Upper Gompa Bomdila

Upper Gompa Bomdila, also known as Gentse Gaden Rabgyel Ling Monastery, is the largest and most prominent Buddhist monastery in Bomdila, West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh. Located on a hilltop at about 8,000 feet elevation, it belongs to the Gelugpa school of Mahayana Buddhism. Established in 1965, it is noted for its prayer hall, Buddha statue, thangkas and panoramic views of the Eastern Himalayas.

Visitors can expect a hilltop monastery complex with a large prayer hall housing a Buddha statue, colourful thangkas, murals and prayer wheels. The complex includes monks' quarters, courtyards and viewpoints overlooking Bomdila town and Himalayan ranges. The setting is quiet and spiritual, with opportunities to observe daily prayers, explore the architecture, and enjoy photography of the valley and mountains from the monastery premises.

Upper Gompa was established in 1965 by Tsona Gontse Rinpoche, the 12th reincarnate of Tsona Gontse Monastery in Tibet. It was built as a replica of the original Tsona Gontse Monastery to serve the Buddhist community after his settlement in Bomdila.

The monastery is an important centre of the Gelugpa sect of Mahayana Buddhism and serves as a place of worship, learning and cultural preservation for the Monpa and other Buddhist communities of West Kameng. It hosts daily prayers and religious observances and displays traditional Tibetan Buddhist art and architecture.