you fly in this land of unseen beauty. The literal meaning of the word Gangtok is ‘hilltop’. It is situated at a height of 5,500 ft.This bustling capital shifted from Tumlong in 1894 by Chogyal Thutob Namgyal.Buddhism is the main religion, which propagates the message of peace, equality and love.
The most popular spots in Gangtok are:
Enchey Monastery -The Solitary temple, this 200-year old monastery is an important seat of the Nyingmapa Order, and is built on the site blessed by Lama Druptob Karpo, a tantric master known for his flying powers. Later during the reign of Sidyong Tulku, the present monastery was built in the shape of a Chinese pagoda. Its annual chham (masked dance) is performed with great fanfare once every year around January. This monastery is famous for its mask dance called 'Chham' performed in the month of January. This 200 year old famous Monastery also includes of the images of god, goddesses and other religious objects in its premises. This monastery provides a panoramic view of Kangchendzonga range.
Research Institute of Tibetology:-A premier institute in the world this institution is the house of some rare Lepcha, Tibetan and Sanskrit manuscripts, thangkas, and over 200 rare icons. In the serene surrounding amidst forest of oak, magnolia and birch is an organization to advance the Tibetan language, literature and Buddhist philosophy. This is a unique institute for research into Mahayana Buddhism.
Do-Drul Chorten (Stupa) is one of the most sacred places of the Buddhists. It is one of the most important and biggest stupas found in entire Sikkim and was built under the supervision of the late Most Venerable Trulshi Rinpoche, head of the Nyingma order of Tibetan Buddhism in 1945, in accordance with the prophecy made in 1944 by His Holiness the Dud-Zom Rinpoche.Inside the stupa one can found a set of Kan-gyur relics (Holy Books), a complete mandala set of Dorji Phurpa (Bajra Kilaya), complete 'Zung' (mantras) and other sacred objects. The most important of the stupa is the 108 Mani-Lhakor (Prayer Wheels) installed around the Chorten.
White Hall: The White Hall has its historical value and is situated on the Ridge. It was built in 1932 in memory of the first political officer of Sikkim, Claude White. There is an Officers Club and Badminton Court in the white hall. The White Hall has its historical value and is situated on the Ridge.
Orchid Sanctuary - Just below the Institute of Tibetology, there is an exotic place of over 500 species of orchids other rare tropical and temperate plants.
Tashi View Point: From this point one can get a breathtaking panorama of the majestic Mt.Kanchandzonga and Mt. Siniolchu. Built by the late King of Sikkim Sri. Tashi Namgyal, on the opposite of this view point, one can see the beauty of Phodong and the Labrang monasteries situated in the hill.
Deer Park: Also called as Rustomji Park, this Deer park is located on the southern fringes of Tashiling and adjacent to the new Secretariat. Named after one of the Dewans of the Chogyal of Sikkim- Rustomji, this park commands an exotic view of the hills surrounding Gangtok. The park has a big open enclosure in which animals’ like the red panda, long horned antelopes and the Himalayan Bear are can be seen. At the park premises one can observe the giant size statue of Lord Buddha enshrined in the park, commemorating his preaching of the noble truths at Sarnath. A beautiful butter lamp perpetually burns in front of the statue which is surrounded by flowers of the rare and most exotic variety.
Himalayan Zoological Park: Also known as Bulbuley, this park covers an are of 205 hectares. Species in captivity include the Red Panda, Himalayan Black Bears, Spotted Deer and Barking Deer etc.
Institute Of Cottage Industries: Established in 1975, this institute is located at about half a kilometre uphill from the main market of Gangtok. It was established with the purpose of promoting the manufacture and sale of local handicrafts, carpets, furniture, hand-painted masks, bamboo-craft etc.
Ganesh Tok: This place offers a bird's eye view of Gangtok and the Raj Bhavan.This place is famous for its small but famous temple of Lord Ganesh built on a hillock at an altitude of 6500ft. It is on a hillock on Gangtok-Nathula Road.
Kangchendzonga National Park: Spread across an area of 850sq km, this is the largest wildlife reserve in Sikkim. The reserve is home to the Himalayan black bear, snow leopard, Tibetan antelope, wild ass, barking deer, flying squirrel, musk deer and the red panda who live in blissful isolation amongst giant magnolias, rhododendrons, pine forests, jagged and rocky slopes.
Excursion:
Some of the distance destinations are Rumtek Monastery, Tsomgo Lake, The Ipecac Garden, Kabi Longstok, Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Garden, Nathula Pass, etc.
Rumtek Monastery: - About 24 km. away from Gangtok, this monastery is the largest monastery in entire Sikkim.
Tsomgo Lake:- About 40 km away from Gangtok, the Tsomgo Lake is considered extremely sacred by the local people which receives water from the melting snows of the mountains surround.Tsomgo literally means "Source of the Lake " in Bhutia language. ' TSO' means lake and ' MGO' means head. The lake is situated at an altitude of 3780 meters. A small temple of Lord Shiva can be seen on the lakeside. As it falls in the restricted area an inner line permit is required by Indian tourists to visit this place and for foreign nationals special permission is require.
The Ipecac Garden: Covering 6 acres area of land this garden is about 14-km from Gangtok. is named after the plant Ipecac that is grown here. This garden also contains a wide variety of flora including orchids and different medicinal plants.
Kabi Longtsok:About 17-km away from Gangtok on the North Sikkim Highway, is Kabi Longtsok where the Bhutia chief Khey-Bum-sa signed a treaty of blood brotherhood with the Lepcha chieftain Te-Kung-Tek.This historical place is marked by a stone in the dense forest area.
Nathula Pass: At an altitude of 14200ft, Nathula pass at a distance of about 56 km from Gangtok, is the border town between India and China in the Tibetan plateau. It is one of the highest motorable roads in India.
Regarding entry formalities for foreign tourists, they require a special permit that can be obtained from all Indian Mission abroad, issued for 15 days only. Permits can also be obtained from the different Sikkim Tourists Information Centres in India. Old market, New Market and Lal market are the main markets for shopping. This place is famous for wooden and bamboo artifacts with the traditional paintings. There are hotels and various lodges, which give tourists a comfortable shelter in Gangtok with an excellent view of Khanchendzonga.
How to reach there:-
By rail:-The nearest railway station is at Siliguri(124 km.) and New Jalpaiguri (120km.) with connections to all the major cities of India.
By Air:- The closest airport is at Bagdogra, which is 124-km from Gangtok.Indian Airlines and Jet Airways have their direct flights from Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati.
By Road: - Gangtok is directly connected by a network of roads with all important towns and cities with regular bus services. From Guwahati it is 624 km.away and from Kolkata 720km.
The best time to visit Gangtok is between October to January when clear views of the Himalayan peaks are guaranteed.
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