Pelling is a town in the district of West Sikkim with an altitude of 6100 ft. Pelling is about 133 km away from Siliguri and 125 km from Gangtok and is well connected by bus and jeep services. The town is located at a distance of 10 km from the district headquarters of Ghezing. It attracts most of the visitors for its representative status in history, nature and culture of the state. Most of the people of Pelling are Buddhists and speak the Sikkimese language. The other languages spoken are Nepali, Hindi, and English.
Geography of Pelling
Situated at a high altitude, Pelling offers good view of entire mountain ranges including the Koktang, Kumbhakarna, Rathong, Kabru, Dom, Kanchenjunga, Mount Pandim, Zopuno, Shimbho, Narsing, Siniyalchu and others. Pelling also forms the base from where trekkers and other peripatetic adventurers undertake the strenuous and arduous treks in West Sikkim. Regular jeeps connect Pelling to the towns of Jorethang, Kalimpong and Namchi. The land around Pelling is still a virgin territory and is surrounded by alpine vegetation, with numerous waterfalls lining the hillside. In the months of winter, Pelling is sometimes covered with a blanket of snow. Pelling is famous for the majestic view of the magnificent Mount Kanchenjunga. It also affords a panoramic view of other snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Pelling has a helipad ground though there is no regular air service. Helicopters can connect Pelling with Gangtok on request.
Major Tourist Attractions
There are many places in and around Pelling that are visited by many tourists from different places.
Pemayangtse Monastery
Pemayangtse literally means `Perfect Sublime Lotus`. This is one of the oldest and most important monasteries of Sikkim that was founded in 1705. The three-storied building of the monastery houses a good collection of wall paintings and sculptures. Every year in the month of January-February a religious dance called `Cham` is performed in here.
Sanga Choeling Monastery
It is located on the top of the mountain behind the town of Pelling. The distance to the monastery from Pelling is about 3 km. Built in 1697 the Sanga Choeling is one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim. Sanga Cholling means `the island of esoteric teaching`. This gompa is another of Lhatsun Chenpo`s creations, and is highly venerated among the Nyingmapa. The monastery has been affected by fire hence has been rebuilt many times.
Khechepalri Lake:
Khechepalri Lake is considered one of the sacred lakes of Sikkim. The lake remains hidden in the rich forest cover. This place is popular among trekkers. The sacred lake lies in a depression surrounded by prayer flags and forested hills. By the lakeshore is the small Lepcha village of Tsojo, and about 1.5km above the lake is the Khecheopalri Gompa.
Rabdantsey Ruins
This was the second capital of the erstwhile kingdom of Sikkim after Yuksam. Till the year 1814 A.D., the king of Sikkim had ruled the state from this place. Presently, the Rabdentse ruins lie hidden from the main road at a walking distance from Pelling and the Pemayangtse Monastery. Tourists can enjoy the scenic view from the top of the ruin scanning across deep valley to the mystic heights of Kanchenjunga ranges. Other proximate locations to Pelling are Yuksom, Rinchenpong, Dzongri and Hee Burmiok.
