CM Inaugurated Ngadak Gompa In South Sikkim

CM inaugurated Ngadak Gompa in South Sikkim

15 Jan, Namchi : ( Source: Voice of Sikkim)The ‘Ngadak Thupten Shedup Dhargay Choeling Gompa (Monastery)’ was inaugurated today in Namchi by the Chief Minister Mr Pawan Chamling in the presence of the Taklung Tsetrul Rimpoche of Shimla. Taklung Tsetrul Rimpoche performed the Consecration ceremony wherein the Chief Minister with wife Mrs Tika Maya Chamling and other guests attended the puja ceremony inside the monastery.
It maybe recalled that the Chief Minister himself had laid the foundation stone of the Gompa on May 20th 2007. The vision, of the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling as accentuated in his public speech, is to make Sikkim the Pilgrimage and Religious Destination for people of all faiths and religions from all walks of life in the days to come and renovate Sikkim into a holy place for all faiths in the world. Today his vision has materialized another step ahead with the inauguration of the Ngadak Gompa.

The centuries old historical Ngadak Chyangter Gompa (Monastery) located in Ghurpishey Namchi South Sikkim has been taken up under South East Asian Regional Buddhist Cultural, Traditional and Heritage Study Centre in the form of a project which has been initiated and conceived by the State Government to incorporate this Monastery as a museum and a centre for Learning and Preservation of Buddhist Culture, Tradition and Heritage. In this context, Ngadak Monastery will be another historic Buddhist institution to be added in the list of other prominent tourist spots like statue of Guru Padmasambhava at Samdrupste, Char Dham at Solophok and Buddha Park Rabongla in the South District. This monastery which is located a few kilometers above Namchi Bazaar can be reached through a short road that deviates from the highway that leads to the premises of the monastery. The history of Ngadak Monastery is noteworthy as it relates to the era of monarchial system in Sikkim as well as foundation of the Buddhist religion here.

It must be mentioned that the old monastery has not been torn down, it is still there for the visitors to see with everything including all the old features persevered and intact. At present the state government has put up metal prop around the old structure of Ngadak Chyangter Monastery because of its fragile and dilapidated state after the earthquake of 1989 which rendered the monastery unsafe, adding upon the centuries old architect and materials used which consist of timber beam and post framework. This old monastery is a two storied structure built completely in the ancient style, the ground floor has stone and mud flooring and the first floor has timber planks and mud with husk in between the floor and ceiling.

According to the technical details presented by the Chief Engineer Buildings and Housing Department Mr Rinzing Dorjee, the total cost of the project till date has been revised to Rs.2076.79 lakhs owing to the additional works of the project. The other notable features of the new monastery include i) the yabring in the foreground of the monastery ii) Intricate traditional carvings on the wood and concrete, paintings, religious decorations in the exteriors of the monastery iii) and most importantly are the huge statues of three eyed Guru Rigzin Thongdup, Cherezig and Guru Dorjee Dakpo Chal (Yap Yum) crafted at the site and installed in the Altar said to be rarest and important combination of divine status. The main monastery has the plinth area of 48300sft. The project was completed with the collaboration of various teams like Ecclesiastical Department, Buildings & housing Department and Ngadak Duchi Committee. Artisans from Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim were engaged in the project.