Gangtok
Tsuklakhang is the royal chapel of the Chogyals, Sikkim's kings, and the place where they were crowned. It stands above the town their court moved to in 1894, and it is still a working chapel, not a museum.
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Can we go inside?
Because it is a living chapel, its courtyard opens to visitors for festivals rather than every day. On other days we walk you to its gate and tell its story there; on our Two Kingdoms journey that walk comes at dusk, at 17:00.
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Late August or early September
On the 15th day of the seventh Tibetan month, the courtyard holds Pang Lhabsol. The Pangtoed warrior dance, choreographed by the third Chogyal, honors Kanchenjunga as the guardian of Sikkim.
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Early December
In early December, masked monks dance the Kagyed in the chapel's courtyard. The dances destroy the year's evil and end with effigies of flour, wood and paper burnt. Losoong, the Bhutia and Lepcha harvest new year, follows from 9 to 13 December 2026.
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1642 to 1975
The Namgyal Chogyals ruled from 1642 until Sikkim became India's 22nd state in 1975. Tsuklakhang is where that line was crowned, which is why the chapel still matters to Gangtok more than any viewpoint does.
Photo: Yash Sanghani / Unsplash
Plan the date
Most of these days move with the lunar calendar, and the exact Kagyed days are set close to the time. Tell us your window and we confirm that year's dates with the monasteries before you fix a month.
Photo: Jayanth Muppaneni / Unsplash