According to traditional legends and Buddhist chronicles, which legendary sage is believed to have visited Sikkim and sanctified the land before the formal establishment of the kingdom?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, is revered in Tibetan Buddhism for traveling through the Himalayas during the ancient period, blessing the land of Sikkim in the eighth century, and establishing Nyingma Buddhism. Figures like Adi Shankara were prominent Hindu philosophers operating in peninsular and northern India rather than the eastern Himalayas. Guru Rinpoche is culturally celebrated as the patron saint of Sikkim, and numerous sacred caves and lakes bear his spiritual imprints.