The Pemayangtse monastery is situated near the town of Pelling, one of the oldest and the most important monasteries of Sikkim. Built in the year 1705, the monastery belongs to the Nyingmapa sect of Mahayana Buddhism and it was founded by Gyalwa Lhatsum Chempo, one of the three lamas to have performed the Consecration Ceremony of the first Chogyal (King) Phuntsog Namgyal at Yuksam in 1642.
The unique feature of the monastery is that there is an intricately carved wooden structure located on the top floor displaying a heavenly sphere known as ‘Zangdokpalri’. It is believed that ‘Zangdokpalri’ is a reproduction in the concrete form that appeared in the vision of Gyalwa Lhatsum Chempo. The monastery houses a good collection of wall paintings, sculptures, precious images, thankas and a huge gold plated statue of Guru Padsambhava.