Tsuk La Khang Monastery

The Tsuk La Khang Monastery is the grand monastery of the old royal family of Sikkim. It is part of the Tsuklakhang Royal Palace complex and is one of the top places to visit in Gangtok. Tsuk La Khang is the area's most important place of worship for Buddhists. It was built in 1898 AD during the reign of Thutob Namgyal, the 9th King.

Murals adorn the inside of this beautiful two-story building, along with shrines, pictures of Lord Buddha, and tantric deities. It also has a large collection of texts. In the past, this monastery was where the weddings and coronations of Sikkim's royal family took place. Everywhere you look, you can see wooden models of the head of a Snow Lion.

History of Tsuk La Khang Monastery

On her own, HRH Highness, Princess Hope Leezum Namgyal, daughter of the last Chogyal, Palden Tondup Namgyal (r. 1963–1975), asked THF's André Alexander to check out the paintings on the walls of the Tsuklakhang, which had become very dark. Before that, Sikkim had never really cared about protecting its heritage. They rebuilt the destroyed temples and replaced the old paintings with new ones.

Tsuk La Khang Monastery Architectural Style

They used traditional Tibetan temple design to build the Tsuklakhang. It has four stories, faces east, a gabled roof, whitewashed stone walls, mud plaster, and an interior wooden frame. A big meeting room and chapel are on the first floor. Another big room is on the second floor. There are also two smaller prayer rooms and private rooms on the top for visiting religious leaders. These include rooms for the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, who stayed here in 1954 and returned in 2011.

In November 2011, André Alexander and Gurmit Tsewang, two members of the THF, went to the temple and found that the building structure was in good shape. Because of an earthquake many years ago, the wall drawings had become darker, with cracks and plaster loss.

Festivals and Events

The temple hosts many events all year long. There is a lot of excitement and passion here for Buddhist holidays like Phang Lhabsol and Losoong (Tibetan New Year). The monks put on a 'Chaam' (mask dance) during these celebrations. The Black Hat Dance is also done during the celebration of the New Year. If you plan to visit, consider exploring Gangtok tour packages to make your trip more convenient and enjoyable. This dance shows that good forces won over evil forces.