Standing on top of a hill, at a height of 5800 feet, with the backdrop of the looming figure of the snow-capped Himalayan Mountains, and surrounded by a green alpine forest, the Rumtek Monastery, located 23 km (14.29 miles) from Gangtok, the capital and the most populous city of Sikkim, is the largest Buddhist monastery in the region. Also known as the Sikkim Dharma Chakra Centre, it belongs to the Kargyu school of Buddhism, originated in Tibet in the 12th century. Inaugurated in 1966 by the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism and a key figure for preserving and preaching the teachings of Lord Buddha, as his seat-in-exile, it almost resembles the Kagyu Headquarters in Tibet, and now serves as the main seat-in-exile of Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa. Interestingly, Gyalwang Karmapa, which stands for King or the Ruler, is believed to be a reincarnation of the enlightened Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, born to take care and preach the teachings of Lord Buddha.

History of the Rumtek Monastery traces back to 1734, when it was originally founded by Changchub Dorje, the 12th Gyalwang Karmapa, with the patronage of the 4th Chogyal Gyurmed Namgyal, the then king of Sikkim, but after more than two centuries, when Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, arrived Sikkim in 1959, after fleeing Tibet escaping from Chinese clutch, the age-old monastery was completely in ruins. However, despite being offered several other sites to establish a new seat in exile, he preferred the site of the old monastery and decided to rebuild Rumtek, as the site possessed several auspicious qualities, ideal for a tranquil monastery, complete with flowing streams, surrounded by steep mountains and snow peaks, sprinkled with pine trees.

Although it was a difficult task to rebuild a structure on the ruins, construction of the new Rumtek Monastery, designed in the traditional Tibetan style, was completed after four years of hard labour. Finally, after storing the precious relics, texts and statues, including the entire 108-volume canon of the Buddha’s teachings, safely brought from Tibet by the fleeing party of the 16th Karmapa, the monastery was officially inaugurated on the Tibetan New Year Losar in 1966, as the Dharma Chakra Centre.

The Rumtek Monastery, containing a beautiful shrine temple, stands gracefully with its enchanting architecture, surrounded by the misty mountaintops. It is also home to the monks of Karma Kagyu lineage, and a place of erudition and spiritual accomplishment. A paved walkway surrounds the monastery, on which the monks, pilgrims and visitors perform Kora, a circuit round of the monastery. The complex also contains Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies, established in the early 1980s, offering an eight-year course in Buddhist studies, which attracts students from across the globe. Apart from that, a small hall, located opposite to the Karma Shri Nalanda Institute, houses a 13 feet (4 m) high Golden Stupa, ornamented in ancient Turquoise and Coral and also decorated with art of fine metalwork, which contains the precious relics of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa.

The architecture of the three storey main of the monastery is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The ground floor of the edifice contains a large prayer hall, decorated with large hand paintings, intricate wall murals, thangkas or traditional Buddhist paintings, silk paintings and statues. The first floor was the traditional abode of the 16th Karmapa, and the top floor contains a terrace and a small stupa. The beautiful monastery carefully preserves several priceless relics like the mythical flying hat, woven with the hairs of the 1000 fairies, who greeted the first Karmapa and gifted him a strand of their hair, after he ended his long years of meditation in a cave. It also takes care of the Black Crown, known as the Vajra Mukut, studded with gold, diamond, ruby and other precious stones, an important symbol of the Karmapa, signifying his power to benefit all sentient beings.

Apart from celebrating the Losar, the Tibetan New Year, during February-March, the monastery is host to several other Tibetan festivals, which include Tse-Chu Chaam Dance, celebrating the miraculous life of Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, a semi-legendary Tantric Buddhist Vajra Master, and Kagyat Dance Festival, dedicated to the eight Tantric deities known as Kagyed, for protection from evil spirits and blessings of good health and fortune.