Enchey Monastery, Buddhist monastery in Gangtok, India
Enchey Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery on the northern edge of Gangtok, the capital of the Indian state of Sikkim, set on a hill with open views over the surrounding valley. The complex centers on a main prayer hall with a metal roof, flanked by smaller residential and ritual buildings where monks live and practice.
A hermit called Lama Druptob Karpo is said to have meditated on this hill in the 19th century, and a small shrine was built there around 1840. The current monastery building was constructed in 1909 on the orders of the Chogyal, the king of Sikkim, to replace that earlier structure.
The monastery belongs to the Nyingma school, one of the oldest traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, and this is visible in the style of the prayer hall and the ritual objects placed inside. Monks carry out ceremonies here every day, and visitors are welcome to sit quietly inside the hall and observe.
The monastery is about 3 kilometers northeast of central Gangtok along a clearly marked road. Visitors should cover their shoulders and knees before entering and keep noise to a minimum inside the prayer hall.
The monastery is said to house a sacred sword that belonged to the hermit Lama Druptob Karpo, kept as a protective relic from the site's earliest days. This object is considered a direct link to the founding figure and is still preserved inside.
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