BXIBerniece at 13:35, 13 December 2025

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{{Short description|Monastery in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox Tibetan Buddhist monastery
|name =Enchey Monastery
|image = Enchey_Monastery_in_Gangtok_district,_East_Sikkim.jpg
|alt =
|caption =Enchey Monastery
|pushpin_map = India Sikkim
|coordinates = {{coord|27|20|9|N|88|37|9|E|type:landmark_region:IN-SK|display=inline,title}}
|map_caption = Location within India
|location_country = India
|location=[[East Sikkim]], [[Sikkim]], India
|founded_by = Lama Druptab Karpo
|founded= {{start date and age|1840}}
|sect = [[Nyingma]]
|dedicated_to =
|head_lama =
|architecture =[[Architecture of Tibet|Tibetan]]
|festivals= [[Cham Dance|Chaam Dance]], Singhe Chaam, and Pang Lhabsol
|footnotes =
}}
The '''Enchey Monastery''' was established in 1909 above [[Gangtok]], the capital city of [[Sikkim]] in the Northeastern [[Indian state]]. It belongs to the [[Nyingma]] order of [[Vajrayana]] [[Buddhism]]. The monastery built around the then small hamlet of Gangtok became a religious centre. The location was blessed by Lama Drupthob Karpo, a renowned exponent of [[Vajrayana|tantric]] (adept) art in [[Buddhism]] with flying powers; initially a small [[Gompa]] was established by him after he flew from [[Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary|Maenam Hill]] in [[South Sikkim]] to this site. The literal meaning of Enchey Monastery is the "Solitary Monastery".<ref name= Bindloss>{{Cite book|last= Bindloss|first= Joe|title= Northeast India|page=179|access-date=2001-10-20|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D_bYWjJOe9cC&dq=Enchey+Gompa&pg=PA179|publisher= Lonely Planet|year=2009|isbn= 978-1-74179-319-2}}</ref><ref name=Bisht>{{Cite book|last=Bisht|first=Ramesh Chandra|title= International Encyclopaedia of Himalayas (5 Vols. Set)|page=225|access-date=2010-06-01|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aHnK8W5FwYoC&dq=enchey+monastery&pg=PA225|publisher= Mittal Publications|year= 2008|isbn=978-81-8324-265-3}}</ref><ref name=Enchey>{{Cite web|url=http://sikkim.nic.in/sws/enc_mon.htm|title=Enchey Monastery|access-date=2010-06-01|publisher=National Informatics Centre|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522141103/http://sikkim.nic.in/sws/enc_mon.htm|archive-date=22 May 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Buddhist>{{Cite web|url=http://www.buddhist-temples.com/buddhist-monastery/sikkim/enchey-monastery.html|title= Enchey Monastery|access-date=2010-06-01|publisher=Buddhist Temples}}</ref> Its sacredness is attributed to the belief that [[Khangchendzonga]] and [[Yabdean]] – the protecting deities – reside in this monastery. As, according to a legend, [[Guru Padmasambhava]] had subdued the spirits of the Khangchendzonga, Yabdean and [[Mahākāla]] here. In view of this legend, the religious significance of Enchey Monastery is deeply ingrained in every household in Gangtok. It is also believed that these powerful deities always fulfil the wishes of the devotees.<ref name="sikkim"/>

==Geography==
The monastery is built on a stunning ridge of a hill above the Gangtok city to its northeast from where the Kanchendzonga range is visible. It is located on Gangtok – [[Nathula]] road, above the [[Siniolochu]] lodge and passes through an avenue of [[wiktionary:sylvan|sylvan]] [[coniferous tree]]s, bypassing the TV telecommunications tower. It is about {{convert|3|km|mi}} from the northeast of the main market place in Gangtok.<ref name=Bisht/><ref name=sikkim>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sikkiminfo.net/enchey_monastery.htm|title= Place of Solitude|access-date=2010-06-01|publisher=Sikkim Infoonline}}</ref><ref name=Bradnock>{{Cite book|last=Bradnock|first=Robert|author2=Roma Bradnock|title=Indian Himalaya handbook: the travel guide|page=299|access-date=2010-08-03|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TyZGp_YVzb8C&dq=Enchey+Monastery&pg=PA300|publisher=Footprint Travel Guides|year=2000|isbn=1-900949-79-2}}</ref> Even though it is a small monastery situated on a strategic peak overlooking Gangtok, compared to other monasteries in Sikkim, it provides views of the Kanchendzonga peak.

