Sikkim Karthok Monastery
Karthok Monastery is situated in East Sikkim near Pakyong, which is about 32 kms. fromGangtok city. ChogyalThutobNamgyal constructed Karthok Monastery during his times, as the original Monastery which was in its present location was destroyed. The original architecture was however retained during its reconstruction and therefore maintains the charms of heritage.
It isconsidered  the sixth oldest monastery of Sikkim and this Monastery follows Nyingma Order of Tibetan Buddhism.
The Buddhist Monasteries in Sikkim are classified into three types namely, Tak-phu ,Gompa and Mani Lakhangs.
- Tak-phus are rock caves and they are cave hermitages, four of them being famous, which are Lha-rinyingphu , Kah-do Sang phu, Pe-phu and De-chhenphu, located in all the four directions.
- Gompas are designed with a purpose of seclusion from the mundane world, intended to train monks primarily, they are constructed not as a punishment of exclusion but as an escape from the clutches of worldly interferences.
- Mani Lakhangs are just temples for worship and prayers, not having facilities for Buddhist learning aspects, invariably situated near villages, with a few monks administering the religious requirements of the villagers.
Buddhist Places in Sikkim
Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre is the largest Monastery in Sikkim, located 24 kilometers away from the capital City, Gangtok. This monastery follows the Kagyu order of the Tibetan Buddhism, having a good collection of religious literature in Buddhism.
Do-DrulChorten a most sacred Stupa in Sikkim respected by all the Buddhists, which was constructed in 1945 by the Head of Nyingma Order TrulshiRimpoche, located in the campus of the Rumtek monastery
Deer Park, which commemorates Lord Buddha’s first sermon in Sarnath, also known as the Rustamjee park, having a huge statue of the Lord Buddha in front of which a butter lamp is burning .
KhecheopalriLake , which is a sacred site location, located in the dense forests of Sikkim, revered by both Buddhists and Hindus.
Namgyal Research Institute of Tibetology , a famous centre of learning having largest collection of the manuscripts of the Mahayana Buddhism literature in the world, also around 30 thousand volumes and translations of the original precepts of the Lord Buddha
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
One can reach Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim by air landing at the nearest airport is at Bagdogra in Sikkim, 124 kilometers away from this place . A traveler can also choose to take a frequently flown helicopter services from Bagdogra to Gangtok and return the same way.
The nearest railway stations to Gangtok are at Siliguri(114 km) and also New Jalpaiguri(125 km0, 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 with other districts of Sikkim, so with Kolkata, Guwahati and few other important places of the nearby states. Road conditions are so good that one can take the bus travel, alternatively by taxi or a private car, through Siliguri Highway.
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