Pelling (པད་གླིང་། ) is a hill station in ( རྒྱལ་ཤིང་རྫོང་།) Gyalshing district of

Sikkim Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Pelling is nestled at an altitude of . The town is located at a distance of 10 km from Gyalshing city, the district headquarters and 131 km from Gangtok. A regular bus service connects the two towns. However, with the influx of tourists, the region is undergoing a metamorphosis, with the roads being repaired and hotels being set up.

Location and surroundings

The

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

and the Kanchenjanga may be viewed at close quarters from Pelling. Pelling also forms the base from where trekkers and other peripatetic adventurers undertake the strenuous and arduous treks in West Sikkim. The land around Pelling is still a virgin territory and is bathed with alpine vegetation, with numerous waterfalls lining the hillside. In the months of winter, Pelling is sometimes covered with a blanket of snow. Pelling is 115 km from the state capital

Gangtok Gangtok (, ) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of East Sikkim district, eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's population of 100 ...

and about 135 km from

Siliguri Siliguri (, ; ), also known as Shiliguri, is a major Tier ii cities in india, tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms the twin cities, Twin Cities with the neighbouring city of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling district, Darjeel ...

, the nearest railhead and airport. Regular jeeps connect Pelling to the towns of Jorethang,

Kalimpong Kalimpong is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The region comes under Gorkhaland Territo ...

and Namchi. The nearest airport is

Bagdogra airport Bagdogra Airport () is a customs airport serving the city of Siliguri in West Bengal, India. It is located in Bagdogra, south-west from the city centre. It is operated as a civil enclave at the Bagdogra Air Force Station of the Indian A ...

. Most of the people of Pelling are

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

s and speak the Sikkimese language. Other languages spoken are Nepali,

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

, and English.

Tourist attractions

Places to visit in and around Pelling include the local

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...

, rock garden,

waterfall A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...

, the holy rock of Rani Dhunga, the imposing double-pronged Kanchenjungha Falls, the archaic quaint Singshore Bridge, the Changey Waterfalls, and the

Khecheopalri Lake Khecheopalri Lake, originally known as Kha-Chot-Palri (meaning the heaven of Padmasambhava), is a lake located near Khecheopalri village, west of Gangtok in the West Sikkim district of the Northeast India, Northeastern Indian state of Sikkim. ...

holy to

Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...

. Rabdentse Palace Ruins - Rabdentse was the second capital of the former

Kingdom of Sikkim The Kingdom of Sikkim (Classical Tibetan and , ''Drenjong'', , ''Sikimr Gyalkhab'') officially Dremoshong (Classical Tibetan and ) until the 1800s, was a hereditary monarchy in the Eastern Himalayas which existed from 1642 to 16 May 1975 ...

from 1670 to 1814. The capital city was destroyed by the invading

Gurkha The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with the endonym Gorkhali ( Nepali: गोर्खाली ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India. The Gurkha units consist of Nepali and ...

army and only the ruins of the palace and the

chortens In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and ''śarīra''—the remains of Bhikkhu, Buddhist monks or Bhikkhuni, nuns. It is used as a place of ...

are seen here now. However, the ruins of this city are seen close to Pelling and in West Sikkim district in the Northeastern Indian state of present-day Sikkim; Pemayangtse Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim which is close to the ruins. Pemayangtse Monastery - It was built in 1705 located in Pemayangtse (2 km from Pelling). The Buddhist monastery was founded by Lama Lhatsun Chempo. Built as a three storied structure, the monastery depicts paintings on its walls and statues of saints and

Rinpoche Rinpoche, also spelled Rimpoche (), is an honorific term used in the Tibetan language. It literally means "precious one", and may refer to a person, place, or thing—like the words "gem" or "jewel" (Sanskrit: '' Ratna''). The word consists of '' ...

s, deified in various floors. Darap Village - A small village about 7 km on the way to Yuksom. It is mostly occupied by the

Limbu Limbu may refer to: * Limbu people, an indigenous tribe living in Nepal, Sikkim (India) and Bhutan ** Limbu language, their Sino-Tibetan language *** Limbu script **** Limbu (Unicode block) * Rambahadur Limbu Rambahadur Limbu, (; 8 July 1939 � ...

tribe including small populations of other communities as well. Rimbi Waterfall - Situated 5 km from Darap en route to Khecheopalri. It is the oldest in West Sikkim being constructed in early 70s during the reign of the last Sikkimese King. The state government has developed the Sewaro Rock Garden here which is complete with rocks, pathways, pools, manicured gardens etc. Kanchenjunga Falls - Further 18 km from Rimbi River and about 28 km from Pelling. It is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Sikkim and is normally active throughout the year. Changey Waterfall - 10 km from Pelling. Sanga Choeling Monastery - Situated on a ridge above Pelling and overlooking the famous Pemayangtse Monastery. Built in 1697 AD, it is considered to be one of the oldest monasteries in the State. Pelling Sky Walk and Chenrezig Statue - A new attraction near Sanga Choeling is the gigantic 137 feet statue of Chenrezig (Avalokitesvara) and a transparent Sky Walk made of glass that leads to the statue. It was opened in November 2018 and since then it has attracted significant footfall. Other locations close to Pelling are Yuksom, Rinchenpong, Dzongri and Hee Burmiok. Singshore Bridge - Singshore Bridge is located around 26 km away from Pelling. The bridge has a height of over 100 m and 240 m in length, is the highest bridge in Sikkim and the second highest bridge in Asia.

Pelling Helipad

Pelling has a helipad ground though there is no regular air service. Helicopters can connect Pelling with Gangtok on request and in emergency.

Education Institutes

Government Senior Secondary School.

References

External links

*{{wikivoyage-inline, Pelling
Hotel Red Cherry Pelling
Cities and towns in Gyalshing district