Ravangla Buddha Park

Tathagata Tsal was built at Ravangla to mark the 2550th anniversary of the Buddha's birth and consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 2013, with a seated Buddha figure of about forty metres on a platform at around 2,100 metres, positioned so that the statue faces out toward the Kanchenjunga range. Inside the base is a hall with murals covering the life of the Buddha and a relic chamber. The park around it is landscaped with a walkway, gardens and a monastery, Ralang, nearby. On clear mornings the snow line stands directly behind the figure, which is the composition most visitors come for.

What to look for

• The Buddha statue - a forty-metre seated figure on a ridge platform.
• The interior murals - the life of the Buddha painted in the base hall.
• The Kanchenjunga backdrop - the range behind the statue on clear days.
• Ralang monastery - a large Kagyu gompa nearby.

When to go

March to May and October to December for clear views; the monsoon hides the range entirely. Buddha Purnima brings ceremonies. Mornings give the best chance of the peaks.

Practical notes

The mountain backdrop fails on cloudy days, which are frequent. The statue and park are recent construction, not heritage. Entry is charged and the site is a standard stop on Sikkim circuits.

Nearby

Ralang monastery is close; Pelling lies northwest.

Key facts