Sikkim
Tucked away in the foothills of the Himalayas,
Sikkim is a Himalayan wonderland with its lovely
views and exotic orchids, and its forest-trails.
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 quaint capital,
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, and on the language
and traditions of Tibet. 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. Prior permission must be sought
from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government
of India, by all foreigners wishing to visit
Sikkim – though travel formalities are
being relaxed gradually. Permission may, therefore,
be sought from Indian Missions overseas, or
from offices of Sikkim Tourism, A number of
good hotels and lodging houses exist in Gangtok.
SIKKIM HELIKOPTER SERVICE (SHS)
Dep Gangtok - 12:30 hrs
Dep Bagdogra - 14:30 hrs*
Duration 30 minutes
Fare Rs 1500/- per Person
*on Monday/Friday Dep 15:30 hrs to cater
for IA Calcutta Arrivals
For information/Prior Reservation Please
contact:
RNC Enterprise
M.G.Marg,Gangtok
Phone 23556
Fax 03592-23556
Deptt. of Tourism
Govt. of Sikkim
Ph:222064/222634
Gangtok
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 monastaries, parks, pagoda
style houses and colourful bazars.
Altitude: 5800 ft (1,547 metres).
Temperature(°C):
Summer- Max. 20.7, Min. 13.1
Winter- Max. 14.9, Min. 7.7
Clothing: Summer- Light woollens, Winter-
Heavy woollens.
Languages spoken: Sikimese, English.
Best Season: March to late May, October to
Mid-December
How to reach
Air: Nearest Airport is Bagdogra (124 kms).
Fare:- Calcutta-Bagdogra Rs.1025.
Rail: The nearest railway stations are Siliguri
114 kms, New Jalpaiguri (NJP) 125 kms.
Road: Good motorable roads connect Gangtok
with Siliguri 114 kms, Calcutta 725 kms, Darjeeling
139 kms and Guwahati 589 kms.
Bus Service: Regular bus services connect
Gangtok with Bagdogra, Darjeeling, Kalimpong,
Siliguri and Calcutta. Fare:- Calcutta-Gangtok
Rs.160. Conducted Tour: The following tours
are run by the Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of
Sikkim, starting from the tourist Information
Centre, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Tel.: 22064,
only during the season.
Places Covered
1) Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom,
Research Institute of Tibetology, Orchid Sanctuary
and Enchey Monastery (1000 to 1230 hours).
2) Orchidarium and Dharma Chakra Centre (Rumtek)
(1300-1730 hours).
Places of Interest
Chorten, Deer park, Enchey Monastery, Goverment
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 : 2nd day halt for trekking and mountaineering
expedition to Dzongri.
Dzongri : This place offers a fascinating
view of Kanchenjunga.
Pemayangtse Monastery : 115 kms from Gangtok.
The 2nd oldest monastary in Sikkim. And an
ideal base for trekking to Dzongri.
Entry Formalities for Foreign Tourists
Individual tourist alongwith group tourists
can visit Gangtok, Rumtek, Phodong and Pemayangtse
for 15 days. Group min. 4 persons can only
visit Dzongri (in West Sikkim) for 15 days
for the purpose of trekking. Given below are
the list of the authorities, who can issue
the permit :
1) All Indian Missions abroad;
2) All Foreigners' Regional Registration
Offices in Calcutta, Delhi, Madras & Bombay;
3) Assistant Director (Tourism), Govt. of
Sikkim, Siliguri;
4) Deputy Director (Tourism), Govt. of sikkim,
New Delhi;
5) Assistant Resident Commissioner, Govt.
of Sikkim, Calcutta;
6) Deputy Commissioner, Darjeeling.
Pemayangtse
The mighty Kanchenjunga overlooks the land
of Sikkim and Pemayangtse in Sikkim nestles
close to Kanchenjunga. Pemayangtse is not
a settlement. This 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. There
seems to have been an earlier shrine at the
sight of the monastery, which dates back to
1705. Many priceless antique idols are housed
here, and the top-most floor, the most fascinating,
contains some magnificent sculptures, very
intricate and very intriguing. The locals
say that it took seven years to put them together,
in an attempt to recreate what a monk, Lhotso
Chempo dreamt as the celestial palace of Zamdogpalri
Rimpoche, one of the ancient religious leaders
of the sect, What is amazing is that it was
executed by a third man, Sandup Dungzing Rimpoche
who was neither a sculptor nor an engineer.
Rarely does a monastery suggest the feel of
space and airiness that Pemayangtse does.
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. The monks of Pemayangtse by tradition
have been Bhutias. On one side of the monastery
are some typical old stone and wooden dwellings:
rough, with wooden pieces slotted together
rather than nailed, and decorated with wooden
carvings. These are the monks’ quarters
and comforts have been deliberately modulated
for bare survival under the strict Buddhist
discipline. 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. The
mysterious aura around the monks while they
hum mantras under their breath, spinning the
ubiquitous chakras which never seem to leave
their hands, blowing at conches and gyalings,
or, if you happened to be there during Kagyat
Chaam, performing ritualistic and a strangely
rhythmic dance wearing ceremonial masks, will
haunt you for days after you have left this
cloud- woven habitation on the eastern tip
of the country.
