|
The Elevated
Central Glory
Standing in its
majestic isolation on the top of a conical hill, with printings
equalling those of the Paimionchi, the monastery is in the very heart of
Sikkim. Tashiding is the holiest of holy hills in Sikkim, belongs to
Nyingma-pa sect. Tashiding - an important place of pilgrimage, in
Buddhist world, according to ancient beliefs, pilgrims are cleansed of
all their sins if they only contemplate the great sacred Chorten of
Tashiding.
It nestles on the
top of a hill that looms up between Rathong and Ranjeet (also spelt as
Ranjit) Rivers; is surrounded by a profusion of prayer flags that
flutter in the air. There are so many Chortens dedicated to Chogyals and
some of the religious personalities of Sikkim. Carved skillfully on
stone plates surrounding the monastery is 'Om Mane Padme Hum' by the
master craftsman - Yanchong Lodil.
The monastery was
built in 1717 by Ngadak Sempa Chempo during the reign of the third
Chogyal Chakdor Namgyal. The sacred ceremony of Bumchu is performed here
at midnight of the 14th and 15th of the first Tibetan month.
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
Phodong
monastery, Labrang monastery and Tumlong Palace ruins, all these three
are located within an area of 1-sq-kms, about 40-km from Gangtok on the
North Sikkim highway.
Phodong
Monastery
Phodong
monastery, which belongs to the Karugpa Sect, is about a kilometre
uphill by a jeepable road that bifurcates from the North Sikkim highway.
It was built by the Chogyal Gyurmed Namgyal in the first quarter of the
18th century. The main annual puja is performed on the 28th and 29th day
of the tenth month of the tibetan calendar when the religious chaams or
dances are also performed.
Labrang
Monastery
Another kilometre
uphill from Phodong monastery on the same jeepable road is the Labrang
monastery, which was built one hundred years later, but belongs to the
Nyingma-Pa Sect.
Ruins Of
Tumlong Palace
Just below the
road between Phodong monastery and Labrang monastery are the ruins of
the third capital of Sikkim, Tumlong. In the beginning of the nineteenth
century, the capital of Sikkim was shifted from Rabdanste to Tumlong,
which remained the capital of Sikkim for almost ninety years.
The palace is now in ruins covered with a thick canopy of bushes, but
one can conjure up an image of what it looked like from Dr. hooker's
account during his visit and imprisonment here in 1849. The Chortens
surrounding the palace have however withstood the vagaries of nature and
many of them can still be seen.
He wrote in
the Himalayan journal:
"It was an
irregular low stone building of Tibetan architecture, with slanting
walls and small windows high up under the broad thatched roof, above
which, in the middle, was a Chinese looking square copper gilt canopy,
with projecting eaves and bells at the comers, surmounted by a ball and
a square spire. On either gable of the roof was round topped cylinder of
gilded copper, something like a closed umbrella".
HOW TO GET
THERE
Road: There is a
bus service from Gyalsing to Tashiding. The monastery can be reached
from either by a day's trek from Pemayangtse or 40-km drive from
Gyalsing. Many buses regularly ply on this route and taxis are also
readily available.
|
