| Weekend Getaways | Services |
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| Introduction | |||
| State | Sikkim |
| City | Gangtok |
| Airports | Bagdogra |
| Distance from Bagdogra | 124 Km/80 Mile |
| Railway Junctions | Nearest railhead New Jalpaiguri |
| Local Languages | Bhutia, Lepcha |
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From its perch on a hilltop facing the city of Gangtok, the capital of
Sikkim, the monastery complex at Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre embodies
the vision and aspiration of the Sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje,
to establish his seat-in-exile to help spread the teachings of the
Buddha throughout the world. The monastery, the largest in Sikkim, is home to the monks community, the place where they perform the sacred rituals and practices of the Karma Kagyu lineage. Many sacred objects are housed within the complex, and one of the most magnificent is the Golden Stupa, which contains the precious relics of His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa. Opposite that building is the shedra, or college, Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies Members of the lay sangha practice in the community lhakhang just outside the walls of the monastery complex. Surrounding Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre is the stupa walkway, where monks, pilgrims, and visitors alike perform kora. Location: About 45 minutes drive from Gangtok, 24 kms away, is the Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre, the seat of the Kagyu order, one of the 4 major Tibetan Buddhist Sects. Since the late 1960s, after the arrival of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, the Centre houses some of the world's most unique religious scriptures and religious rare objects. Traditional in design, it is almost a replica of the original Kagyu headquarters in Tibet. It has over 300 centres overseas
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