Rabdentse Ruins

The Rabdentse Ruins, about half an hour from Pelling in Gyalshing district, are the remains of the second capital of the old Kingdom of Sikkim and are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. The second Chogyal, Tensung Namgyal, moved his capital here in 1670. After an invasion from Nepal forced the court to flee to Lhasa, his descendant Tsudphud judged the site too close to the border and shifted the capital to Tumlong in North Sikkim, leaving the palace to decay.

A forest path past a small lake leads to the old fortification wall and to Namphogang, a raised stone platform with three tall chortens where the Chogyal held court. The southern wing, with its throne, was where ordinary people prayed and met the king, while Dab Lhagang to the north was a prayer area kept for the royal family. Excavations have also traced the royal quarters, a guardroom, an assembly room and a kitchen. A white marble slab about 7 ft long, still worshipped, marks the supposed site of Risum Gompa. Within the complex is a bird park honouring Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal, the 10th Chogyal.