Resplendent in the vibrant colors of the sacred art that adorns
it, the monastery of Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre, the largest in
Sikkim, sits 5,500 feet above sea level, set into a hill facing
the city of Gangtok. The temple is surrounded by monks' quarters
that also enclose a spacious stone courtyard, the setting for
ritual lama dances that commemorate significant dates in the
Tibetan Buddhist calendar. Crowning the roof peak of the four-
storied temple is a golden sculpture, the ghanzira. Five
distinct shapes comprise this roof ornament, symbolizing the
five Tathagata (Buddha) families. From bottom to top, the lotus
symbolizes Amithaba; the wheel, Vairochana; the bell,
Amoghasiddhi; the vase, Akshobya; and the jewel, Ratnasambhava.
One floor below is the ridhag chokhor. Legend holds that after
the Buddha attained enlightenment, he retired to an isolated
place. While sitting there in meditation, he was approached by
the great gods Brahma, holding a golden wheel with a thousand
spokes, and Indra, bearing a whi