Enchey Monastery, Gangtok — the "solitary monastery" on the ridge
What it is
Enchey Monastery, also written Enchey Gompa, is a small Nyingma monastery on a ridge above Gangtok. Its name means "the solitary monastery". Wikipedia calls it the city's oldest monastery and says its siting on the ridge gives a view towards the Kanchenjunga range on a clear day.
Photos: Pinakpani (CC BY 4.0) · Pinakpani (CC BY 4.0) · Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
History
An earlier hermitage of the lama Drupthob Karpo stood here, and Wikipedia says a monastery was raised in the 1840s, which turned the little hamlet of Gangtok into a place of pilgrimage. The hall in front of you today was built in 1909 in the style of a Chinese pagoda. It was gutted in 1947 and rebuilt the next year with help from worshippers, and the 2006 earthquake cracked its masonry walls.
What you see
A golden roof, a prayer hall with painted walls and four carved pillars, and deities including the Buddha and Guru Padmasambhava. A walkway of prayer wheels runs along the courtyard, and prayer flags flutter around the building. Wikipedia describes a collection of masks kept for the annual dances.
The festival
The Detor Cham, the masked dance, is held in the twelfth Tibetan month, so in January or February. Ask locally for the dates, because the Tibetan calendar moves them every year.
Getting there
It sits on the road to Nathu La, a short drive north-east of the centre; see the quick facts for our measured road time. The ridge above it also carries the Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok temples.
Combine it with
The Do-drul Chorten and the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology are across town, and the one-day plan strings them together. Read things to do in Gangtok and when to visit.
Plans that include this
All 1 plans that stop here →
Nearby places
All of Gangtok →
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Questions people ask
What is Enchey Monastery?
A Nyingma Buddhist monastery on a ridge above Gangtok; its name means the solitary monastery. Wikipedia says an earlier hermitage stood here, a monastery was raised in the 1840s, and the building you see now dates from 1909. It is a small monastery with a quiet courtyard, and the town sits below it.
When is the cham dance at Enchey Monastery?
Wikipedia says the Detor Cham is held on the 18th and 19th days of the twelfth month of the Tibetan calendar, which falls in January or February. It is a masked dance with robed dancers. Dates move every year, so ask locally for the current dates before you plan around it.
How far is Enchey Monastery from the centre of Gangtok?
Wikipedia puts it about 3 km north-east of the main market, on the road towards Nathu La. Our own road time is in the quick facts above. We have no verified opening hours or entry rules, so ask at the gate, and dress modestly in a place of worship.