Culture · Rumtek
Old Rumtek, the quieter monastery below
A short stop at the smaller Old Rumtek Monastery, about 2 km below the main complex. Brightly painted, seldom crowded and home to Rumtek's main summer mask dances, it gives a sense of what a village gompa feels like.
Photo: Prof Ranga Sai · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The first monastery at Rumtek was built in the mid-18th century under the 12th Karmapa. The old monastery you see today, below the main road, is smaller and humbler than the 1960s Dharma Chakra Centre above, with a colourful painted façade, a courtyard and a single prayer hall. Most tour taxis drive straight past it.
Inside, the hall is dim and intimate, lit by butter lamps, with old thangkas and statues. A caretaker monk may show you around; a small donation is appreciated. Outside, prayer flags run down the slope towards the valley, and the views back to Gangtok are just as good as from the main complex.
Old Rumtek comes alive for its Tse-chu chaams, held on the 10th day of the 5th Tibetan month, usually in June, when monks in masks and brocade dance in the courtyard. Kagyat dances are also held here late in the 10th month, usually December. Dates follow the lunar calendar; check current status before you travel.
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Questions travellers ask
Before you book
Is Old Rumtek different from Rumtek Monastery?
Yes. Old Rumtek is the smaller, older monastery about 2 km below the main 1960s complex, the Dharma Chakra Centre. It is much quieter and is where the main summer Tse-chu mask dances take place. Ask your driver to include it, as it is not always on standard itineraries.
When are the mask dances at Old Rumtek?
The Tse-chu chaams fall on the 10th day of the 5th Tibetan month, usually in June, and Kagyat dances on the 28th and 29th of the 10th month, usually December. Dates follow the lunar calendar and change each year. Check current status before you travel and arrive early for a place.
Is there an entry fee at Old Rumtek?
There is usually no fixed entry fee at Old Rumtek. Leave a small donation in the box inside the hall if you wish. Remove your shoes, keep quiet if a ritual is under way, and ask before photographing inside or photographing monks.
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