Rumtek Monastery

Sikkim can be called the land of monasteries as there are plenty of ancient and modern monasteries located in Sikkim. Being a major Buddhism destination and home to a large number of Buddhism followers, Sikkim attracts a large number of tourists and followers of Buddhism philosophy. The Rumtek Monastery is one of the oldest and the biggest monasteries in the Sikkim which is located at the Gangtok, around 24 km from the city. This monastery is the prime Buddhist pilgrimage destination for the followers of Tibetan Buddhism. Known for exhibiting many valuable historical artifacts such as ancient metal statues, cenotaphs adorned with gems, etc. The monastery was first built by the 12th Karmapa Lama Changchub Dorje in 1730 which was destroyed in a fire mishap. Again, the ruin of the Rumtek Monastery was rebuilt and inaugurated by the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje in 1966 and made the official seat of glorious Karmapa.

History

The Rumtek Monastery, also called the Rumtek Dharma Chakra Center, was originally built under the guidance of the 12th Karmapa, Changchub Dorje in the mid-1700s but was founded by His Holiness Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, The Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa in 1959 in Sikkim. It is a world-renowned center for Kagyu teachings which was begun by the first Karmapa, Dusum Kheyenpa. He spent four years of his life meditating and finding inner peace. He then received full transmission in Kagyu tradition, which is known as ‘The Great Seal’.
The profound knowledge and wisdom that has been gathered by the Lineage of Karmapa have been passed down through generations and the spirit of peace and harmony has also been propagated among the different incarnations of Karmapa.

Architecture

The Rumtek Monastery is a three-storeyed building housing some of the rarest Buddhist religious artwork in the form of murals and thangkas. The ground floor has a large prayer hall that houses colossal hand-painted and intricate murals, statues, silk paintings, and thangkas. The top level of the monastery has a terrace and a tiny stupa. There is a shrine in the main building which is decorated traditionally with religious texts.

The main structure of Rumtek Monastery has been made per the traditional designs of the Tibetan monasteries. In front of the main monastery building, there is a large courtyard that has the premises where the monks live. The monastery is enshrined with the statues of Virudaka, Virupaksha, Dhritarashtra, and Vaishravana who were considered guardians of the entire universe. Outside the monastery, you can spot a staircase that will take you to the Nalanda Institute of Higher Buddhist Studies. Opposite the institute, there is a building that houses the Golden Stupa of the 16th Karmapa made of pure gold. A few meters away is the bird aviary with many exotic birds. If you take an uphill walk for half a kilometer, you can find the hermitage point for the monks where they meditate for up to 3 years in complete seclusion.