Four imposing statues sit atop verdant peaks in the beautiful and tranquil state of Sikkim in north-eastern India. This mountainous state is nestled in the Himalayan mountain range, and shares borders with three countries – Tibet (China), Bhutan and Nepal. It is known for its pristine reserves and deep Buddhist culture.
On our 12-day visit to Sikkim, we made it a point to visit these four impressive statues. Here’s a bit about each of them.
BUDDHA PARK or TATHAGATA TSAL
Buddha Park is a beautiful and well-maintained park located in the quaint little hill town of Ravangla in south Sikkim. Ravangla is at an altitude of 8,000 ft (2,438 m) above sea level and is a trekker’s paradise with lovely views of the Himalayan range.
The highlight of the park is the breath-taking statue of Lord Buddha, 130 feet (40 metres) tall, in a lovely setting amongst manicured gardens. All around the park you will see panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. It is the perfect place to view sunrise and sunset.
(To add a bit of context – the Statue of Liberty in New York city is 154 feet tall, and the new statue of Jesus at Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil is 143 feet tall.)
Buddha Park is both expansive and full of well-nurtured greenery. It takes a good half an hour to walk up the slopes and climb many stairs to get to the statue. There is ample space for peaceful strolls around the scenic surroundings.
A charming pathway goes all around the statue, and while you walk you can admire the spinning gold prayer wheels lined along one side, and the little statues of Lord Buddha in his many poses (mudras) along the other side.
The Park is located within the larger Buddhist complex of the Rabong Gompa (monastery) – a pilgrimage place that is centuries old. His Holiness the Dalai Lama consecrated the statue in March 2013, making it a stop on the ‘Himalayan Buddhist Circuit’.
SAMDRUPSE – GURU PADMASAMBHAVA
A giant statue of Guru Padmasambhava is perched on top of Samdrupse hill in Namchi, Southwest Sikkim, at an altitude of 7,000 ft (2,134 m). This hill, believed to be a dormant volcano, is known as the ‘wish fulfilling hill’ in Bhutia language.
(It may seem a little unfair to use the term “hill” for a 7,000 feet mountain, but truth be told, the Himalayan range is so full of peaks taller than 20,000 feet that a height of merely 7,000 feet can at best qualify for the term ‘hill’.)
Guru Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche) is known as the patron saint of Sikkim. This 135 ft (45 m) tall statue sits on a lotus plinth over a ridge and is painted in a shiny copper and gilt. The statue overlooks the small town of Namchi. The views of the surrounding mountains are absolutely amazing.
There are some interesting historical photos of old Sikkim in a prayer room at the site.
Samdrupse is an important Buddhist pilgrimage place and is also the site of an impressive monastery. The foundation stone of the statue was laid in October 1997 by His Holiness Dalai Lama.
There is also a short cable car excursion to and fro from the car park to a rock garden below.
Char Dham or Siddheshwar Dham
Across the valley from the Samdrupse hill is another hill called Solophok hill, which houses a sprawling temple complex with many towers and a giant statue of Lord Shiva. The statue is 108 ft tall and is surrounded by 12 jyotirlingams.
The name ‘Char Dham’ means the four places in India of very high importance as pilgrimage sites : Rameshwaram, Jagannath Puri, Badrinath-Kedarnath and Dwarka. The temple complex here in Sikkim is a replica of the four places.
There are many statues and little temples, each having its own religious significance in the context of the worship of Lord Shiva. This makes the temple complex a deeply religious place as well as a tourist attraction.
Chenrezig Statue and Sky Walk
Nestled in the beautiful Himalayan town of Pelling, in Western Sikkim, is this engineering marvel – the 137 ft (42 m) tall Chenrezig statue of Buddha, located in the hills at an altitude of 7,200 ft (2,195 m).
Chenrezig is Tibetan for Avalokiteshvara Bodisattva – known in Chinese as Guanyin – one of the manifestations of Lord Buddha as the embodiment of the virtue of compassion.
One can see the beautiful mandalas here and this place is popular for breathtaking views of Kanchenjunga peaks on a clear day.
During our visit, we enjoyed the glass skywalk which provides great views of the statue from different angles and also of the surrounding mountains. As with other statues, there are many stairs leading up to the Buddha statue. Two rivers, Teesta and Rangeet, flow near the walkway, adding an unusual charm to the views.
