Phodong Monastery

Phodong Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Mangan district that houses ancient murals, intricate thangkas, and religious statues throughout its main prayer hall. The interior spaces display fine artistic details that reflect the spiritual practices of this community.

The monastery was established in 1740 when Chogyal Gyurmed Namgyal invited the 9th Karmapa to introduce Buddhist teachings in Sikkim. This founding moment marked a turning point in spreading this Tibetan tradition across the region.

The monastery hosts the Chaam Dance festival with masked monks performing traditional dances during the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar. These performances remain central to how the community expresses its spiritual beliefs and practices.

The monastery is located about 28 kilometers from Gangtok and houses about 260 monks who conduct daily prayer rituals that visitors can observe. Those wishing to watch the prayers should plan their visit timing appropriately to do so respectfully.

The monastery is one of three major Karma Kagyu establishments in Sikkim, alongside Rumtek and Ralang, showing how this Buddhist lineage took root in the region. This network of sites demonstrates how the tradition spread from one location to others.