Gangtok
– The Center of Buddhist Monasteries :
With the Himalayan range in the back drop, Sikkim offers breathtaking
vistas, colorful lifestyles, Buddhist shrines, adventure, water sports,
exquisite flora and fauna, including hundreds of varieties of butterflies,
all close to the capital, Gangtok. Gangtok is rapidly expanding as a quality
tourism spot. There has been a rapid increase in the availability of
accommodation. Apart from government accommodation at various places,
Gangtok is teeming with lodges and hotels. Sikkim can be visited by itself,
or combined with visits to Darjeeling and/or Kalimpong. Surrounded by Tibet,
Bhutan, West Bengal and Nepal, Sikkim was a monarchy and emerged as the 22nd
Indian state in the 1970s. The capital is expanding, to the status of a
city.
Famous for – Buddhist Monasteries :
Sikkim is famous for ancient Buddhist monasteries, some of them are; Rumtek
Monastery, Enchey Monastery, Phodong Monastery, etc.
Connectivity :
» By Air - The nearest airport is at Bagdogra, 120
km away from Gangtok. Bagdogra is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati and
Kolkatta by air.
» By Rail - New Jalpaiguri is the nearest mainline
railhead for Gangtok.
» By Road - 120 kms from Bagdogra, and a little over
a 100 kms each from Darjeeling and Kalimpong, Gangtok is well connected to
the other Eastern Hill-stations.
Additional Highlights of the City :
Gangtok has an endless list of attractions. The small town itself is a
beautiful place to move around. It houses sites like the most important
stupa of Sikkim, the Do Drul Chorten, the solitary temple or the Enchey
Monastery, the marvelous collection of orchids in the Orchid Sanctuary and
the picturesque Tashi Ling that provides an astounding view of the
Kanchenjunga range. The Namgyal Institute of Research and the Tsuk la Khang,
a depository of a large collection of scriptures and the principal place of
worship for the local Buddhists, are some of the other places worth
visiting.
The Rumtek Monastery, which is the largest monastery of its kind in Sikkim
and the Phodong Monastery, one of the most beautiful monasteries in the
region, are also well worth visiting.
Gangtok, a small city, with beautiful mountains, serene Buddhist
monasteries, charming people and diverse flora and fauna, is still to be
explored to the fullest.
