Monasteries and shrines · Samdruptse
A slow kora around Guru Rinpoche
Climb the prayer-wheel stairway, walk clockwise around the statue as Sikkimese pilgrims do, and sit for a while in the shrine room at its base. A short, quiet visit that explains why Guru Padmasambhava matters so much in Sikkim.
Photo: John Hill · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
A kora is a clockwise circuit around a sacred object, walked to earn merit. At Samdruptse it begins at the bottom of the stairway, where pilgrims spin the first row of prayer wheels and murmur the Guru's mantra, om ah hum vajra guru padma siddhi hum. Join in quietly or simply walk with them.
At the top, circle the statue's base and enter the shrine room. Inside are images of Guru Rinpoche and his manifestations, butter lamps and offerings left by visitors. Photography inside is usually not permitted; ask before you raise a camera. Leave a small offering if you wish.
We suggest at least 30 minutes on the terrace afterwards. On a clear morning you look straight at Kangchenjunga, the mountain Sikkimese Buddhists worship as a protector. Seniors can skip the full stairway by resting on the landings; the view from halfway is still wide.
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Questions travellers ask
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Who is Guru Padmasambhava?
Padmasambhava, called Guru Rinpoche, is an 8th-century Buddhist master credited with establishing Buddhism in Tibet and blessing Sikkim as a hidden sacred land. In Sikkim he is revered as the second Buddha, and his image appears in almost every monastery.
How many steps are there at Samdruptse?
The stairway from the car park to the statue base is long, a climb of roughly 15–20 minutes at an easy pace with rests. There are landings and benches. People with heart or knee problems should go slowly, and can stop at a lower terrace that still has a view.
Can we enter the statue?
There is a shrine room in the statue's base that visitors can enter, removing shoes at the door. The interior is for prayer, so keep voices low and ask before taking photos. Opening times follow the site's hours, roughly morning to late afternoon.
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Kangchenjunga from the Guru's terrace
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Walk down from Samdruptse to the Rock Garden
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