Monsoons in Gangtok

The town of Gangtok in the State of Sikkim is the largest town in the state. Situated at an altitude of 1,437 mt atop Shivalik Hills in the Eastern Himalayan Range, Gangtok is a major draw among the tourists visiting Sikkim.With the onset of Buddhism, Gangtok began turning into a popular Buddhist pilgrimage centre. Gangtok includes various places of interest and importance of which some are the Enchey Monastery, the Nathula Pass, Do Drul Chorten, The Ridge, Himalayan Zoo Park and many more.You will be left dazed by the beauty of all these places. Here are a few places where you can go sightseeing when travelling go to Gangtok. By Air: The nearest airport to Gangtok is the Bagdogra airport which is at a distance of 122km. There are several flight to Bagdogra from various states across the country.By Train: The New Jalpaiguri in Siliguri is the nearest railway station to Gangtok and is located ata distance of 113 km. This station has direct connections to major cities like Kolkata and New Delhi. Gangtok is about 12 hours of journey from Kolkata.By Road: While many private as well as state government buses ply to Gangtok from the Siliguri bus stand, you can also hire a taxi or jeep. From the Siliguri bus stand, a journey to Gangtok will take about five to six hours time. Jeeps also ply to Gangtok from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri and other places.Photo Courtesy: Abhishek Kumar One of the best places to spend the monsoons in Gangtok is at Tsongmo Lake or as it is commonly referred, the Changu Lake. It is located in East Sikkim and is a beautiful glacial water body. Many tourists come here to capture this awe inspiring view.Photo Courtesy: Ravinder Singh Gill The Do Drul Chorten is a monsoon getaway in Gangtok. One can see the various religious objects, an entire set of Dorjee Phurba and Kangyur relics in here. Also, present around the stupa are Chorten Lakahang and Guru Lakhang where two of Guru Rinpoches statues are present. The Stupa has 108 prayer wheels around it. It is a place where you can go and meditate.Photo Courtesy: Zeimusu Gurudongmar Lake is a fresh water lake and is one of the highest water bodies here. The lake is situated towards the North East of Kunchenjunga range. This monsoon getaway in Gangtok is a place where you can spend time with your loved ones.Photo Courtesy: Sivakumar Far from humanity you can take a spiritual sojourn at this monsoon getaway in Gangtok. Enchey Monastery in Gangtok is a very sacred place of worship. The name Enchey Monastery means solitary monastery. It is sacred because of the presence of the protecting deities of Khangchendzonga and Yabdean that reside within the monastery.Photo Courtesy: Thuresson he monsoons in Gangtok is the best time for a jungle safari and the Himalayan Zoological Park situated 8 km ahead of Gangtok is the place for it. The park is also known as Bulbulay, and includes a wide range of interesting wild animals living in open enclosures. Some of the wild animals that you might get to see here includes the barking deer, pandas, panthers, Tibetan wolves, civet cats, the Himalayan black bear and more.Photo Courtesy: Carsten.nebel Nehru Botanical Garden is a tourist attraction that lies a little ahead of the Rumtek Monastery. An attractive garden housing a huge collection of exotic orchids, it also includes a variety of tropical and temperate trees and plants. It is a great place to take a stroll with your loved ones during the rains.Photo Courtesy: Nichalp The Seven Sisters Waterfall is a major tourist attraction at Dzongu. The Sikkim Tourism and Civil Aviation Department have built a cafeteria and a sheltered place to rest here. Visitors can take pictures of the waterfalls from here. During the monsoons the force of the water increases and provides an enchanting view to the visitors.Photo Courtesy: Snthakur Planning to get adventurous in Gangtok during the monsoons? Then head to Teesta River, the longest river of Sikkim. It is an ideal site for white water rafting. The strong currents along with showers is a challenge for all the adventure enthusiasts. Do make a trip here to get your adrenaline pumping.Photo Courtesy: Kumar Chitrang