Tibetan Settlement, Chandragiri

The Tibetan Settlement at Chandragiri, also known as Phuntsokling, is a Tibetan refugee settlement in Gajapati District, Odisha, about 90 km from Berhampur. Established in 1963 on land provided by the Odisha government, it is the largest Tibetan settlement in eastern India. It is notable for its Buddhist monasteries, including the Padmasambhava Mahavihara Monastery, Tibetan handicrafts, and as a center preserving Tibetan culture and Buddhist traditions in Odisha.

Visitors can expect a quiet, planned settlement with Tibetan-style monasteries, prayer halls, stupas, and residential clusters set amid forested hills. The main focus is the Padmasambhava Mahavihara Monastery with its large Buddha statues, colorful murals and prayer wheels, along with smaller monasteries, cooperative handicraft centers selling woolen carpets and textiles, and Tibetan eateries. The environment is calm and monastic, suitable for walking around the monastery complex and observing daily rituals.

The settlement was established in 1963 to rehabilitate Tibetan refugees following the 1959 exodus. The Government of Odisha provided land at Chandragiri (Phuntsokling, meaning Land of Plenty) in Gajapati district. The settlement was developed with assistance from the Government of India and the Central Tibetan Administration. The Padmasambhava Mahavihara Monastery was later inaugurated in 2010 and is regarded as the largest Buddhist monastery in eastern India.

It is the largest Tibetan settlement in eastern India and a major center for Tibetan Buddhism in Odisha. The settlement preserves Tibetan language, handicrafts, cuisine and Buddhist practices, with five monasteries representing different Tibetan Buddhist traditions. It serves as an important cultural and religious site for the Tibetan community and for visitors interested in Buddhist heritage.