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The huge copper-coloured seated statue of Guru Padmasambhava on its painted base on Samdruptse hill under a grey sky
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Photo: Subhrajyoti07 · CC BY-SA 4.0
monument14 min from Namchi

Samdruptse, Namchi — the 135-foot statue of Guru Padmasambhava

Samdruptse hill, Namchi: a 135-foot (41 m) statue of Guru Padmasambhava, the patron saint of Sikkim, completed in February 2004, 14 minutes from the town.

What it is

On Samdruptse hill, across the valley from Namchi, sits a statue of Guru Padmasambhava, Guru Rinpoche, 135 feet (about 41 m) high. Wikipedia calls it the largest statue of him in the world. It was completed in February 2004 and can be seen from much of the town.

Photos: Amitabha Gupta (CC BY 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Guru Rinpoche

Padmasambhava, honoured as Guru Rinpoche, is the teacher who brought Buddhism to the Himalaya, and Sikkim keeps him as its patron saint. Here he sits in gold and copper on a painted base, looking out over the hills of South Sikkim towards the Shiva of Siddhesvara Dham on Solophok hill.

Visiting

It is about 7.7 km and 14 minutes from the town by road on our routing. We have no verified opening hours or entry rules; walk around the statue clockwise and keep the hilltop quiet.

Combine it with

The one-day plan pairs it with Siddhesvara Dham and Namchi Monastery. Read things to do in Namchi and how to reach Namchi.

Plans that include this

All 2 plans that stop here →
A tall white statue of Shiva with a trident above a cluster of temples and a gateway tower on a hilltop under a blue sky
One day in Namchi — the Char Dham, the monastery and Guru Padmasambhava on Samdruptse
Day plan · First visit · Temples & heritage
A one-day Namchi plan: Siddhesvara Dham's 108-foot Shiva, Namchi Monastery, and the 135-foot Guru Padmasambhava on Samdruptse, all close to the town. Copy it.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
Rows of tea bushes on a sunny slope at the Temi Tea Garden with tall dark trees and blue hills behind
Namchi in two days — the two great statues, then the Temi Tea Garden and Ravangla's Buddha
1 night · 2 days · Couples · Classic
A two-day Namchi plan: Siddhesvara Dham and the Samdruptse statue, then the Temi Tea Garden, Sikkim's only one, and the Buddha Park at Ravangla. Free to copy.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →

Nearby places

All of Namchi →
Siddhesvara Dham, Namchi — the Char Dham with its 108-foot Shiva on Solophok hill
Siddhesvara Dham, Namchi — the Char Dham with its 108-foot Shiva on Solophok hill
monument · 5.3 km away
Temi Tea Garden — Sikkim's only tea garden, on the slopes below Tendong
Temi Tea Garden — Sikkim's only tea garden, on the slopes below Tendong
monument · 7.2 km away
Ravangla town — the pass town with a Tibetan settlement and mountain views
Ravangla town — the pass town with a Tibetan settlement and mountain views
town · 14 km away
Buddha Park of Ravangla — the 130-foot Buddha above South Sikkim
Buddha Park of Ravangla — the 130-foot Buddha above South Sikkim
monument · 15 km away
Tashiding Monastery — the holiest hilltop monastery in Sikkim
Tashiding Monastery — the holiest hilltop monastery in Sikkim
temple · 16 km away
Ralang Monastery, Ravangla — a large Kagyu monastery of thangkas
Ralang Monastery, Ravangla — a large Kagyu monastery of thangkas
temple · 17 km away
Rabdentse Ruins, Pelling — the second capital of Sikkim's kings
Rabdentse Ruins, Pelling — the second capital of Sikkim's kings
ruins · 18 km away
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling — the high-altitude zoo
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling — the high-altitude zoo
park · 19 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
The seated golden and dark-blue Buddha statue on a stepped, richly painted base against a forested hillside and a cloudy sky
Ravangla
14 km away · 1 itineraries · 3 places
A long snow-covered Kanchenjunga ridge in blue morning light above dark forested hills with a few wisps of cloud
Pelling
19 km away · 3 itineraries · 8 places
Roofs and hotels of Darjeeling spreading down a steep ridge under distant blue mountain ranges and soft cloud
Darjeeling
20 km away · 8 itineraries · 13 places
Pastel-coloured buildings of Gangtok climbing a steep, forested hillside, seen from a viewpoint across the valley
Gangtok
29 km away · 5 itineraries · 11 places
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Questions people ask

How tall is the Padmasambhava statue at Namchi?

135 feet, about 41 m, by Wikipedia's figure, which calls it the largest statue of Padmasambhava in the world. It was completed in February 2004 and sits on Samdruptse hill, across the valley from the town of Namchi, facing the Shiva statue at Siddhesvara Dham on the opposite hill.

Who is Guru Padmasambhava?

Guru Rinpoche, the teacher who brought Buddhism to the Himalaya, honoured in Sikkim as its patron saint. The statue shows him seated on a painted base. It is a sacred image: walk around it clockwise and keep your voice low on the hilltop.

How far is Samdruptse from Namchi?

About 7.7 km and 14 minutes by road on our routing. The hill is a short drive out of town, and the statue can be seen from much of Namchi. Pair it with Siddhesvara Dham, about 10 minutes from the town on the other side, in a single morning.