Rumtek Monastery (India)

Rumtek is known for its impressive monastery, which is actually more of a village. You should also visit the ancient Rumtek Gompa and Lingdum Gompa. As you'll find out, you need to be a fan of Buddhist culture to enjoy a tour of northern India!

For my part, I preferred the western part of Sikkim where the monasteries, in particular those of Tashiding and Pelling, are better integrated into their natural surroundings.

The Rumtek Monastery is the seat of the Karmapa, the headmaster of the black cap wearing lamas exiled from Tibet. There is a certain amount of controversy surrounding the site that stems from the succession of the 16th Karmapa, who died in 1981. These cultural and spiritual aspects only makes Rumtek more interesting.