Quite Simply ComPelling

A once-thriving ancient capital of Sikkim waits for you, in glorious isolation.

NOTHING RREALLY PREPARES you for the sight of these awesome four-centuries- old fort ruins in the shadows of the mighty Kanchenjungha. The invading armies have melted away into the mists of his-tory, and with no aggressor in sight, the forlorn ruins seem to be giving up battle with the rav-ages of time. Or so you8217;d think, till you look down from the ramparts into the valley be-low8230; row upon row of rhododendrons stand-ing tall like alert sentinels, still guarding Ten-sung Namgyal8217;s proud legacy. Welcome to Rabdenste, the 17th century capital of the Chogyals of Sikkim.

A half-an-hour walk from Pelling brings you to the entrance of Rabdentse. Another twenty minutes of a laboured climb through the woods and the royal complex is suddenly upon you, dominating the horizon on a ridge. The multilayered stone structure, with the aus-tere Kanchenjungha in the background, com-pletes the solemn canvas. Incense sticks still burn in the three chortens in the north section of the fort. The surrounding habitation of this ancient seat of power is now completely en-gulfed by forests.

A 3 km walk down a hilly path takes you to the Pemayangtse monastery, the holiest of holy Buddhist shrines in Sikkim. Established in 1705, the monastery is a stronghold of the Nyigma order8212;those 8220;pure-race Tibetan monks without any physical deformities8221;. The venerable Lama Chewang Rinzing Dorjee Lobom still wields enormous power in the administration and overall development of Pelling. Lamas of all ages carry on with their regular rituals in this divine seat of power as the statues of Guru Dhakmer, Guru Choki Dorjee, Lord Buddha and other incarnations stare on with varying expressions on their glowing varnished faces.

The Kanchenjungha, the lord protector of Sikkim, is an integral part of the pantheon, housed in Sangtok-Palri, a wooden model of a celestial city, crafted by the great artist Lingpyo Rimpoche from the accounts of the dream of the legendary Lhatsun Chempo, who intro-duced Lamaism in Sikkim. Held together by wooden joints without nails, Sangtok-Palri is a breathtaking depiction of the celestial city of gardens, pavilions and opulent halls. Frescoes from the Jataka tales adorn the halls of this wood-and-concrete structure. In August- September every year, Kanchenjungha is worshipped with much fanfare. A highlight of the festivities is the mask dance performed in his honour for two days. Rare scrolls pre-served in the monastery are also put on display at that time.

At the other end of Pelling, the Sanga-Choling monastery dares the faithful to have a stab at the precipitous trek, up the path that starts from the edge of the old helipad in Upper Pelling before shooting up along the moun-tainside to the foot of the monastery. Once on top, you8217;ll wonder how the diminutive shrine bears up to the elements8212;the deafening, roar-ing winds for one8212;and then you learn of the 8216;Kings of the Quarters8217;. Clad in their vibrant colourful armours, fierce expressions on their faces, these slayers of demons painted on the walls of the shrine, must be its omnipotent guardian angels. You are safe.