jorgesanchez's travel recommendations

I was very lucky to assist to the Padmasambhava dancings in Rumtek Gonpa (monastery), which takes place during the full moon of May every year (in fact it is called the Eight Padmasambhava Manifestations). Padmasambhava introduced Buddhism in Sikkim and in Tibet in the VIII century, and is very revered in these two territories. There is another Padmashambaba Festival in Hemis Gonpa, not far from Leh (Jammu and Kashmir), a full moon later, which I also visited, but is much commercialized and the monks force you to buy tickets. The one in Rumtek is infinitely much better, it is free, and the monks give you Tibetan tea during the night ceremonies at the same time that they greet you with a smiling: Tashi Delek! Rumtek Gonpa belongs to the Kagyapa Buddhist sect. Owing to the fact that there were not more rooms to rent in Rumtek because of the many tourists that arrived for the Festival, I was invited to share a room inside the monastery with Buddhist monks.

Address: Rumtek Gonpa, near Gangtok Gangtok Sikkim India Phone: + no available E-mail: noavailable@yahoo.com Price: budget