Tashiding Monastery- the holiest monastery of Sikkim
Tashiding Monastery is believed to be the holiest monastery in Sikkim. The legend is that just the glimpse of Thongwa Rangdol Shrine (chorten) , washes away your sins. Seeing is cleansing here; no need to take a holy dip into a holy river. The walk up to the monastery is dotted with white coloured prayer flags . The carvings on the walls which lead to the complex are the Buddhist Chant-“Om Mane Padme Hum”. All this makes it a surrounding full of prayer and positivity, which will anyways change a person.
Tashiding-the devoted central glory
Tashiding means “The Devoted Central Glory”. This monastery was founded in 1641 by Ngadak Sempa Chempo Phunshok Rigzing. He belonged to the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Though the other belief is, when Guru Padmasambhava was looking out for a quiet place, he shot an arrow into the sky which landed on the site of the Tashiding Gompa. It is situated at a height of 5000 feet . So other than peace and tranquillity you can soak in the beauty of the valley between the two rivers and surrounded by the Kanchenjunga range
The magic vase & Bumchu festival
The monastery has a sealed pot (magic vase) of holy water, which is taken out once in a year during the Bumchu ( Bum means pot and Chu means water) festival. This festival is celebrated on the 14th and 15th day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar. Buddhists from all over the globe come to attend this festival in which the sealed pot is opened by the monks and the water level is checked. Buddhists believe that the water level helps in predicting how prosperous will be the upcoming year. A full pot implies a prosperous year ahead. Low water level is a sign of famine. Dusty water indicates a year full of conflict and clash.
Temple complex and Inscriptions outside the monastery
There are 41 Chortens (shrines) outside the temple complex. These chortens are segregated as chortens of enlightenment, chortens of reconciliation and chortens of great miracle. Though the main temple has been renovated and rebuilt, it is surrounded by these original chortens. The chortens hold the relics of Sikkim Chogyals and Lamas, including the ‘Thong-Wa-rang-Dol’ chorten which is believed wash away the sins of anybody who looks at it.
Doesn’t all this sound magical? Even if you don’t believe in magic, this beautiful mountain trip and a few days with the lovely locals and monks will make the whole experience out of the world. A trip to Tashiding monastery should be clubbed with Gangtok and you must have a 4 to 5 days plan cover these, given the travel time.
How to reach Tashiding Monastery?
The monastery is very close to a town called Pelling in West Sikkim. Pelling is around 120 kilometres from the capital city of Gangtok. You can reach Gangtok, by flying in to Bagdogra (West Bengal) airport and then drive down for four hours. There is a new airport in Pakyong, though it has limited flight connections Bagdogra is a more convenient option.
When is the best time to visit Tashiding Monastery?
The best time to visit the Monastery is during the months from March to June. The climate stays charming and pleasant making it scenic to see different attractions also. If you need to go to Bumchu Festival, it is best visited during the primary month of the Tibetan schedule i.e February or March and the timings of Tashiding monastery are from 7am to 6pm.
For more such spiritual experiences in India, you could take a look at the article on India – The Spiritual Abode
In case culture is of interest, check out the places of cultural interest in India.
India is not just about spirituality. There are many more facets to this ancient land – culture, mystery, history, nature, wildlife and so on. Read more about how the different facets of India travel are celebrated here…
In case you are keen on traveling to Tashiding Monastery and Sikkim, you could take a look at the Sikkim itinerary and cover the Tashiding Monastery as a part of this itinerary.
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