==Architecture==
[[File:Window of prayer hall, Enchey.jpg|left|thumb|Ornately carved colourful Window of prayer hall]]
The monastery was first built in the 1840s by the eighth [[Chogyal]] and as a result, Gangtok as the small hamlet became a pilgrimage place. However, the monastery as seen now was aesthetically built in 1909, one of the two in Gangtok, like a [[Chinese art|Chinese]] [[Pagoda]] during the rule of [[Sikyong Tulku]] (1909–1910). The monastery was built at the exact location where [[Lama Druptub Karbo]] had his hermitage. The monastery is topped by a shining golden [[cupola]]. It houses a number of images of Gods, Goddesses and religious objects. The deities worshipped in the monastery are the [[Buddha]], [[Loki Sharia]] and Guru Padmasambhava. The walls of the monastery in the large prayer hall are fully covered with paintings and murals of four religious kings, the deities of the four cardinal directions as stated in the scriptures and the entire galaxy of Mahayan Buddhist deities. Manuscripts of scriptures are kept in an almirah. The four pillars supporting the roof of the monastery are elaborately carved. Built under the Nyingma order, it houses 90 monks.<ref name=Bisht/><ref name=sikkim/><ref name=Bradnock/><ref name= Daruwalla>{{Cite book|last= Daruwalla|first= Keki |author2=Ashok Dilwali|title=Riding the Himalayas|page=254|access-date=2010-08-05|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OCNuAAAAMAAJ&q=Enchey+Gompa|publisher=Niyogi Books|year= 2006|isbn=81-89738-05-4}}</ref><ref name=Dorji>{{Cite book|last=Dorji|first= Yab Ugyen|title= Of rainbows and clouds: the life of Yab Ugyen Dorji as told to his daughter|page=60|access-date=2010-08-04|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QKiNspaeno8C&dq=Enchey+monastic+order+in+gangtok&pg=PA60-IA13|publisher= Serindia Publications, Inc.|year= 1999|isbn= 0-906026-49-0}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/indiaeyewitnesst00dkpu_0|title=India|access-date=2010-06-01|publisher=DK Pub.|year=2002|isbn=0-7894-8395-5|quote=... of the town is the early 20th-century Enchey Monastery whose large prayer hall is full of vibrant murals and images representing the entire pantheon of Mahayana Buddhist deities ...}}</ref><ref name=Bajwa>{{Cite book|last=Bajwa|first= Jagir Singh|author2=Ravinder Kaur|title= Tourism Management|page=222|access-date=2010-06-01|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TVXCiwdwPxsC&dq=Enchey+Gompa&pg=PA222|publisher= APH Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-81-313-0047-3}}</ref> The windows of the monastery are very ornately carved and painted.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/751/41903/Enchey+monastery+of+Nyingmapa,+Gangtok,+Sikkim,+India?destId=356468|title=Enchey monastery of Nyingmapa, Gangtok|access-date=2010-08-13|publisher=Lonely Planet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520191304/http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/751/41903/Enchey+monastery+of+Nyingmapa%2C+Gangtok%2C+Sikkim%2C+India?destId=356468|archive-date=20 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The monastery has a large collection of [[masks]] which are used for the annual ritual dances. As its name implies, monastery has a peaceful atmosphere and also maintains a good library.<ref name= Kishore>{{Cite book|last=Kishore|first=B.R.|author2=Shiv Sharma|title= India – A Travel Guide|year=2008|page=377|access-date=2010-08-03|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=COHI7LlpkSAC&dq=Enchey+Monastery&pg=PA377|publisher= Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd.|isbn= 978-81-284-0067-4}}</ref>

A very serene atmosphere has been created with the colourful prayer flags fluttering around the monastery.<ref name=Ray>{{Cite book|last=Ray|first=Arundati|author2=Sujoy Das|title= Sikkim: a traveller's guide|page=151|access-date=2010-08-13|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xnw-2sU1KMoC&dq=Enchey+Monastery+Sikkim&pg=PA151|publisher= Orient Blackswan|year=2001|isbn= 81-7824-008-4}}</ref> Like all other Nyingmapa monasteries in Sikkim, this monastery is also under the jurisdiction of the [[Pemayangtse Monastery]].

The monastery was gutted in 1947. However, it was rebuilt in 1948 with the support of the devotees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.trekkinginsikkim.com/sikkim-monasteries-tour.html|title=Sikkim Monasteries Tours|access-date=2010-08-13|publisher=Trekking in Sikkim}}</ref>

