The history of Gangtok is shrouded in darkness except for the fact that its early history traces back to 1716 AD when the Gangtok monastry was built. The hill resort's reputation revolved around being a tiny hamlet till 1840. After the construction of the Enchey Monastery, it metamorphosed into a famous pilgrimage center. In due course of time, it served as a prime stopover point on the India-Tibet route during the colonial period. The hill town's taste of fame came in 1894 when the capital of Sikkim got shifted from Tumlong to Gangtok.