Samdruptse Hill; the 'wish fulfilling hill' is just 5 km away from Namchi, situated at an altitude of 2134 m (7000 ft). This epic hill is ornamented with a giant statue of the Guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche); the patron saint of Sikkim who has been showering its blessings since more than 1,200 years. It is a 45 m tall statue, overlooking the whole city, and is gilded with gold that glitters when the sunlight falls over it. The hill offers the vista of the magnificent Mt. Kangchenjunga amongst the richly forested hills under the blue painted sky. It is believed that the hill is a dormant volcano and only prayers can hold it from erupting, that is why the local monks offer their reverence and devotion to it. The repository within the premises of the statue, has a profound collection of historical photographs of sikkim also including the fading photos of Mahatma Gandhi, come as a delight for the history buffs. The statue is an incredible triumph of engineering, that took around seven years for its construction under the sponsorship of the Sikkim State Government. The foundation stone for the statue was laid by Dalai Lama in the year 1997.
What To Do And See
There are many tourists attractions around the Samdruptse hill like the very popular Shiva Mandir that has a huge statue of Lord Shiva, is an essential part of the Solophok Chardham. The trekkers can exploit the nearby thrilling trails to the Tendong Hill and Maenam Hill with a detour to the Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary and Tendong State biodiversity Park to gratify their adventure seeking soul. Other than these, Namchi is also a hub of beautiful monasteries that one can not miss along with their visit to the Samdruptse Hill such as Ralang Monastery, Doling Gompa, Ngadak Monastery and Serdup Choling Monastery.
Getting There
Samdruptse Hill is just 7 km from Namchi. Regular SSRTC buses / shared taxis are available from major cities of Sikkim to reach Namchi from where one can hire a cab or get onto a bus to reach here.
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit this place is during the month from February to May and September to mid December, when the weather is pleasing and the views are soul fulfilling. The entry fee applied here is Rs. 30 per adult.