Image of the Chogyal of Sikkim

Who is the Chogyal of Sikkim?

The Chogyals were the monarchs who ruled over the Kingdom of Sikkim. Their reign lasted from 1642 to 1975. All Chogyals belonged to the Namgyal Dynasty, a line of royals from Tibet.

eshna benegal 30 Jul 22

The Chogyals were the monarchs who ruled over the Kingdom of Sikkim. Their reign lasted from 1642 to 1975. All Chogyals belonged to the Namgyal Dynasty, a line of royals from Tibet. The first Chogyal of Sikkim was Phuntsog Namgyal, a descendent of Guru Tashi, a prince from the Tibetan region of Kham. Phuntsog Namgyal was crowned in Yuksom, which later became the capital of Sikkim under his rule.

“Chogyal” translates to “righteous king”. Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim had predicted the Namgyal Dynasty’s rule in Sikkim before their arrival. After Phuntsog Namgyal, there have been 11 Chogyals who ruled Sikkim. The last Chogyal of Sikkim was Palden Thondup Namgyal. He acceded the kingdom to India in 1975 which ended the rule of the monarchy.

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