Famous Temples in India

ENCHEY MONASTERY

Gangtok, Sikkim, India

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The Enchey Monastery, meaning the ‘Solitary Temple’, belongs to the Nyingma Order of Buddhism. It is located on a hilltop, just above the township of Gangtok.

Best Season To Visit

The best season to visit the temple is Summer season. The best months to visit are May to July and September to October.

Weather

Highest - April to June (21°C during day and 19°C during night)Average - May (24°C during the day and 20°C during night)Lowest - December to February (14°C during day and 8°C during night)Monsoon season - August to October

Dress Code

  • For men the dress code is Shirt & Trouser, Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth.
  • For women the preferred dress code is saree or half-saree with blouse or chudidhar with pyjama and upper cloth.
  • Shorts, mini-skirts, middies, sleeveless tops, low-waist jeans and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.
  • The weather is cold throughout the year. Rainfalls and snowfalls often occur there. one should wear proper winter clothes with mufflers and gloves. An umbrella is also a must to carry.

Do's & Dont's

  • Do bathe and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
  • Do respect ancient customs and co-piligrims while at temple.
  • Smoking and drinking is prohibited in this temple.
  • Chewing betel leaves, tobacco, gutka and spitting inside temple is strictly prohibited.

transport connections

Name Distance Contact Number
SNT Bus Station
3.4 KM 03592-202228
Siliguri Junction
119 KM 139
Pakyong Airport
34.2 KM 09733098638

Architecture

The monastery follows a unique architecture which is an artistic adaptation of Gyanak Riwo Tse-Nga or the sacred mountain with five peaks in China. The monastery built around the then small hamlet of Gangtok became a religious center. The location was blessed by Lama Drupthob Karpo, a renowned exponent of tantric (adept) art in Buddhism with flying powers. Initially a small Gompa was established by him after he flew from Maenam Hill in South Sikkim to this site. The walls of the monastery structure are about 500mm thick. Their internal surfaces are covered with decorative plasters depicting images of Gods, Goddesses and other religious symbols. Inside the masonry walls of this two-story structure, a timber frame is provided. Such a frame consists of four timber columns connected by timber beams in both the principal directions. The floor consists of wooden beams and planks, while the roof is made of Galvanised Iron (GI) sheeting supported by timber trusses. The masonry walls of this structure had undergone severe shear cracks. It was observed that these cracks generally propagated from the window and door openings and were primarily created due to diagonal tension generated by the action of lateral seismic shear. The photographs taken from inside of the monastery, illustrate the issue where examples of the generation of diagonal shear cracks from the corners of a window and a door opening are shown. It was further observed that there was an absence of horizontal and vertical reinforcements around such openings. The existing lintel bands were found to be of inadequate strength. Further illustrates the above issue of diagonal shear crack through external photographs of the monastery. Along with the diagonal shear cracks, vertical and horizontal shear cracks had also developed in the walls and other structural elements of the monastery. Demonstrates the example of a vertical shear crack occurring through the capitals of a typical column of the Enchey Monastery.

The monastery was built at the exact location where Lama Druptub Karbo had his hermitage. The monastery is topped by a shining golden cupola. The walls of the monastery in the large prayer hall are fully covered with paintings and murals of four religious kings, the deities of the four cardinal directions as stated in the scriptures and the entire galaxy of Mahayan Buddhist deities. Manuscripts of scriptures are kept in an almirah. The four pillars supporting the roof of the monastery are elaborately carved. Built under the Nyingma order, it houses 90 monks. The windows of the monastery are very ornately carved and painted. The monastery has a large collection of masks which are used for the annual ritual dances. As its name implies, monastery has a peaceful atmosphere and also maintains a good library. A very serene atmosphere has been created with the colourful prayer flags fluttering around the monastery. Like all other Nyingmapa monasteries in Sikkim, this monastery is also under the jurisdiction of the Pemayangtse Monastery. The monastery was gutted in 1947. However, it was rebuilt in 1948 with the support of the devotees.

