Eclectic wonders of Gangtok

Eclectic wonders of Gangtok
 

For those interested to know about Tibetan Buddhism, the best destination to visit is Gangtok. The majestic Kanchenjunga towering at a distance meets the eye of visitors in the wee hours of dawn. It was during last October, 2015 that I was away to Gangtok to attend the 4^th International Travel Mart held at Sarmasa Garden, Ranipool in eastern part of the Gangtok. The city holds immense possibilities to know about Tibetan Buddhism and one can spend the entire day feasting on the sights of a number of ancient, famed monasteries. At Gangtok, I had a peek into the must-visit monasteries that offer info on Tibetan Buddhism.
 

Enchey Monastery

 

 

There is the 200-year old Enchey monastery at Chandmari in the east of Gangtok city that stands as one of the major recognized gompas of Sikkim. The monastery was the brainchild of the Dhrubthob Karpo- the tantric who was well-known for his flying power, the sprawling monastery was built way back in 1840 on the lines of sacred mountain of five peaks in China. We came across a plethora of gods and goddesses in the monastery.

 

Namgyal Institute of Tibetology

 

 

 

From Enchey Monastery, we moved straight to Deorali bazaar that has the renowned Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. The renowned Buddhist institute serves as a treasure-trove of Tibetan, Lepcha and Sanskrit manuscripts. The institute is now a seat of learning of Buddhist philosophy and has an amazing range of 200 Buddhist icons and rare Thankas. There are statues of Lord Buddha in clay, wood and metal in different postures depicting the varied activities he had taken up in Abhaya Mudra, Dhyan Mudra and Varada Mudra. 

 

I took time out to gape at the colourful paintings portraying the 12 deeds of Lord Buddha. It is at the institute that we get to know more about guru Padmasambhava, renowned as the second Buddha who was born in 8^th century at Orgyen in Swat Valley of Afghanistan. Thanks to the efforts of Guru Padmasambhava that Buddhism gained foothold in Tibet.

 

Besides, the institute has multiple tantric figures of Vajrayana Buddhism. The statue of Sarvajaya, better known as the goddess of victory has been sculpted in brass dating back to 19^th century. The statue was first found at Kundeling temple in Tibet. There are statues of celestial Boddhisattavas who were the followers of Lord Buddha. The most popular female deity in Tibetan Buddhism is Tara. There is a belief in Tibetan Buddhism that White Tara has the power to bestow health and wealth while Green Tara offers protection from the fears of life. The display of seven water bowl offerings form another interesting facet of the institute. In keeping with the tradition, these water bowls were set out on a Buddhist altar every day as a mark of respect and gratitude to Lord Buddha.

 

Do-Drul Chorten

 

 

In the vicinity of the institute is the Do-Drul Chorten or the stupa with a towering spire plated in gold. We walked uphill to the chorten that has been the creation of the revered Trullishi Rimpoche, the leader of a particular sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Here we got to meet many

With Lamas at Do-drul Chorten

 

Buddhist Lamas who reside in the chorten premises. The chorten is surrounded by 108 prayer wheels that are turned by devout Buddhists.

 

Banjakhri

 

 

After visiting monasteries, we wanted to visit Banjakhri waterfalls at Ranka that provides sound views of stunning natural beauty. Lying around 10 km in the east of Gangtok, the gurgling waterfall has water gushing with a huge force. Jakhri in Nepali implies physician, in Rai community, it is known as Mangpa while Limboos call padangma. There are statues of jakhri, mangpa and padangma curing an ailing patient in the premises of the waterfall.
 

An aerial view of Gangtok

 

 

I flew down by chopper on my return journey from Gangtok to Bagdogra and was lucky enough to get breathtaking aerial views of Gangtok city, Rumtek Moanstery, the serene-flowing river Teesta winding its way through many twists and turns and the vast greenery of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in the vicinity of Siliguri.