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Rinchenpong Monastery is situated above the twin villages of Rinchenpong (
Rinchenpong Monastery is popular with tourists visiting "History of Sikkim"
National Informatics Center. Retrieved 2013-03-20. Further up from the Poison Pokhri, the trail continues amidst maize fields to a series of stony steps. The final climb of the stone staircase brings one to the Rinchenpong Monastery, situated amidst lush green mountains and floating clouds. A panoramic view is one of the attractions of the place. The entrance to the monastery is lined with colorful prayer flags. Housed in a traditional hut, the outer periphery is decorated with prayer wheels. Child lamas can be seen in and around the monastery as the place also serves as a training center for lamas. The main door and windows have intricate detailing in a myriad of colors. Inside, the Buddha statue is placed on a platform. Visitor entry is allowed in the sanctum but photography has recently been prohibited.
Richenpong
Rinchenpong is a town in West Sikkim, India. It is situated in West Sikkim, about 123 km west of Gangtok, 47 km due south of Gyalshing, close to the village of Kaluk. It sits at an altitude of 5576 feet (1,700m). It is known for the ...
) and Kaluk
Kaluk is the small village located in the Himalayan foothills of West Sikkim, near the West Sikkim capital of Gyalshing in East India. Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest peak, is visible from Kaluk. It is one of the windiest places in Si ...
in West Sikkim
Gyalshing District or Geyzing District is a list of Indian districts, district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its headquarter is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite with trekkers due to the high elevations. Other impor ...
, at a height of over in the northeastern state of Sikkim
Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligur ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. This 18th century monastery is a popular tourist attraction in West Sikkim.
History
Rinchenpong Monastery was established in 1730 by the Ngadakpa Lama in the village of Rinchenpong. It is the 3rd oldest monastery in Sikkim, starting with around 98 lamas. The monastery houses a rare Ati Buddha (Adi-Buddha
In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Ādi-Buddha () is the "First Buddha" or the "Primordial Buddha". Another common term for this figure is Dharmakāya Buddha.
The term emerges in tantric Buddhist literature, most prominently in the Kalachakra.Buswell, ...
) statue in the Yab-Yum position. Ati Buddha, also termed as The Primordial Buddha is said to be the true Buddha, symbolically represented as a naked Buddha in blue. In the Yab-Yum position, the Buddha is shown meditating while embracing a woman. In Buddhism it signifies the power of union of the male and female.
Tourist Attraction
Rinchenpong Monastery is popular with tourists visiting West Sikkim
Gyalshing District or Geyzing District is a list of Indian districts, district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its headquarter is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite with trekkers due to the high elevations. Other impor ...
for its scenic beauty and singular Buddha statue. It is situated on a mountain trail above the village of Rinchenpong. The villages of Kaluk and Rinchenpong are at an altitude of and about 5 hours by road from Siliguri. From the main Rinchenpong bazaar, a mountainous trail originates which leads to a bifurcated junction. Towards the left of this junction lies the Poison Pokhri, the famous poisoned lake, a symbol of resistance against foreign invasion.National Informatics Center. Retrieved 2013-03-20. Further up from the Poison Pokhri, the trail continues amidst maize fields to a series of stony steps. The final climb of the stone staircase brings one to the Rinchenpong Monastery, situated amidst lush green mountains and floating clouds. A panoramic view is one of the attractions of the place. The entrance to the monastery is lined with colorful prayer flags. Housed in a traditional hut, the outer periphery is decorated with prayer wheels. Child lamas can be seen in and around the monastery as the place also serves as a training center for lamas. The main door and windows have intricate detailing in a myriad of colors. Inside, the Buddha statue is placed on a platform. Visitor entry is allowed in the sanctum but photography has recently been prohibited.
References
{{Buddhist monasteries in Sikkim Buddhist monasteries in Sikkim