Ralang Monastery & Palchen Choeling Gompa

The Sacred Karma Kagyu Lineage and the 9th Karmapa's Blessing

Nestled amidst dense temperate pine and oak woodlands approximately 13 kilometres southwest of Ravangla, Ralang holds a sacred and venerable position as the paramount seat of the Karma Kagyu tradition in South Sikkim. The spiritual origins of Ralang are tied to an extraordinary historical pilgrimage in the mid-eighteenth century. When the fourth Chogyal of Sikkim, Gyurmed Namgyal, journeyed to Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet to receive tantric initiations from the 9th Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje, the Karmapa was deeply touched by the King's piety.

Upon the Chogyal's departure, the Karmapa tossed grains of consecrated rice into the sky from his Tibetan rooftop, prophesying that wherever the grains touched the mountain earth of Sikkim, a great monastery must be erected. According to oral history, grains of the blessed rice miraculously drifted southward over the snowy passes of the Himalayas and descended upon the wooded ridge of Ralang. In 1768, fulfilling the prophecy, the fourth Chogyal formally established the original Ralang Gompa on this exact spot.

Old Ralang Monastery: Historic Timber Architecture and Ancient Murals

The historic Old Ralang Monastery stands as an evocative testament to classical eighteen-century Tibetan-Sikkimese monastic architecture. Constructed primarily from locally hewn timber, metamorphic slate, and clay plaster, the two-story dukhang exudes a timeless, contemplative serenity. Its flagstone courtyard is flanked by living quarters for senior monk practitioners and ancient prayer wheel corridors smoothed by the hands of countless generations of pilgrims.

Entering the inner shrine of Old Ralang, visitors encounter an extraordinary visual repository of early Himalayan Buddhist art. The walls are covered in antique frescoes painted in natural vegetable and mineral pigments, depicting the golden line of Kagyu lineage masters—including Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa the Translator, Milarepa, and Gampopa. The main altar houses centuries-old clay and gilded bronze statues of Shakyamuni Buddha, the 9th Karmapa, and the fierce wrathful protector Bernagchen (the Black-Cloaked Mahakala), the supreme guardian deity of the Karma Kagyu order.

Palchen Choeling: The Colossal New Monastic Complex

To accommodate a burgeoning community of monastic scholars and provide modern educational facilities, His Eminence the 12th Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche and the 12th Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche initiated the construction of the monumental 'Palchen Choeling Monastic Institute' (commonly called New Ralang), inaugurated in 1995. Rising like a grand Tibetan palace above the forest canopy, New Ralang is one of the largest and most architecturally magnificent monasteries in all of India.

The main dukhang of Palchen Choeling is an awe-inspiring hall capable of accommodating over five hundred chanting monks. Supported by massive red-and-gold timber columns carved with mythical dragons and Buddhist auspicious symbols, the hall features a colossal gilded statue of Buddha Shakyamuni flanked by the Bodhisattvas Manjushri and Avalokiteshvara. High above, an intricate coffered ceiling displays colossal mandalas, while the upper balconies house a vast scriptural library containing the complete Kangyur and Tengyur xylographs.

The Sacred Cham Dances of Pang Lhabsol and Mahakala Puja

Ralang is celebrated across the Eastern Himalayas as one of the premier venues for traditional Cham (sacred masked monastic dances). Foremost among its annual celebrations is the patriotic festival of Pang Lhabsol, celebrated in early autumn (August–September) to honor Mount Kanchenjunga as the supreme protective deity of Sikkim and celebrate the historical blood brotherhood sworn between the Lepchas and Bhutias at Kabi Lungchok.

During Pang Lhabsol, monks undergo weeks of rigorous spiritual purification before donning elaborate silk brocade costumes and terrifying hand-carved wooden masks representing Mount Kanchenjunga (manifested as a red-faced warrior deity riding a snow lion) and his retinue of mountain protectors. To the primal rhythm of heavy bronze cymbals, bass drums, and long dungchen horns, the dancers perform hypnotic, swirling dances in the stone courtyard that reenact the subjugation of negative worldly energies and invoke prosperity and peace for the Himalayan realm.

Visiting Logistics, Travel Routes and Pilgrimage Protocols

Ralang is situated 13 kilometres from Ravangla and approximately 80 kilometres from Gangtok. The journey from Ravangla takes about 30 to 40 minutes along a winding secondary mountain road through scenic bamboo groves and cardamom plantations. Private cabs can be hired from the Ravangla taxi stand for a half-day excursion covering both Old Ralang and New Palchen Choeling. Both monasteries are open daily to visitors from 07:00 AM to 05:00 PM, and admission is free.

Visitors are encouraged to arrive early in the morning (around 07:30 AM) or mid-afternoon (03:30 PM) to observe the monk assembly during their daily congregational pujas, when the dukhang resonates with deep harmonic overtone chanting. Photography of the exterior buildings, courtyards, and scenic mountain views is welcome, but photography inside the inner prayer sanctums is strictly prohibited out of respect for monastic practice. Combine a trip to Ralang with a visit to the nearby mineral springs at Borong (7 km further down the valley).

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