Rumtek Sikkim

Rumtek Monastery SikkimRumtek Monastery is situated in the state of Sikkim, India. It lies at a distance of approximately 24 km from the capital city of Gangtok. It serves as the seat of His holiness Gyawla Karmapa the XVI, the head of the Karma Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism.

When the 16th Karmapa came to Sikkim, Rumtek Monastery, then Dharma Chakra Centre, was in ruins. He got the monastery rebuilt and it got completed after four years, in 1966. Rumtek Gompa of India is almost a replica of the original Kagyu headquarters in Tibet.

Buddhist Temples : Buddhist Monastery : Monasteries in Sikkim : Rumtek Monastery
Rumtek Monastery
Location:     Approximately 24 km from Gangtok, Sikkim
Founded By:     Gyawla Karmapa the XVI (the present monastery)
Festivals:     Annual dance festival

Main Attraction of Rumtek:

The Original Rumtek Gompa:
The original Rumtek gompa which was constructed by the 9th Karmapa in 1740 stands half a kilometre further the new monastery. The old monastery is simple but attractive structure
currently undergoing renovation work.The highlight of this monastery is the small shrine room devoted to the Karma Kagyu protector Mahakala. The image of the deity is so fierce that it is
kept veiled

Other Attractions at Rumtek:
Namgyal Institute of Tibetology : Located in the town of Gangtok, the The Namgyal Institute of Tibetology is recognised all over the world as reputed centre for Buddhist philosophy and
religion. The institute houses priceless collection of old Tibetan books and manuscripts on science, medicine and astrology. There is also a museum attached to the institute that stays open
between 10 am to 4pm. It has on displays over 200 icons, old thankas and ritual vessels

How to reach Rumtek:

By Air
Bagdogra airport, in West Bengal, is the nearest to Rumtek.

By Rail
One can either go to Siliguri railway station or the New Jalpaiguri (railway station).

By Road
Regular bus services are available from Bagdogra, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Calcutta.

Dharma Chakra Centre, or Rumtek Monastery, is one of the most important seats of the Kagyu lineage outside Tibet. In the early 1960's, His Holiness the Sixteenth Gyalwang Karmapa founded this seat near the 300 year old Kagyu monastery built in the sixteenth century by the Fourth King of Sikkim under the guidance of the ninth Karmapa. The new Rumtek monastery was built about two kilometers away from this old monastery.