Rabdentse Ruins, Sikkim
Often known as the Machu Picchu of India, the ruins of Rabdentse date back to the 1670s and offer a glimpse into the royal past of Sikkim. Rabdentse was once the second capital of the kingdom of Sikkim. Tensung Namgyal, the son of Phunstog Namgyal and the first Chogyal of Sikkim, shifted the capital here from Yuksom. In the 18th century, the city was destroyed by the invading Gurkha army. Years later the Archaeological Survey of India restored the site, adding landscaped gardens and pathways. The ruins are close to the town of Pelling and a two-kilometer hike from Pemayangtse Monastery, which is an important part of the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit. Inside, there are Buddhist shrines, a throne and an open quadrangle. The most striking feature, however, is a 7-foot-long white marble slab, which remains the main draw for locals and tourists even today. The location of the slab is believed to have been the location of a monastery called Risum Gompa. —Arundhati Ails
Getting there: Rabdentse ruins are a 30-min drive from Pelling and a short hike from Pemayangtse Monastery.
Unakoti, Tripura
According to the myths around the rock carvings of Unakoti, Lord Shiva once spent a night at the site on a trip to Kashi along with 9,999,999 gods and goddesses. He and his companions were to awaken before dawn to continue the pilgrimage. But when the time came, only Shiva awoke. Furious, he turned them all to stone. Another legend states that the carvings were made by an artisan named Kallu Kumhar, who accompanied Lord Shiva and Parvati on their journey to Mount Kailash. Kumhar was ordered to create one crore carvings depicting the lord and his companions in one night. He managed to create almost all of them. Unakoti literally translates to “one less than a crore.” A handful of fascinating rock carvings remain at the site, the most striking among them being a 30ft carving of Shiva himself. There’s also a carving of Ganesha, Goddess Durga on a lion, Goddess Ganga, Hanuman, Ravana, and more. In 2022, these sculptures and reliefs were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site tentative list. —A.A.
Getting there: Unakoti district is a four-hour drive from Agartala.
