Sikkim Gnathang Monastery
Gnathang Monastery is the only establishment following Gelugpa sectin Sikkim and it is situated closer to the Tibetan border.
Monasteries in Sikkim and other locations, are generally adhere to a particularschool, while there are principally four traditions, which are as follows:
- Nyingma lineage is known to have "six mother monasteries," although the list of these six has changed over time, which are presently DorjeDrak, Dzogchen Monastery, Katok Monastery, Mindrolling Monastery, Palyul and Shechen Monastery
- Kagyumonasteries, most of them being in Sikkim, which are
- Palpung Monastery of the Tai Situpa and JamgonKongtrul
- Ralung Monastery of the GyalwangDrukpa
- Surmang Monastery of the Trungpatülkus
- Tsurphu Monastery of H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa
- Sakya Monastery, which is the seat of H.H. the SakyaTrizin
- Gelugpa Monasteries, three most important centers of them being Ganden, Sera and Drepung Monasteries, near Lhasa
Other locations of Buddhism in Sikkim
- Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre is the largest Monastery in Sikkim, situated at a distance of 24 kilometers from the capital City, Gangtok. This monastery belonging to Tibetan Kagyu order, has a good collection of religious literature in Buddhism.
- Do-DrulChorten a most sacred Stupa in Sikkim respected by evert Buddhists, which was built in 1945 by the Chief of Nyingma Order TrulshiRimpoche, established in the Rumtek monastery premises.
- Deer Park, which commemorates Lord Buddha’s first sermon in Sarnath, also referred as the Rustamjee park, having a magnificent statue of Buddha with a butter lamp is burning opposite.
- KhecheopalriLake , which is a muchrevered location, located in the thick woods of Sikkim, revered by both Buddhists and Hindus.
- Namgyal Research Institute of Tibetology , which is a famous point of learning with huge collection of the original literature on the Mahayana Buddhism, also around 30 thousand volumes and translations of the original precepts of Buddhism.
Festivals
The festival of Chaam masked dances which are organized every year, on the 15th day of the seventh month of the Buddhist calendar which fall in August-September of English Calendar and again on the 29th day of the tenth month of the Buddhist calendar , that is December with English Calendar, is an important festival celebrated in Sikkim.
The MahakalaDance is another festival which takes place in November every year, which is also an impressive ritual and elaborate ceremony.
How to Reach Gnathang Monastery
One can reach Gangtok , which city is the Capital of Sikkim by air landing at the nearest airport being one Bagdogra which is 124 kilometers away in Sikkimfrom . A traveler can also choose to take a frequently flown helicopter taxiing between Bagdogra and Gangtok during day times.
The nearest railway stations to Gangtok are at New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri, which are withing 125 km reach , these two stations are having good connectivity with Kolkata, Assam and few other major railheads.
To travel to Gangtok by road will be a pleasure as the highway network connecting various other locations in Sikkim, so with Guwahati , Kolkata and few other important places of the nearby states. Road conditions are so good that one can take the bus travel, alternatively by a private car including a taxi, through Siliguri Highway.
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