Gangtok is a capital city of Sikkim State in India. Gangtok was a small hamlet until the construction of the Enchey Monastery in 1840 made it a pilgrimage center. It became a major stopover between Tibet and British India at the end of the 19th century. Following India's independence in 1947, Sikkim became a nation-state with Gangtok as its capital. In 1975, the monarchy was abrogated and Sikkim became India's twenty-second state, with Gangtok remaining as its capital.
The precise meaning of the name Gangtok is unclear, though it is generally held to mean "lofty hill". Gangtok is also a centre of Tibetan Buddhist culture and learning with numerous monasteries and religious educational institutions.
Not much is known about the early history of Gangtok. The earliest records date from
the construction of the hermitic Gangtok monastery in 1716. Gangtok remained a small hamlet until the construction of the Enchey Monastery in 1840 made it a pilgrimage center. After the defeat of the Tibetans by the British, Gangtok became a major stopover in the trade between Tibet and British India at the end of the 19th century. Most of the roads and the telegraph in the area were built during this time.
The
scenery - there
are beautiful views of the surrounding hills from the town itself, but the best
views - dominated by Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain - are
from Enchey Monastery and Ganesh Tok, both high above the town.
Enchey
Monastery - a two hundred
year old monastery in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism - located above
the town.
Do-drul
Chorten - a large and
impressive stupa complex constructed in 1945.
Dodrupchen
Monastery - A large
monastery in the Nyingma tradition. Famous for its large chorten. When in
residence, Dodrupchen Rinpoche receives devotees to offer blessings from around
8AM to 9:30AM.