Religious Significance

One day, a Jindag (donor) from Barfung came to the Ralong monastery to offer a day’s prayer in the name of his departed family member. However, that day the weather turned bad and the fire in the Kitchen was not burning well. Following this, Chinyer Lama failed to serve morning Solthuk (rice porridge) and tea in time to the monks performing a ritual. This undesirable happening displeased the Jindag who immediately complained against him and following which an argument started to such extend that the lamas had to interfere in the matter. The Jindag angrily told the Lamas to choose between him and Chinyer Lama. Eventually the lamas, seeing no alternative, expelled him from the monastery. However, that incident had been a blessing in disguise for him. The Chinyer Lama, on the way back to Gangtok, made up his mind to enter in meditation in a cave at Mainam Hill above Ralong. After a few years of hard labor, he attained a stage of Drubthob or Shidha and acquired flying power. As a sign of his achievement, he laid his footprint on a rock there. One day, a hunter from Yangang village came across his cave and saw him. He was quite amazed to see him and called him ‘Drubthob Karpo’ which means- ‘White Saint’. Later, the hunter invited the Saint to his dwelling house at Yangang and asked for his blessing. Thereafter he flew from Mainam Hill and landed at the present monastery site. Afterward, he built a small Shrine on this spot where he spent a few years and later entered in meditation at Taktse hilltop. Thereafter he flew to Dromo in Tibet and then to Bhutan where he passed away to his heavenly abode. Later, a Hermit called ‘Karma Sherab’ came to the Shrine of Enchey for retreat. Amazingly, he, after a few years, acquired flying power and flew back and forth between Gangtok and Pakyong making the devotee's awestruck. Thereafter, this place became more significant. The Saint spent his later half of life in this Shrine and passed away. Thereafter the lineage holders of Drubthob Karpo, with their profound faith, developed the old Shrine into a full-fledged monastery in the year 1840. A.D. with the establishment of 15 monks and gave it a religious name as ‘Sang-ngag Rabtenling’ which means ‘Sacred Stable Place’.

The literal meaning of Enchey Monastery is the "Solitary Monastery". Its sacredness is attributed to the belief that Khangchendzonga and Yabdean – the protecting deities – reside in this monastery. As, according to a legend, Guru Padmasambhava had subdued the spirits of the Khangchendzonga, Yabdean, and Mahākāla here. Because of this legend, the religious significance of Enchey Monastery is deeply ingrained in every household in Gangtok. It is also believed that these powerful deities always fulfill the wishes of the devotees.

History

This is 200 years old monastery was first built in the 1840s by the eighth Chogyal and as a result, Gangtok then a small hamlet became a pilgrimage place. However, the monastery as seen now was aesthetically built-in 1909, one of the two in Gangtok, like a Chinese Pagoda during the rule of Sikyong Tulku (1909–1910). The monastery was built at the exact location where Lama Druptub Karbo had his hermitage.

In a reconnaissance report on Sikkim Earthquake of 14 February 2006, it was noted that the Enchey Monastery, apart from other buildings in Sikkim, also suffered severe damages in the 2006 Earthquake (with the maximum intensity of shaking as VII on MSK scale), wide shear and vertical cracks were noted in masonry walls, at corners and near openings. It was not the first time that the monastery, among other masonry structures in Sikkim, was subject to damages by the earthquake. Earthquake events in the 1980 and 1988 had also caused damage to the monastery but the repairs done were not adequate as, in 2006, the masonry wall of the building suffered damages again.

Temple Timings

Day Timings
All Days 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Tours










Airports

Airport Name Distance
Shamshabad 40 KM
Lorem Ipsum 12 KM

Railway Stations

Railway Station Name Distance
Secunderabad 10 KM
Nampally 12 KM
Begumpet 6 KM
Lingampally 20 KM

Bus Stations

Bus Station Name Distance
MGBS 35 KM
CBS 28 KM
kukatpally 20 KM
Lingampally 30 KM
Uppal 35 KM

Private Transports

Transport Name Distance Contact Number
Private Transport 8 KM 9546858757
Private Transport1 8 KM 9546858757
Private Transport1 8 KM 9546858757
Private Transport1 8 KM 9546858757
Private Transport1 8 KM 9546858757

Local Transports

Transport Name Distance Contact Number
Local Transport 5 KM 9546858757
Local Transport1 5 KM 9546858757
Local Transport1 5 KM 9546858757
Local Transport1 5 KM 9546858757
Local Transport1 5 KM 9546858757

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ENCHEY MONASTERY

Gangtok, Sikkim, India

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