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…..

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