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| Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok |
-Brian Mendonca
Today we made new friends. They were store helpers in the Tashi View Point shop at Gangtok, Sikkim. Each one was assigned a special role. One stood at the staircase peeling off tickets (₹10) to go upstairs to see the view from the observation deck. She had a round face and was smiling all the time. She seemed so fulfilled in the world and her work.
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| With staff of store at Tashi View point. |
Another lady attended to customers in the central area of the shop in front of the entrance. The shop had an eclectic array of items for sale like Tibetan wall hangings; bags made of Himalayan hemp; necklaces; pouches; and ceremonial sashes. The rates were reasonable.
A lanky smiling boy whose name was Karma was positioned in the inner corridor where the bags were displayed. We even asked him to teach my sister and myself a few words in Tibetan.
One of the ladies was at the counter collecting the cash and wrapping the items. Near her was a young gent in specs overseeing everything. I admired the synergy and dedication with which they worked.
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| Books from Gangtok. |
There is also a souvenir shop managed by the army at the base of the steps to Tashi view point. 'Saste daam mein, Sikkim ke Yadein,' was how the army man put it. Keychains with the Nepali kukri (knife); pouches with 'Sikkim' on them; wall hangings depicting Nathu La, and nifty travel bags - you will find them all here. The rates are very reasonable.
The Namgyal Institute of Tibetology is an imposing structure in Tibetan architecture. It houses a museum of exquisite thangka paintings depicting the twelve stages of the Buddha's life. There are effigies of Buddhist deities in various poses. Items used in tantra, like a flute made from a thigh bone, and cups made of skulls are also displayed.
At the entrance to the museum, to the right is a shop selling books on Buddhism, t-shirts, stoles, and souvenirs. I picked up Twelve Deeds of the Buddha (with illustrations) translated from the Tibetan by Thupten Tenzing.
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| Sipping Tongba at Nimtho restaurant. |
After a breathtaking cable car ride, we made our way to Nimtho restaurant on MG road, Gangtok. The restaurant served specialities from Sikkim, Bhutan, and Nepal. The delicious food and the warm and cosy setting set us in the right mood to meander along MG road.
We shopped, said hi to the statue of the red Panda, and stepped in to Kandoika - a bookstore I found on Google just before they closed. I came away with a book by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama titled Voice for the Voiceless: Over Seven Decades of Struggle with China for My Land and My People. (2025)
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