Sangchen Dorjee Monastery

Hours: Daylight hours; early morning or late afternoon recommended
Entry: Free; donations warmly received
The single most compelling sight in Pedong. Established around 1706 during the Bhutanese rule, this ancient gompa, also known simply as Pedong Monastery, sits about 2km from the bus stand along a steep earthen path off the main Kalimpong-to-Pedong road. Its architecture is immediately striking: pure Bhutanese in style, with whitewashed walls, a heavy timber facade and prayer flags strung between ancient deodar cedars.
The interior rewards patient attention. The walls of the main prayer chamber are covered in fresco paintings depicting scenes from Tantric Buddhism, rich, intricate and surprisingly well-preserved given the monsoon humidity that tests every structure in these hills. The monastery follows the Drukpa Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and has become an increasingly important pilgrimage destination for Bhutanese Buddhists.
Among its most remarkable treasures is the mummified body of the last Shabdrung Rinpoche, the most revered Bhutanese religious figure, who relocated to Pedong in his final years. His preserved form remains here, awaiting an auspicious day when it will be encased in a golden stupa or chorten. The monastery has, as a result, become one of the most sacred sites in the Drukpa Kagyu world.