Enchey Monastery

State : Sikkim, in the north eastern state of India.

Best time to Travel : March to late May, October to Mid-December.

Significance : The Pilgrimage Centre.

Location : Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim, which is 148 km from New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, its neighbouring state.

This Monastery is 200 years old monastery, which stands three kms away from the city centre. It is advisable to visit this monastery during December when the annual religious dances are performed. Lamas perform religious masked dances for 2 days at Enchey. This monastery was built on the site blessed by the great tantric master Lame Druptab Karpn, known for his flying powers. He is supposed to have built a small hermitage at the spot he reached after he flew from Maenam Hill in South Sikkim. Later during the reign of Sikyong Tulku (1909-1910), the present monastery was built in the shape of a Chinese Pagoda. The monastery, however, owes its present form to over 200 years of devoted work by its Nyingma sect of Buddhist monks. Religious masked dance is performed on the 18th and 19th of the twelfth Tibetan month.

This is an important seat of the Nyingma order. It has images of Gods, Goddesses and other religious objects in its premises. Every year around January "Chaam" or religious masked dance is performed. An important seat of the Nyingma order, the Enchey Monastery meaning the Solitary temple, was originally built with the solace that no other construction would be allowed near it. Following the Nyingma order, it has around 90 monks.