Question map
Where is the famous Rumtek monastery located ?
Explanation
The Rumtek Monastery, also known as the Dharma Chakra Centre, is located in the Indian state of Sikkim [t1][t2]. It is situated approximately 23 to 24 kilometers away from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, perched on a hillock at an altitude of about 5,800 feet [t1][t4][t5]. The monastery serves as the main seat-in-exile of the Gyalwa Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism [t4][t7]. Originally founded in 1734 by the 9th Karmapa with the patronage of the Sikkimese King, the current structure was rebuilt in the 1960s by the 16th Karmapa as a replica of the Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet [t3][t8]. It is the largest monastery in Sikkim and remains a significant spiritual and cultural center for the study of Tibetan Buddhism [t1][t5][t7].
Sources
- [1] https://desh.tourism.gov.in/attractions/detail/769
- [2] http://www.sikkimeccl.gov.in/History/Monasteries/East/RumtekDharmaChakra.aspx