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Whenever you go to the hills, one of the places that you need to ensure that you are visiting is the Tharpa Choling Monastery. It is nestled on one of the hilltops of Kalimpong and one can savour the soul-soothing views from the top. Here we have compiled everything that one needs to know about this site, including what the fees might be, the history and much more so that you can plan your trip accordingly and make sure you know everything.
History
The Tharpa Choling Monastery, Kalimpongwas founded in 1912 by Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Kalsang, who used to travel to Bhutan, Nepal and even all over India to search for and collect various medicinal plants. The discipline of this monastery is based on the Vinaya and the regulations that were created by the 13th Dalai Lama. When Rinpoche had passed away there was no reincarnation of him to be found yet, which meant that some of the abbots from various other monasteries were put in charge of this site.
Architecture:
The construction of the monastery is amazing and it has one of the most stunning and breathtaking views, as it is located on the hill. The style is simple here, but there are images of deities and Buddha that are all over the buildings that are the highest quality. There are various statues here of Buddha that is showing the present, future, and even the past and there are new buildings here to accommodate the 55 monks who live and study here.
Festivals Celebrated:
There are Buddhist monks who live here and they regularly offer prayers and meditate throughout the day. However, when there are Buddhist leaders who come to visit there are special initiation programs and meetings that are held and when the Dalai Lama or Rinpoche come here, then there are going to be huge mass meetings. These mass meetings would include monks who come from other monasteries and even the community who come for blessing and sermon programs.
How to reach?
You can reach the Tharpa Choling Monastery by driving from Kalimpong around 3 kilometers in the direction of the Tirpar Hills. There would be some local cabs that you can book that would take you here and bring you back for a set rate.
Nearby Attractions:
There are numerous attractions that are in the same complex as the Tharpa Choling Monastery Kalimpong that you should make sure that you are visiting, such as:
• The Chinese Temple or Ge-sar Lhagang
• Lha-Ten, which is the protector deity for this monastery
• Temple of Naga or Lu-Khang, which is considered to be a female
• Mani Lhagang, which is the prayer wheel that Lama Ngawang Kalsang constructed
• Shangmo Dorje Bhuti shrine, which is a demon is was believed to use the disguise of a nomad woman and was sworn through the solemn oath to be the protector of the monastery
FAQs and Important Information:
It is an extremely peaceful place that you can visit and explore and if you are lucky, then one of the monks might give you a tour. There is no fee to gain entry into the Tharpa Choling Monastery, Kalimpong, but you should make sure that you are respectful of the area as it is a place of worship. You can easily take pictures here, but just to be safe you should get permission from one of the monks.
Go ahead and make sure that you are adding this stunning attraction to your list of places to visit while you are in the hills. This is open all of the time, but you should be mindful of when the monks would be studying and even praying if you want to see the majority of the area. There are plenty of structures within the complex that you should check out and they are gorgeous temples that have different meanings and deities who protect them.
