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Gangtok
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In the morning we drove to the world-famous Namgyal Institute of Tibetology . The Institute's director, Mr. Tashi Densapa (who happens to be married to Wanchuk's aunt), gave us a warm welcome and introduced to a number of experts on his staff, andt then we toured the premises. The first floor contains a marvelous collection of Tibetan and Sikkimese religious artifacts. The second floor houses an awesome library of Buddhist texts (Tibetan pecha style) each carefully wrapped and neatly arranged on the shelves of countless bookcases. The third floor featured a fascinating photo exhibit about the ties that existed in the 20th century between the royal families of Sikkim and Bhutan.
Afterwards we thanked the Director, and as a little token of appreciation I presented him with “A Tribute to the Karmapa” CD featuring live recordings of traditional sacred Tibetan Buddhist chants and instrumental music by the Rumtek Monastery monks.
Having finished our tour we walked over to the nearby Do-Drul Chorten, a large white pagoda surrounded by prayer wheels. The custom is to make three clockwise rounds, spinning the wheels and chanting “ Om mane peme hum ”.
In the afternoon we visited the Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom Emporium , also known as the Government Institute of Cottage Industries. We stopped by the carpet-making section. Apparently, to weave a carpet takes a lot of skill.
Wanchuk and I walked downtown and wandered around the MG Marg pedestrian area and the Lal Bazaar shopping plaza. It looked like it was going to rain but it didn't. Interestingly, sometimes the clouds here just sit on the surrounding hills.
At home, Pem-la just came back from a wedding wearing a full traditional Bhutia dress. It was so beautiful that I just had to take a couple of photos.
That evening, Mr. Densapa, his wife (Wanchuk's aunt K), and their daughter Dolkar, who shared our ride to Gangtok from Siliguri, invited the four of us for a dinner. It was very pleasant, with couple of dozen guests, substantive conversations, wonderful food, and plenty of drinks. One has to be cautious not to drink too much too fast though: apparently, it is a Sikkimese custom to top-off your glass if it appears to be getting empty :)
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