Sikkim Festivals Display the Vibrant Expression of Culture

Culture is something, which I always look forward to my trips. Visiting India was already a great opportunity for a wanderer like me and the Sikkim tour added to my pleasure.

culture of Sikkim

Sikkim, the land of monasteries has always fascinated me. On my Sikkim trip, I was sure to learn a lot about the culture of Sikkim. Having heard a lot about Sikkim fairs and festivals, I was too eager to become a bystander of those colourful occasions.

Based on my research on internet, I came across few major festivals of Sikkim. These are named as:

• Saga Dawa
• Drupka Teshi
• Losoong
• Kagyed Dance Festival
• Phang Lhabsol

As I was in India in late November, So I decided to extend my trip to December. Reason being, to become a part of Losoong, which takes place in the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar (according to Hindu Calendar-December)

Losoong Festival is like another way to celebrate the Sikkimese New Year. It is held at the end of the harvest season and serves as the best time to rejoice and pray for a better harvest.

I headed towards Rumtek monastery to become a part of the festival. Commemorating the triumph of good over evil, The Black Hat dance took place, which was very interesting to see. I enjoyed the event with “Chamms” that takes place in various monasteries of Sikkim.

Colourfully attired, the “Chamms” look really attention grabbing. The dance represents a way to exorcise the evil spirits and to greet the good spirit. I got to taste Chaang, the local wine there, which was very common during the festival.

Losoong Festival

What I experienced was that traditional gaiety, excitement and colours by the Lepchas and Bhutias.

I was happy to plan my trip to Sikkim during the festival time as it offered me the wonderful chance to witness the extravagant carnival.

Losoong Festival in Sikkim was followed by a series of competitions among which I liked archery the most. As I got to know, these competitions were to bring out the traditional skills to public and it was very exciting to watch the competition as well.

Marking my presence in the sacred festival of Sikkim, I was contended with my Sikkim tour India where I learned a lot about Sikkimese culture.

North East Indian Monastery Tour for a Transforming Experience

Being a person with spiritual bend of mind, I have always wished to explore the pilgrimage places in India. This time, my search ended with the monastery tour of North East India. Monastery is a religious place of Buddhist people that also served as a staying option and the place of learning spiritual teaching for the Buddhist monks.

North East Indian Monastery

The most wonderful thing about the monasteries is that these are built in a calm environment. The tranquil location offers you the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in this ambiance. Andrew, who is one of my like-minded colleagues, accompanied me on this monastery tour. We contacted a renowned travel operator in India and left the rest on their team. They assured us to arrange everything in a well-planned manner.

After a rigorous search on internet, I found the few popular monasteries in North-East India.

•  Rumtek Monastery
• Pemayangtse Monastery
• Enchey Monastery
• Tashiding Monastery
• Dubdi Monastery
• Sinon Monastery
• Ghoom Monastery

We reached at Bagdogra Airport in the noon. It serves as the nearest airport at a distance of 124 km. After shedding our fatigue at one of the good hotels at Gangtok in Sikkim, we left for the Rumtek Monastery. It took us around 45 minutes to drive from Gangtok as the monastery was located around 24 km away from the place.

Known as the 'Dharma Chakra Centre', this monastery is one of the religious centres of the Tibetan Buddhists. It was located at an elevation of 5800 ft above sea level. We enjoyed climbing to the monastery. This religious place also serves a significant centre of Kagyu lineage outside Tibet.

Besides enjoying tranquility, we could also view the unique art objects in the monastery, which was very delightful to see. We headed for another well-known monastery, known as Pemayangtse Monastery. It is the second oldest monastery of Sikkim that positions itself atop a ridge that is high above the Rangit River, enveloped by the fascinating snow-capped Himalayan peaks.

Rumtek Monastery

My colleague Andrew told me that it draws its name from 'Padma Yang Tse' that literally means into the 'Sublime Perfect Lotus'. I was feeling myself blessed during monastery tour. We could also get to know more about Buddhist monasteries that made our journey truly worthwhile.

Then we left for Darjeeling to visit the Ghoom Monastery. The visit to North East Indian Monasteries concluded with Ghoom Monastery. We had to climb to access this monastery as it was located at an altitude of 8,000 feet. The trekking offered us the sparkling views of the valley. Located just 8 km away from the serene town of Darjeeling, it is famous for its stuate of Buddha.

It houses a 15-feet high statue of "Maitreya Buddha" (Coming Buddha) in the monastery that captivated us. It also contains pictures of Buddha’s disciples, Chenrezi and Chongapa.

The tour ended but with a lasting impression on my mind. The awesome experience of visiting North East Indian monasteries transformed me into a calm person.