Rabdentse Ruins

Hidden at the end of a forest path near Pelling, the ruins of Rabdentse mark the second capital of the kingdom of Sikkim, which served as the seat of the Chogyals from 1670 until 1814, when repeated Nepali invasions forced the capital to move to Tumlong. Today it is a quiet, evocative archaeological site rather than a grand monument — and that is its charm.

A short walk through dense woodland, alive with birdsong, opens suddenly onto a ridge-top clearing scattered with the stone foundations of the royal palace, the assembly courtyards and the chortens where the kings once worshipped. From the edge of the ruins, on a clear day, the whole snow massif of Kanchenjunga rises across the valley — the same view the Chogyals would have had from their throne.

Rabdentse pairs perfectly with the Pemayangtse monastery just up the hill, and with the Pelling skywalk and Sanga Choling nearby, making West Sikkim a rich day of history and mountains.