===Earthquake damage===
In a reconnaissance report on Sikkim Earthquake of 14 February 2006, it was noted that the Enchey Monastery, apart from other buildings in Sikkim, also suffered severe damage in the 2006 Earthquake (with the maximum intensity of shaking as VII on MSK scale); wide shear and vertical cracks were noted in masonry walls, at corners and near openings. It was not the first time that the monastery, among other masonry structures in Sikkim, was subject to damage by earthquake. Earthquake events in the 1980 and 1988 had also caused damage to the monastery but the repairs done were not adequate, as in 2006, the masonry wall of the building suffered damage again. The report has observed that "The damage seen in and around Gangtok was clearly disproportionate to the size of the earthquake, which was a moderate 5.7 on the Richter scale. This very clearly establishes the high level of seismic vulnerability of the region. Such disproportionate damage is a direct consequence of poor design and construction practices in an inadequate professional environment that is challenged by the lack of trained human resources in the state." Sikkim as a whole, and particularly masonry structures, are vulnerable to suffer damage from such severe earthquakes. Hence, it has been suggested to adopt "safer constructions through choice of appropriate construction systems, incorporation of earthquake resistant technology, use of good construction materials and their quality control, and involvement of competent manpower for design, construction and supervision."<ref name=Information>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nicee.org/eqe-iitk/uploads/EQR_Sikkim.pdfformat=pdf|title=Reconnaissance Report on Sikkim Earthquake Of 14 February 2006|pages=1–5|access-date=2010-08-13|publisher= National Information Center of Earthquake Engineering (NICEE) at IIT Kanpur for Tata Steel Limited, India}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

The Enchey Monastery, a heritage structure built in stone masonry with 500 mm thick walls, is a double storied structure with timber frames making up the columns and beams in the roof and also in the flooring. Galvanised iron sheet roofing is also supported on wooden trusses. The masonry wall was damaged due to seismic shear. The decorative plaster of the walls also fell off due to cracks in the masonry walls and spoiled some of the beauty of the structure.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} Grouting of the cracks was suggested as a solution to strengthen the damaged portions of the walls.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.becs.ac.in/SDME/SkmDarjEQReport.pdf|title=A Reconnaissance Based Vulnerability Report; The Sikkim Earthquake of 14th February 2006|pages=14–15|access-date=2010-08-14|publisher=School of Community Science and Technology:Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717071315/http://www.becs.ac.in/SDME/SkmDarjEQReport.pdf|archive-date=17 July 2011}}</ref>

==Festival==
Detor Cham is the colourful and vibrant [[Cham dance]] festival that is held in the monastery on the 18th and 19th day of the 12th [[Lunar month]] of the [[Tibetan calendar]], corresponding to the dates during January/February of the [[Gregorian calendar]].<ref name= Bindloss/> Other festivals observed in the Enchey Monastery are: the Singhe Chaam performed once every three years, Pang Lhabsol commemorating the swearing of blood-brotherhood between the [[Bhutias]] and [[Lepcha people|Lepchas]] in the presence of Khangchendzonga as witness.<ref name=Enchey/><ref name=sikkim/> The Cham dances are mask dances where the dancers wearing ornate robes perform dances representing the [[Tibet]]an deity figurines of [[Mahakala]] (the protector) and mythical snow lions; both depict a third eye on their foreheads to represent the "need for inner reflection." The dance festivals are usually held prior to the [[Losar]], the [[Tibetan New Year]] day (February/March) and Losoong, the Sikkimese New Year (December/January).<ref name=Singh>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Sarina|title=India|page=[https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetindi00sari_1/page/523 523]|access-date=2010-06-01|url=https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetindi00sari_1|url-access=registration|quote=Enchey Gompa.|publisher= Lonely Planet|year=2005|isbn= 1-74059-694-3}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery perrow=4>
File:Enchey Monastery Inside.jpg|Enchey Monastery Inside View
File:Chorten in Enchey Gompa in Gangtok.jpg|A Chorten in Enchey Monastery in Gangtok
File:Close view of Enchey Gompa in Gangtok.jpg|A close view of Enchey Monastery in Gangtok
File:Courtyard of Enchey Gompa in Gangtok.jpg|Courtyard of Enchey Monastery
File:Prayer wheels in Enchey Gompa in Gangtok.jpg|Prayer wheels in Enchey Gompa
File:Signage Enchey Monastery-Gangtok-Sikkim-MA-19.jpg|Signage in front of the Enchey Monastery in Gangtok
</gallery>

== See also ==
*[[Buddhism]]
*[[Gautama Buddha]]
*[[History of Buddhism in India]]
*[[Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://wikimapia.org/#lat=27.3404741&lon=88.6294234&z=17&l=0&m=s&v=9&show=/8921404/Enchey-Heaven-on-Earth-Marked-By-Jacob-John Coordinates of Enchey]
* [http://www.buddhist-temples.com/buddhist-pilgrimage.html Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India]
* [http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pilgrim/places.htm Pilgrims Guide to Buddhist India: Buddhist Sites] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704152615/http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pilgrim/places.htm |date=4 July 2008 }}
*{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/Enchey+Monastery/@27.3357678,88.6179385,322m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x39e6ba848fe4b38f:0xf1c23957008e31e8!8m2!3d27.3359368!4d88.6191659|title= Enchey Monastery}}

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[[Category:Gangtok]]
[[Category:Buddhist monasteries in Sikkim]]
[[Category:Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and temples in India]]
[[Category:Nyingma monasteries and temples]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in 1909]]

Enchey Monastery - Revision history

BXIBerniece at 13:35, 13 December 2025