The Dharma Chakra Center, the most cherished site of every Buddhist followers is situated at Rumtek, 24 Km away from the capital town of Gangtok. Located at 27.305827 latitude and 88.53637 longitude at an altitude of 5785 feet, Rumtek is situated amidst the picturesque locale, the Rumtek monastery is one of the most important seats of the Kagyau lineage of Tibetan Buddhism outside Sikkim. The appellation of the word Rumtek is Rum (god) Tek (place) according to the local Lepcha language. The main temple shrine is encircled with the monks’ quarters and the entrance is decorated with traditional murals. An interesting fact is that there is a painting of Hindu God lord Ganesha as the Karmapa had a vision of lord Ganesha helping the construction work of the monastery. Inside the main shrine long and round silk banners and ancient thankas are suspended on red pillars and the golden stupa that contains the ashes of Karmapa is a point of attraction. Built in 1962 by his Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa when he took refuge in Sikkim after the Chinese invasion, the new Rumtek monastery is the replica of the Tshurpa monastery in Tibet.

               A fifteen minutes walk downhill takes you to the old Rumtek monastery amidst the green forest which was destroyed by fire and that led to the existence on the new Rumtek monastery. Built in 1734 A.D, in the memory of 9th Gyalwa Karmapa, the monastery follows the Karma Kagyau lineage on the ancient Tibetan Buddhism. It is believed that when the 9th Karmapa threw the holy rice after performing a ritual, four rice grains was scattered in Sikkim and one of the rice grain landed on the spot where the old Rumtek monastery is erected today.

              Paddy fields in the hills sound quiet weird; well about 6 km further from the old Rumtek monastery you get to witness a bowl shaped paddy field, covering a huge area, the stream running through the paddy field is an add-on beauty to the place. Another interesting site is the tea plantation in patches scattered in an area of 30 hectare at Martam village established by Lokhnath Poudyal in the year 2007. The tea garden has got a name now and it is known as the Red Panda Tea Processing Unit. A night spent at the Martam village resort would be truly enduring because of its tranquil countryside location with all the modern amenities, a home away from home feel.