There has always been a debate about the oldest monastery in Sikkim, and I have come across certain general knowledge books based on Sikkim that depict Dubdi as the oldest. I do not know how far I am correct. Still, the mother of all books on Sikkim History, The Gazetteer of Sikhim, written by HH Rishley and published from Calcutta in 1894, writes Sanga Chelling (meaning The Place of Secret Spells ) Monastery near Pelling was built in 1697. The Dubdi (meaning The Hermit's Cell ) Monastery near Yuksom was built in 1701. I believe in the case of the Sanga Choling and Dubdi issue, it was in later years that the original Sanga Choling monastery was burned and reconstructed in 1965. The confusion started here when most writers wrote their work as Dubdi was the first monastery of Sikkim. When an actual building is removed (here burned), as in the case of Sanga Choling, how correct are we to replace its original construction years. The State Governme...
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