Lachen Monastery, also called Ngodub Choling, stands on a ridge above the village. It was established in 1858 and belongs to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. For the people of Lachen it is the centre of religious life, where the main festivals, prayers for the dead and seasonal ceremonies take place.
The monastery has been rebuilt and restored over the years, and the village Dzumsa takes a hand in its upkeep and festival arrangements. Ceremonies tied to the Tibetan calendar, such as Losar in late winter, bring families together in the courtyard.
Visitors are welcome to walk up and around it. Most tourists never do, because they arrive late and leave before dawn. If you stay a second night, the walk up in the afternoon light is one of the calmest hours of the whole North Sikkim trip.
Sources
- Lachen Monastery (Wikipedia)
- Lachen, Sikkim (Wikipedia)
- Told locally in Lachen
Legends are retold differently from village to village. Where a story is told locally rather than written down, we say so.
