Bhutia and Buddhist monastic community · North Sikkim
Phodong Monastery Chaam
Usually early to mid December, 28th–29th day of the 10th Tibetan month (lunar)
Photo: walter callens · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Phodong Monastery, a Karma Kagyu seat 38 km north of Gangtok, holds its annual masked dance on the 28th and 29th days of the 10th Tibetan month, usually in December. It is one of the Kagyed-season dances that lead up to the Losoong new year.
Phodong is one of the major monasteries of Sikkim, belonging to the Karma Kagyu school. The Mangan district administration credits its construction to Chogyal Gyurmed Namgyal in the 18th century, on the site of an older monastery. Every year, on the 28th and 29th days of the 10th month of the Tibetan calendar, its monks perform chaam, the sacred masked dance, in the monastery courtyard.
Chaam is a ritual, not a show. Monks in brocade robes and painted masks representing protector deities move in slow, exact steps to long horns, drums and cymbals, enacting the destruction of negative forces before the new year. Jesters appear between the serious dances to make the crowd laugh. In Sikkim these December dances are part of the Kagyed season that ends the year, and Wikipedia's Losoong article notes that the Losoong festival is preceded by masked dances at Phodong and Rumtek.
Phodong lies on the North Sikkim Highway, so the chaam is easy to reach on a day trip from Gangtok without a protected area permit for Indian travellers. Dates move with the lunar calendar. Check current status before you travel.
If you go
Tips for the day
- Arrive by 9 am to find a place on the courtyard edge; locals fill it quickly.
- Never cross the dance ground, and do not use flash or drones.
- Combine the chaam with Labrang Monastery, 2 km uphill, and Kabi Lungchok on the way.
Questions travellers ask
Questions about Phodong Monastery Chaam
When is the Phodong chaam in 2026?
It falls on the 28th and 29th days of the 10th month of the Tibetan calendar, which usually lands in early to mid December. The exact Gregorian dates change each year with the lunar calendar. Check current status before you travel; we confirm dates with the monastery in November and can plan a Gangtok day trip around them.
Do I need a permit to see the Phodong chaam?
Indian travellers do not need a protected area permit for Phodong, which is on the North Sikkim Highway about 38 km and 1.5 hours from Gangtok. Foreign nationals need their Sikkim restricted area permit, applied online since January 2026, as for any visit to Sikkim. Rules change, so check current status before you travel.
What is the meaning of the masked dance at Phodong?
Chaam is a Buddhist ritual dance in which monks wearing masks of protector deities enact the overcoming of negative forces and obstacles before the new year. Each figure and step follows prescribed texts of the monastery's tradition. Jesters lighten the long ceremony. Watch quietly, as you would at any religious service.
What should I wear to the Phodong chaam in December?
Phodong sits at roughly 1,400–1,800 m, so December days are around 8–15 °C in the sun and cold in the shade of the courtyard. Wear warm layers, comfortable shoes and modest clothing covering shoulders and knees. Carry water, a cap and some cash for offerings and snacks sold outside the monastery.
Go for it
Where it happens and how to get there
village
Phodong1,400M
Phodong
A Kagyu monastery town on the North Sikkim Highway
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