Pemayangtse and Sanga Choeling: Pelling's old monasteries

Pemayangtse stands at about 2,085 m on a spur about 2 km from Pelling and 6–7 km from Gyalshing. Its name is usually translated as 'perfect sublime lotus'. Lhatsun Chenpo founded it in 1647 as a small lhakhang, a single shrine. Wikipedia records that it was enlarged in 1705 under the third Chogyal, Chakdor Namgyal, with Khenchen Rolpai Dorjee, and consecrated in 1710.

It held a special rank. Pemayangtse was built for 'ta-tshang', pure monks: celibate monks of pure lineage, traditionally drawn from Bhutia families. Only the monks of Pemayangtse are entitled to that title. Its head lama had the privilege of anointing the Chogyals with holy water at their coronation, which tied the monastery to the throne for three centuries.

The building you see is not the 17th-century one in every detail. Earthquakes damaged Pemayangtse in 1913 and 1960, and it has been repaired and refurbished several times since. From the courtyard you look straight down on the ruins of Rabdentse, the old royal capital, on the ridge below. Our Rabdentse guide covers that story.

The monastery has three storeys. The main prayer hall on the ground floor, about 140 square metres, has painted doors and windows in Tibetan designs. The main image shows Padmasambhava in wrathful form as Dorje Phurpa, or Vajrakila, and the walls carry his eight fierce manifestations among painted Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Statues of Padmasambhava with his two consorts are a feature of the monastery.

Climb to the top floor for the piece most people remember. It is a seven-tiered painted wooden model of Zangdok Palri, the Copper-Coloured Mountain, the heavenly palace of Guru Rinpoche in Tibetan Buddhist belief. It is crowded with tiny figures of deities, saints, rainbows and Buddhas. Wikipedia records that Dungzin Rinpoche made it over five years. Stand back from the glass and walk around it slowly; every tier rewards a second look.

The monks live in quarters around the gardens of the compound. Wikipedia gives the community as 108 monks, known by their red hats.

Once a year the courtyard fills for Cham, the masked dance. It falls on the 28th and 29th days of the 12th Tibetan month, usually in February, just before Losar, the Tibetan new year. Monks dance in heavy brocade and painted masks as protector deities, including Mahakala and Vajrakila, and a large embroidered thangka is shown. The dances drive out the old year's obstacles before the new one begins.

Pelling is cold in February, often near 0 °C at dawn, but hotels are at their cheapest except over Losar weekends. Arrive by 9 am for a place on the steps, dress in layers and bring a cushion. Dates follow the lunar calendar and move each year, so confirm with the monastery or a Pelling hotel and check current status before you travel.

Sanga Choeling sits on the ridge directly above Pelling and is counted among the oldest monasteries in Sikkim. Lhatsun Chenpo established it in the 17th century; Wikipedia gives 1697 for the building. It keeps clay statues dating from the 17th century, which have survived even though fire struck the monastery several times and it was rebuilt each time.

Getting there is part of the visit. A steep forest track climbs the ridge; from Upper Pelling most fit walkers take 40 minutes to an hour going up. Wikipedia describes the track as about 4 km from the foot of the hill. The reward is a small, quiet shrine and wide views over Pelling, Pemayangtse and the Kangchenjunga range.

Wikipedia notes that the monastery is reserved for men. We suggest women travellers ask the caretaker monk what applies today before entering the shrine rooms. The grounds and the views are open to everyone.

Carry water, a light jacket and a snack; there are no shops on the ridge. The path is shaded and can be muddy and leech-prone from June to September, so we would save the climb for October to May. Start down by mid-afternoon in winter, when the light goes early and the forest gets dark well before sunset.

Next to Sanga Choeling stands Pelling's newest landmark: a large statue of Chenrezig, Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. Wikipedia's Pelling article gives its height as 137 feet. Beside it is the Pelling Skywalk, a glass-floored walkway that juts out from the hillside, opened a few years ago.

Entry for the statue and Skywalk together runs about ₹50–100 per person, indicative 2026. Go early. By mid-morning in October and in the April–May school holidays the queue for the glass walkway can be long. Most people need 45 minutes here.

You can see everything in one unhurried morning and be back in Pelling for lunch. Here is the plan we give our own guests. It needs no car if you are happy to walk about 6–7 km in total, with one steep climb.

In the low season, from June to September and in January, Pemayangtse is often almost empty, and the monks may have time to talk. In October and in the April–May holidays it is busier from about 10 am, so the early start pays off twice.

• 7:30 am: walk or take a shared jeep down to Pemayangtse; spend an hour inside and in the gardens.
• 9 am: walk down the road to the Rabdentse gate and on to the ruins, about 15 minutes through forest.
• 10:30 am: back up to Pelling and across to the Chenrezig statue and Skywalk before the queues build.
• 11:30 am: climb to Sanga Choeling, 40–60 minutes, and rest at the top with the view.
• 1:30 pm: down to Pelling for a thali or momos, ₹150–350 a meal, indicative 2026.

The figures below are indicative for 2026; fees and opening hours change, so check current status before you travel. A reserved car for a half-day round of Pemayangtse, Rabdentse and the Skywalk costs ₹1,500–2,500, indicative 2026. If you are fit, walk instead: Pemayangtse is about 2 km from Upper Pelling, and Sanga Choeling is reached on foot anyway.

• Walk clockwise around the monasteries, chortens and prayer wheels.
• Take off shoes and hats before entering a shrine room.
• Cover shoulders and knees, and keep your voice low during prayers.
• Ask before taking photos indoors; in many Sikkim monasteries photography inside the prayer hall is not allowed.
• Never point your feet towards an altar or sit on a chorten or mani wall.
• Leave a small offering, ₹10–50, if you wish; it is not expected.