Banjhakri Falls and Energy Park, Gangtok — a waterfall and the forest healer
What it is
Banjhakri Falls and Energy Park is a visitor park near Gangtok, built around a natural waterfall in thick forest. In the local words, ban is forest and jhakri is healer, and the park honours the Ban Jhakri, Sikkim's traditional shamanic healer.
Photos: Kuldeepburjbhalaike (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Indrajit Das (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
What you see
The falls drop about 30 m, fed by springs higher up, and Wikipedia says about 2 acres of forest were cleared for the park. Paved paths and footbridges wind through a landscaped garden, past statues of jhakris and of the shamanic practitioners Mangpa, Bongthing, Phedangba and Bijuwa in thatched enclosures, and gazebos stand along the way. A man-made pond with a dragon statue lies at its centre. A museum hall run by the Sikkim Rural Energy Development Agency shows renewable-energy exhibits such as solar water heaters and solar-powered cars, and the park is lit by solar lamps.
Why the park exists
Wikipedia says the state's head of government at the time conceived the park after visiting the falls in September 2004, to bring the shamanic customs of Sikkim's communities back into view, and invited citizens to suggest themes.
Getting there
Wikipedia puts it about 7 km from Gangtok on the highway towards North Sikkim, in the Swastik area beside an army camp. Our measured road time is in the quick facts.
Combine it with
The two-day plan puts it on the second afternoon after Rumtek. Read things to do in Gangtok and when to visit.
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Questions people ask
What is the Banjhakri Falls and Energy Park?
A park near Gangtok built around a waterfall of about 30 metres, with the Ban Jhakri shaman-healer as its theme. Wikipedia says it was created to revive interest in that tradition, with statues of jhakris, gazebos, a man-made pond topped by a dragon statue and an energy hall of solar and renewable-power exhibits.
Who is Ban Jhakri?
In Sikkim's shamanic tradition ban is the word for forest and jhakri for healer; the Ban Jhakri is a traditional healer, and the falls are linked to spirits said to live in the caves around them. The park's statues show jhakris and shamanic practitioners called Mangpa, Bongthing, Phedangba and Bijuwa, from different communities.
How far is Banjhakri from Gangtok?
Wikipedia says about 7 km from Gangtok on the highway to North Sikkim, in the Swastik area next to an army camp. Our own road time is in the quick facts. We have no verified opening hours or entry fee, so ask locally, and wear shoes with grip, because the paths are wet.