Pemayangtse Monastery

Offering an impressive view of the Mt. Kanchanjunga, Pemayangtse Monastery is an ancient monastery in Sikkim. It is located in the Pemayangtse town which is an important Buddhist religious place in the state. The monastery belongs to the Nyingma sect of Buddhists. It was constructed by Lhatsun Chenpo in the 17th century. Later Jigme Pawo, the third reincarnate of Lhastsun Chenpo's remodelled it. Situated at an altitude of 2085 m, the monastery is an abode of 108 monks. Most of these monks belong to the known Bhutia families of Sikkim.

The Pemayangtse Monastery is famous for its many beautiful religious images and objects. The history of these images and objects dates back to the ancient times. The uppermost floor of the monastery is adorned with a fantastic wooden sculpture depicting the Maha Gurus Heavenly Palace called “ Sanghthokpalri”. Dungzin Rimpoche worked day and night for five years to create this wonderful sculpture which is one of the attractions of the monastery. The environment of the monastery comes alive during its two-day long festival which falls in on the 28th and 29th day of the 12th month of the Tibetan calender. This corresponds to the month of February. Apart from the religious rituals, dance is an important part of this celebration. People from across Sikkim come to participate in this event.

Pemayangtse Monastery is 140 km from Gangtok and 6 km from Geyzing. Hire taxis or take regular buses from Gryzing or Gangtok to reach the monastery. You can stay in the hotels in Gangtok as there are several hotels falling into different categories in the city.