Phodong is a famous monastery about 39 km from Gangtok,
the capital of Sikkim. The monastery can be reached from a uphill
road that start about a kilometer ahead of Phodong on the way to Mongan.
The Monastery belongs to Karmapa sub-secto fo Kagyupa sect. Chogyal
(King) Gyurmed Namgyal built the monastery sometime in the first
half of the 18th century (probably 1740). The original monastery
was rebuilt during the recent past and it now constitutes one of
the most beautiful monasteries of Sikkim. Beautiful moral paintings
adorn the walls of this monastery.
The Monastery is famous for the intricate murals that adorn its
wall. It possesses the old mural paintings and has around 260 monks.
Like the Ralong and Rumtek monasteries the main annual Puja is performed
on the 28th & 29th days of the tenth month of the Tibetan Calender
when the religious dances (known as Cham) are performed.
Apart from the Monastery the other attraction of the area are short
treks which are typically of 1 to 3 days duration. There are a few
basic hotels available at Phodong which can be based while making
tour plans to other parts of the area. |
