Gangtok, late May or June
Saga Dawa is kept through the whole fourth Tibetan month, with prayers throughout, and its full moon, usually in late May or June, is the day itself.
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The meaning
The full moon marks three events in the Buddha's life at once: his birth, his awakening and his passing. Prayers run through the whole month in the monasteries of the ridge, and the full moon is its high point.
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On the day
On the full moon, monks carry the scriptures in procession from Tsuklakhang through the streets of Gangtok. Watch from the side of the road, and ask before you photograph anyone taking part.
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Tsuklakhang
Tsuklakhang is the royal chapel where Sikkim's kings were crowned, and it is still a working chapel rather than a museum. Its courtyard opens for festivals; on ordinary days visitors see it from the gate.
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In the monasteries
Through the full-moon day, butter lamps burn in every gompa. Shoes come off at the door, and visitors sit along the back wall while the assembly chants.
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The weather
May in Gangtok runs about 15 to 21 °C (59 to 70 °F), with rain most days, and June is the monsoon. MG Marg, a car-free promenade about a kilometer long, turns to a mirror in the rain.
Photo: Simanta Saha
Around it
After mid May the slopes around Tsomgo Lake, 3,753 m (12,310 ft), come into flower. Indian school holidays fill Gangtok from May, and good rooms go first in those weeks.
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Planning
Saga Dawa's full moon shifts each year with the Tibetan calendar, so start from that date and build the week outward. In June, landslides can close NH10, and one spare day keeps the road from deciding your trip.
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