Monastery in Rumtek
Rumtek Gompa
Rumtek is Sikkim's most spiritually significant monastery complex. It's essentially a self-contained village with a colourful main prayer hall that was built (1961–66) to replace Tibet's Tsurphu Monastery, destroyed…
Monastery in Rumtek
Lingdum Gompa
Layered amid peaceful forests, Lingdum Gompa is arguably the most photogenic monastery in the Gangtok area. Its centrepiece is a large, attractive quadrangle leading to a five-storey main prayer hall. Inside, the ce…
Monument in Rumtek
Golden Stupa
Around then behind Rumtek monastery's main prayer hall, stairs climb to a smallish room containing a diminutive but ornate golden stupa studded with turquoise and amber. This is the reliquary holding the ashes of th…
Monastery in Rumtek
Old Rumtek Gompa
Old Rumtek Gompa, around 1.5km beyond the Rumtek main gate, is an oasis of peace away from the tourist crowds. Originally founded in 1734 but thoroughly rebuilt, the prayer hall has an intensely colourful interior. …
Cafe in Rumtek
Nirvana Cafe
Unexpectedly suave for a monastery cafe, Nirvana is mostly used by Lingdum monks, but visitors can grab a snack or milky coffee here and sit on the two-table terrace gazing across the green, rural valley towards the…