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Monasteries
Sikkim's monasteries are institutes of scholars and saints
dedicated to the spreading of noble teachings of Lord Buddha. The monasteries
of Sikkim apart from being the places of religious discourses, worship
and meditation are the store houses of many hand written religious books
and murals, the part and parcel of Sikkimese cultural heritage.
Most of the monasteries in Sikkim belong to the Nyingmapa
sect of Lamaism. All the Nyingmapa monasteries are governed by the Pemyangtse.
There are separate monasteries for Lepchas at Lingtam, Jikim and Fagye
also managed by the Pemyangtse. Nuns reside in very few monasteries
of Sikkim and that too in diminishing numbers.
On the walls of the monastery are painted the four religious
kings, the Masters of four main directions as mentioned in the Mahayana
scriptures. In the almirahs, are placed the hand written manuscripts of
many religious books.
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