Pemayangtse Monastery

The 17th century Permayangtse Monastery (Perfect Sublime Lotus) of the Nyingmapa order is perched at a height of 2085 m surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Soak in the haunting beauty of Khangchendzonga and its retinue of peaks. It is Sikkim’s second oldest monastery. Enshrined within are numerous ancient icons and objects of worship. Its walls and ceilings are embellished with bright-hued frescoes of gods and demons. Pemayangtse is an ideal base for trekking to Yuksam (1630 m) where the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism was established and where Sikkim’s first Chogyal was crowned in 1641.

Nearby, Rabdentse, with its ruined palace, was once Sikkim’s capital.