60-year-old North Sikkim monastery destroyed in fire

PANKAJ DHUNGEL

GANGTOK,: A devastating fire that broke out late on the night of June 5 completely destroyed the historic Thangu Sertok Gumpa in Thangu under Lachen in North Sikkim, reducing the nearly 60-year-old monastery and adjoining structures to ashes and resulting in the loss of invaluable religious artifacts and sacred possessions.

The fire reportedly started at around 11 PM and rapidly spread through the monastery complex. According to local authorities, no casualties or injuries were reported, but the incident caused extensive property damage and irreparable cultural loss.

Lachen Pipon Cho Bandu Lachenpa said the blaze engulfed the monastery so quickly that there was no opportunity to rescue the sacred objects, religious scriptures, artifacts, and belongings kept inside. Two structures adjacent to the monastery were also destroyed in the fire.

Providing details of the incident, Chungthang SDM Arun Chettri said preliminary findings indicate that the fire originated from a solar power system installed in the monastery's kitchen.

"Fire started from a solar panel device placed in the kitchen of the monastery. The battery supporting the solar panel was covered with jute-sisal fibre sheets as part of vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM). However, initial reports claim that the fire began from the battery in the kitchen. The kitchen was made of mud and stone, but with the ceiling being wooden, the fire caught quickly. Soon the fire moved towards the store room adjacent to the monastery. Collectively, three structures – the monastery, a kitchen, and a store – were destroyed in the fire. All three structures had mud-and-stone bases with wooden ceilings," Chettri informed.

Built around 1965, the Thangu Sertok Gumpa held immense religious, cultural, and spiritual significance for the people of the region. For decades, it served as an important centre of worship, religious learning, and community gatherings for residents of Thangu and nearby villages.

The SDM said that while some important religious items could be saved, several priceless artifacts were lost in the blaze.

"In the main monastery, the main statue of the Buddha could be recovered, but other smaller statues couldn't be recovered. Similarly, a few thangka paintings could be recovered, but several ancient thangkas were caught in the fire," he said.

The caretaker of the monastery was residing in a building opposite the gumpa when the fire broke out. According to local reports, the blaze began around 11 PM. The Thangu Police Outpost was informed at approximately 12:30 AM, while personnel from a nearby Indian Army camp were alerted around 2:00 AM. Firefighting efforts continued through the night, and the blaze was eventually brought under control by morning.

The destruction of the monastery has deeply saddened residents of the area, who regarded the gumpa as a significant symbol of their religious faith and cultural heritage.

The administration has announced compensation for the damaged structures. "Each structural damage will receive compensation of Rs. 1.30 lakh per structure. In this case, compensation will be provided for all three affected structures and handed over to the caretaker," Chettri said.

While authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage, the fire has left the remote high-altitude community mourning the loss of one of North Sikkim's longstanding religious landmarks and several irreplaceable sacred treasures preserved within its walls.