Banjhakri Falls and Energy Park

Banjhakri Falls and Energy Park is a family-friendly stop among Gangtok attractions, combining a 30 m waterfall with gardens and statues themed on Sikkim's shamanic traditions.

Banjhakri Falls and Energy Park is a recreational park built around a natural waterfall about 7 km from central Gangtok, near the Ranka road. The spring-fed falls drop roughly 30 m (about 98 ft) into a rocky pool, and around them roughly two acres of forest land have been landscaped with footpaths, bridges, gazebos and gardens planted with camellias, hydrangeas and poinsettias.

The park's theme is the Ban Jhakri, the "forest shaman" of Sikkimese folklore; ban means forest and jhakri means healer. Statues and thatched displays depict shamanic figures from different communities, such as the Mangpa, Bongthing, Phedangba and Bijuwa, and an artificial lake features a dragon sculpture.

The "Energy Park" part of the name comes from its renewable-energy exhibits: a hall run by the Sikkim Renewable Energy Development Agency shows solar water heaters and similar technology, and solar lighting is used across the grounds. The idea for the park came from then Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling after a visit to the falls in September 2004.

The park is popular with families and gets crowded on weekends and holidays. It is a ticketed site, but published entry prices differ between travel sources (Rs.50 and Rs.100 per person are both reported), and hours are listed as roughly 8 or 9 AM to 6 PM. Paths can be slippery near the falls, especially in and after the monsoon, when the waterfall is at its fullest.