South Sikkim, India: The Buddha Park of Ravangla Vijay This is a relatively new tourist spot in South Sikkim. Situated at an elevation of 8000 ft the small picturesque semi town on the Gangtok-Gaysiling highway, Ravangla is becoming a hot destination for its breathtaking landscape and tranquility. The town and its surrounding area offer an undisturbed view of the snow ranges of Greater Himalayas. Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt. hu, Mt. Kabru are just a few of the major Pandim, Mt. Sinialc peaks that are clearly visible from here. Upper ridges of the area experience snowfall during winter. Thousands of known and unknown flowers are in full bloom during April-May and Ravangla gets a romantic look with the colours and fragrance of the flowers. The main attraction of Ravangla among many others is Tathagata Tsal or Buddha Park. It is a 130-foot high statue, which was constructed in between 2006-2013. The statue is of Lord Buddha and the location for this statue was chosen keeping the religious angle in mind. It is a centuries old pilgrim place. It is also located near Ralang Monastery, which is one of the main monasteries in the Tibetan Buddhism. A TO Z INDIA OCTOBER 2022 PAGE 5