The capital city of Sikkim- Gangtok (located in the eastern himalayan range) is synonymous with natural beauty. Although, this place offers multiple attractions embedded with a scenic element, this discussion is centered around three spots (situated at Gangtok) which deserve a priority in your travelling plan. These three spots include the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Banjhakri falls and the Flower exhibition centre.
Namgyal Institute of Tibetology- Amazing Spot for Understanding the fundamentals of Buddhism
Our Gangtok tour began with a stopover at the famous Namgyal institute of tibetology. It was mainly due to its prominent role in propagating noteworthy facts about Buddhism around the world. We were mesmerized with the peaceful atmosphere of this place.
The Namgyal Institute of tibetology is situated in Deorali. Tibetology is basically the study of all the things related to tibet including its history, language, culture, religion and politics.
This institute is open for the public from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm from Monday to Saturday. The entire premises includes two museum, libraries and a research centre which consists of relevant information about tibet, sikkim and the himalayas.
The view of the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (Credits: https://www.holidify.com)
The museum has a lot of interesting stuff for the visitors.
Some of the exceptional collections of the museum includes the following-
•Statues
•Coins
•Thangkas
•Tibetan Art and Objects
It also has ancient manuscripts in the following languages-
•Sanskrit
•Tibetan
•Lepcha
•Chinese
The fees for entering the museum and the library is Rs. 25.
There are two libraries within this establishment. One of them is a Tibetan library and the other library is a General library.
A noteworthy fact about the Tibetan library is one of the largest collection of Tibetan texts across the globe within it.
The library has sixty thousand volumes of original teachings of Buddhism along with xylographs. Xylographs are prepared with wooden plates wherein the transcripts are embossed in a reverse direction.
This institute was founded by the 12th chogyal (king) of Sikkim- Palden Thondup Namgyal. It has endorsed extensive research on Mahayana Buddhism and religious art ever since its establishment. Mahayana is the largest sect of Buddhism which highlights the significance of collective effort to help all the beings to attain Nirvana.
Other areas furthered by this reputed entity in recent times are – Buddhist history, language and culture of Sikkim and the other regions of the Himalayas.
The things which enriched our travelling experience were-
▪ The Museum inside the institute with a considerable amount of interesting piece of information.
▪The Souvenir Shop for all the visitors which has jewellery, bags, fridge magnets along with other things which are worth treasuring for every traveller.
At the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (Credits- https://www.ohmynation.com)
Banjhakri Falls- A delightful refuge in Nature’s lap
Banjhakri falls was the second site we visited during our trip in this peaceful city. All of us were enthralled with the breathtaking view of the place. The relaxing sound of the water droplets reverberated within our ears soon after reaching that visually appealing spot.
The Banjhakri falls and the Energy Park is just four kilometers away from Gangtok.
The meaning of Banjhakri is derived from two words- Ban and Jhakri. ‘Ban‘ refers to forest and ‘Jhakri‘ means traditional healer.
The residents of Sikkim collectively believed upon a community of people referred to as Jhakris. They possessed curative and supernatural powers. Therefore, the park inside the premises has a lot of sculptures of the Jhakris.
Glimpse of Banjhakri Falls (Credits- https://www.holidify.com)
According to the traditional story of the Nepali segment of the Sikkim population, the first jhakri had the cosmic energy to take all the evil spirit from the almighty. He was responsible for propagating the useful lessons to the males whom he considered right for safeguarding the community. After receiving training from the first jhakri, they indulged in the act of protecting the human beings from all the evils. In this manner, the community of Jhakris expanded.
The entry time at Banjhakri falls is 8:00 am – 6:00 pm. A fee of Rs.50 has to be given for the entry into the falls. An extra amount is charged for photography inside the premises.
Following are the two beloved spots of all the tourists visiting the Banjhakri Falls –
*The majestic footbridge constructed above the water stream. It serves as a perfect place for capturing memorable photographs.
*Dragon Splash – It is a swimming pool in which a dragon statue is placed in the middle which is its most exciting feature.
The natural elegance and revitalizing exposure to this place made us understand the major reason behind it being a major tourist attraction.
The Enchanting environment of Banjhakri Falls (Credits- https://www.ohmynation.com)
The Flower exhibition centre – A Floral Haven
The Flower exhibition centre was the final spot of our trip before heading towards the MG Road of Gangtok for our shopping.
We were even more fortunate to visit it in May as the time of our visit coincided with the International Flower Festival which is organized in Gangtok every year and captivates the attention of all the visitors.
Apart from the charming display of flowers, a food festival is also held over there. This is meant to familiarize everyone with the taste of the local cuisine of the state.
The most interesting part of our visit was catching the glimpse of enormous variety of orchids and multiples types of Rhododendrons along with other flowering plants which are grown locally. It was quite pleasing to witness diverse kinds of Rhododendrons as they are the state flower of Sikkim. The bright colour pattern of these flowers greatly contributed towards the cheerful atmosphere of that place.
Surrounded with the colourful flowers (Credits- https://www.ohmynation.com)
In addition to this exhibition, some lectures and workshops were also organized at the premises to let everyone gain valuable information about floras. We felt them really useful from the point of view of the visitors.
The Flower exhibition centre of Gangtok is situated across the White Memorial Hall and below the Ridge Park.
April and May becomes all the more special for the tourists as the Annual flower show is organized by the Government of Sikkim every year during this time. Apart from the vast variety of different species of flowers, orchids are also showcased with the flowers from other Indian states at this show.
The Elegant Flowers at the Centre (Credits- https://superbcollections.com)
This centre is an abode of the diverse shapes, hues and sizes of the following types of flowers during the International Flower Festival-
▪Azaleas
▪Anthuriums
▪Orchids
▪Celosia
▪Chrysanthemum
▪Gentians
▪Hydrangeas
▪Liliums
▪Poppies
▪Rhododendrons
▪Roses
▪Tulips
The opening hours of this spot is 8.30 am to 5.00 pm.
The entry fee for the visitors is just Rs.10.
It has an exhaustive collection of various flowers which are grown in different regions of Sikkim. It is a visual treat for all those who are fond of natural beauty.
The experience of everyone becomes even more rejuvenating with the sight of an artificially developed water pond inside the centre with a bridge built above it.
The fact which makes it a tourist’s favourite spot is its short visiting time. It takes just one to two hours to have the refreshing experience at this centre.
The Inside Visual of the Flower Exhibition Centre (Credits- https://gtcholidays.com)
All of us got a comforting escape from the hustle and bustle of our day to life by paying a visit to all of these places. In this era of growing urbanization, it has become a little difficult to come across a spot which can provide you such a wholesome experience like them. So, the next time you are thinking of a place which can offer you peace, knowledge and scenic beauty, you should definitely give Gangtok a try and I believe that you will not be disappointed.
