Phodong Monastery

Located in Phodong near Gangtok in Sikkim, Phodong Monastery is one of the six most important Buddhist monasteries in the state. Besides being a popular place for tourism, the monastery is a very important place for Buddhist pilgrimage. Boasting striking architecture with vibrant colored exteriors and delicate interiors that are adorned with gorgeous paintings, murals, and frescoes, the monastery is also considered one of the most beautiful in the country. It houses a total of around 260 monks at present.

Phodong Monastery is based at a vantage point, at a towering height of 4500 m, that provides a lovely backdrop of the lush green hills in the distance and the calm valley down below. Other than the regular devotees, the place is also frequented by tourists, nature lovers, and wanderers. It is considered a perfect place to sit down to reflect and unwind as the pristine place reverberates with serenity, peace, and calm.

History

Phodong Monastery was founded by the fourth king of Sikkim Gyurmed Namgyal in 1740 AD. It belongs to the Karma Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is one of the three important Kagyu sect monasteries in Sikkim. Over time, the monastery was destroyed by an earthquake and was later built by the Lamas in 1977.