Sikkim, a tiny mountain state in the east of India, is home to the third highest mountain in the world, the Kangchendzonga. It was actually a separate kingdom until 1975 when it became part of India. The state religion is Tibetan Bhuddism. Apart from the mountainous landscape things to see are the Buddhist monasteries such as Rumtek and Kunrag, one of only a few existing Bon monasteries.

Rumtek monastery

Sikkim, a tiny mountain state in the east of India, is home to the third highest mountain in the world, the Kangchendzonga. It was actually a separate kingdom until 1975 when it became part of India. The state religion is Tibetan Bhuddism. Apart from the mountainous landscape things to see are the Buddhist monasteries such as Rumtek and Kunrag, one of only a few existing Bon monasteries. I did the trip in combination with Darjeeling and Bhutan

Rumtek monastery

A large Tibetan-styled monastery with over 300 resident monks. It is the headquarters of the Kaguy (black hat) order of Tibetan Lamaistic Buddhism, witch is headed by the Karmapa lama. The monastery is not old; it was built in the 1960s as a copy of the Kaygu monastery in Tibet. But since most monasteries in Tibet were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and later rebuilt all is relative of course.

Kunrag Bon monastery.

Bon is the indigenous animist religion of the Tibetan region. When Buddhism came a lot of the Bon deities were incorporated in the religion resulting, together with a lot of Hindu elements, in the abundant Tibetan pantheon. So on the surface the difference with Buddhist monasteries is not that big. The monastery houses some rare books and has a small school attached to it. The facts of chemistry, astronomy and a lot of other topics are written on large pieces of paper that cover the walls. The best one:

'Thought Process

The measure of a man is in what he does for those who can do nothing for him in return…

What have I done today.?'