258 



MONASTERIES. 



In addition to the monasteries iu this list are several religious 

 buildings called by the people gompas, but by the lamas only hla-khang 

 or temples, such as Dti-thang, Ke-dum, &c. 



The oldest monastery in Sikhim is Dub-de, founded by the pioneer 



lama Lhatsiin Cbhembo. Soon afterwards shrines 



teries^ ^^^^^ monas- ggem to have been erected at Tashiding, Pemiongchi, 



and Sang-nga-chho-ling over sppts consecrated to Guru 



Rimbochhe, and these ultimately became the nuclei of monasteries; 



Sangngachholing and Pemiongchi being first built. As SangngachhS- 



ling is open to members of all classes of Sikhim- 



PemiongcLi and its Bbotivas, Lepchas, Limbus, and also females and 



ta sang. S , i •. • • t ,^ , n • i • 



even deformed persons, it is said that Pemiongchi 

 was designed, if not actually built, by Hlatslin Chhembo as a high- 

 class monastery for ta-sang or " pure-monks" of pure Tibetan race, 

 celibate and undeformed. Pemiongchi still retains this reputation 

 for the professedly celibate character and good family of its monks; 

 and its monks alone in Sikhim enjoy the title of fa-sang, and to 

 its lama is reserved the honour of anointing with holy-water the 

 reigning sovereign. 



The great majority of the monasteries belong to the Nyingmapa 

 sub-sect of Lhatsiin-pa, only 5famchi, Tashiding, 

 in^^toTecr'^'*"'''"^'^' Sinon, and Tbangmochhe belonging to the 

 '"^ °^^'^' Ngadakpa sub-sect, and Kartok and Do-ling to 



the Kartokpa sub-sect of Nyingmapa. All of these are practically 

 subordinate to Pemiongchi, although Namchi and Kartok gijmpas are 

 nominally the heads of the Ngadakpa and Kartokpa respectively. 

 Pemiongchi also exercises supervision over the Lepcha gompas of Ling- 

 them, Zimik, and Phaggye. Lepchas are admissible 

 Lepcha monastenes. ^j^^ ^^ ^.^^.^^ ^^ ^^jj ^^ Sangngachholing. Nuns 