We also walked around the nearby Sanga Choeling Monastery (meaning a place of secret spells) which was built in the 17th century in a Tibetan style of architecture. The location of the monastery, on a ridge with panoramic views of the Himalayan range, was amazing.
These four giant statues present a unique combination of visual charm and religious fervour. Access to these places is not easy. The roads cling to the sides of the steep mountains, rockfalls are frequent, and torrential rains often wash away the laboriously built roads.
Building these enormous edifices in such remote spots must have been extremely difficult. Even setting aside the religious aspects of the statues, their sheer size and beauty make them quite breathtaking. The outstanding views from the hills are the cherries on the cake.
More about Sikkim in our next blog posts…..
These all look unique. The Chenrezig statue and sky walk in particular look like they would be incredible to visit.
The photos are lovely. Thanks for sharing.
Such unique, beautiful and culturally significant statues, at home in equally beautiful, calming natural surroundings.
They built these giants in the right place. After driving on the steep side of a mountain with possible falling rocks, visitors are welcomed by the gods in a peaceful place. It’s like all the life problems are gone away by the time they get here. The sleeping Buddha statue always made me smile. As if he tried to tell people to take it easy.
We are sorry we missed Sikkim when we visited India. The four imposing statues would be a great reason to visit this mountainous area. The Lord Buddha statue would certainly be stunning at that size! And so much else to see in there. I can see why the giant statue of Guru Padmasambhava is at a pilgrimage site. The statues on the Solophok hill certainly look very different. The glass sky walk is a great attraction if we visited the Chenrezig statue of Buddha and wanted to see if from different perspectives. I can definitely see why these 4 giants are worth a visit!
I haven’t been to India yet but its on the list. I never heard of Sikkim but after reading this and seeing the beautiful landscape in the photos, I make sure I make the time to head there. Thank you for posting. 🙂
All these photos are beautiful and unique. I’d love to visit all these places someday. Thanks for sharing
What fabulous statues to see all in one area. The Lord Buddha is my favourite, sitting atop the manicured gardens. I always enjoy visiting temples and statues wherever I am in the world so if I ever get to India this would be somewhere to see.
This is so lovely – I hope to make it to this part of the world some day. What a special place to visit 🙂
Sikkim is one state that I have yet to visit. But when I do, I am sure to visit the tranquil Buddha Park. It looks really peaceful and lovely.
Wow! I now have even more inspiration to head to the northeastern part of India. Ravangla sculpture looks splendid. I love how you’ve mentioned the comparative height with other famous sculptures. The giant statue of Guru Padmasambhava atop 7000ft is interesting. Too bad that you call it a hill, haha. It is indeed a mountain. I would definitely take the short cablecar excursion. A chardham replica? That sounds cool. I see Rameshwaram Gopuram in one of your pics. It’s quite interesting.
I know someone who has been here in pilgrimage, a few years ago. I remember seeing their photos on Facebook and thinking wow, those are some pretty impressive statues. No wonder they are called the four giants. I like that there is so much greenery around the park, and even if you visit in the heat of summer you can still find shade and have a pleasant stroll around, visiting everything.
I’ve been to Namchi. Since that was work, I couldn’t go to the monasteries, though I had planned it. I saw the Buddha Park from outside. I also saw the idol of Guru Padmasambhava from far. Unfortunately, we got late and there was a storm in the evening, and we couldn’t go there too. I would love to go again and see all these, including the skywalk.
This Buddha statues look quite impressive. I love it that there is so much nature around. I wonder if there are goog hiking trails in the area. First time I saw pictures of the Buddha Park, it would be nice to visit.
Wow! This so fascinating. I did not realize these statues look so magnificent. I agree with you that building these must have been really extremely difficult. Looking forward to your upcoming Sikkim posts
Wow, it looks huge! and didn’t know about these statues in Sikkim and your photos look amazing! – knycx journeying
Your blog post on the “Giants on the Hills” in Sikkim is truly captivating! The detailed descriptions and stunning photos of the four towering statues – Buddha Park, Samdrupse, Char Dham, and Chenrezig – beautifully capture the spiritual and cultural essence of the region. I especially enjoyed learning about the unique blend of natural beauty and religious significance. This post has definitely inspired me to add Sikkim to my travel bucket list. Thank you for sharing such an enriching travel experience!
The scenery looks so beautiful and calming. And the statues are stunning! Would love to see this one day.