Dubdi Monastery, Buddhist monastery in Gyalshing district, India
Dubdi Monastery is a stone-built gompa perched on a forested hilltop above Yuksom village in the Gyalshing district of Sikkim, India. It has a bell-shaped gilded dome and a flat roof covered with iron sheets, and its rooms contain ancient manuscripts and religious texts.
The monastery was founded in 1701 by the first Chogyal of Sikkim, Phuntsog Namgyal, connected to the arrival of the revered monk Latsun Chosum. It is considered the oldest monastery in Sikkim, built during the period when the kingdom was first taking shape.
Inside, the walls are painted with images of Buddhist deities and sacred figures that visitors can see during their time there. These paintings are not decorative but are used as part of active devotional practice by the monks who live nearby.
The path from Yuksom climbs steadily through forest and takes about an hour on foot to reach the top. Only one monk looks after the site, so visitors should arrive calmly and behave with consideration throughout their time there.
The name 'Dubdi' means 'the retreat' in the local language, which tells you directly what the place was built for. This makes it one of the few monasteries where the name alone describes both the function and the spirit of the place without any extra explanation.
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