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Ghoom Monasteries
Yiga Choeling Monastery
Religion
Affiliation	Tibetan Buddhism
Sect	Gelug
Location
Location	Ghum, West Bengal, India
Location within India
Geographic coordinates	27°0′42″N 88°15′1″E / 27.01167°N 88.25028°E / 27.01167; 88.25028
Architecture
Founder	Lama Sherab Gyatso
Date established	1875

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Key personalities First dissemination Padmasambhāva Śāntarakṣita Kamalaśīla Songtsen Gampo Trisong Detsen Ralpacan Second dissemination Atiśa Talika Abhayakirti Niguma Sukhasiddhi Milarepa Nyingma Yeshe Tsogyal Longchenpa Jigme Lingpa Patrul Rinpoche Dudjom Lingpa Mipham Kagyu Marpa Rangjung Dorje Jonang Dolpopa Taranatha Sakya Sakya Pandita Gorampa Bodongpa Samding Dorje Phagmo Gelugpa Je Tsongkhapa 5th Dalai Lama 13th Dalai Lama 14th Dalai Lama 10th Panchen Lama
Teachings General Buddhist Three marks of existence Skandha Cosmology Saṃsāra Rebirth Bodhisattva Dharma Dependent origination Karma Tibetan Four Tenets system Rangtong-Shentong Svatantrika-Prasaṅgika distinction Nyingma Dzogchen Pointing-out instruction
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Major monasteries Tradruk Drepung Dzogchen Ganden Jokhang Kumbum Labrang Mindrolling Namgyal Narthang Nechung Pabonka Palcho Ralung Ramoche Rato Sakya Sanga Sera Shalu Tashi Lhunpo Tsurphu Yerpa
Institutional roles Dalai Lama Panchen Lama Lama Karmapa Rinpoche Geshe Tertön Tulku Western tulku
Festivals Chotrul Duchen Dajyur Galdan Namchot Losar Dosmoche Monlam Sho Dun Losoong
Texts Kangyur Tengyur Tibetan Buddhist canon Mahayana sutras Nyingma Gyubum
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Old Ghoom Monastery is the popular name of Yiga Choeling. The monastery belongs to the Gelukpa or the Yellow Hat sect and is known for its 15 feet (4.6 m)-high statue of the Maitreya Buddha. The external structure of the building was established in 1850 by the Mongolian astrologer and monk Sokpo Sherab Gyatso, who was head of the monastery until 1905.

In 1909, Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Kalsang, popularly called Lama Domo Geshe Rinpoche, succeeded Sherab Gyatso as the head. It was he who commissioned the statue of the Maitreya Buddha, and he remained head until 1952.

During the Chinese occupation of 1959 in Tibet many high ranking abbots fled to India and took refuge in the monastery. In 1961, Dhardo Rimpoche became head of the Yiga Choeling monastery Ghoom, Darjeeling. He died in 1990 and three years later, a boy named Tenzin Legshad Wangdi was recognised as his reincarnation.

On 25 April 1996, he was enthroned at Kalimpong Tibetan ITBCI school. The thirteenth in the line of Tulkus, Tenzin Legshad Wangdi, still goes by the name of Dhardo Tulku. He is studying Tibetan Philosophy at Drepung Loseling University in South India.

Under the supervision of Dhardo Rimpoche, the Managing Committee was set up in order to improve the monastery. Some of the initiatives have been successful, others not.

For the last two decades, the monastery has been going through severe crises in terms of both monks and finance. Till now, the grants-in-aid entitled to the monastery have not been received either from the government nor from any other source. Presently the monastery is meeting its needs through donations and contributions from local devotees.

Samten Choeling

The Samten Choeling monastery lies below the road and is today less visited by local people due to various religious beliefs and confusion.

The monastery, which was built in 1875 by Lama Sherab Gyatso, follows the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Amongst the Buddhist texts available are the Kangyur, the Tibetan Buddhist canon, running into 108 volumes. The monks fly prayer flags in the Tibetan tradition.

Gallery

• Gate of Yiga Choeling Monastery
• Garuda at Yiga Choeling Monastery
• Maitreya Buddha in Yiga Choeling Monastery
• Samten Choeling monastery
• Maitreya Buddha in Samten Choeling monastery
• Chortens

References

1. "Yiga Choeling Monastery, Ghoom | About".
2. ^ Agarwala, A.P. (editor), Guide to Darjeeling Area, 27th edition, p. 78, ISBN 81-87592-00-1.
3. "Religious shrines around Darjeeling". darjeelingnews.net. Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
4. ^ "Monasteries in Darjeeling". exploredarjeeling.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2007.

• Gelug monasteries and temples
• Buddhist monasteries in Darjeeling district
• Buildings and structures in Darjeeling
• Tourist attractions in Darjeeling
• Religious organizations established in 1875
• Maitreya
• Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and temples in India
• 1875 establishments in India