About Yiga Choeling Monastery
Yiga Choeling Monastery, commonly known as Ghum Monastery, is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in Ghum, about 8 km from Darjeeling in West Bengal. Founded in 1850 and belonging to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect, it is one of the oldest monasteries in the Darjeeling region. It is notable for its 15-foot statue of Maitreya Buddha, traditional Tibetan architecture, ancient manuscripts and thangkas.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a traditional Tibetan monastery complex with a central prayer hall housing a 15-foot statue of Maitreya Buddha, rows of prayer wheels, colourful thangkas and murals, and shelves of old Tibetan manuscripts. The monastery is located on Hill Cart Road near Ghum Railway Station, surrounded by forested hills. Visitors can walk through the prayer hall, observe monks in prayer, view religious artefacts and bells, and explore the exterior courtyard and small souvenir stalls outside.
Key highlights
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15-foot clay statue of Maitreya Buddha (the Future Buddha) in the central prayer hall
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One of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the Darjeeling area, founded in 1850
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Belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism
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Collection of ancient Tibetan manuscripts, thangkas and religious paintings
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Traditional Tibetan architecture with prayer wheels and colourful murals
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Location in Ghum at about 2,400 meters altitude near the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
History of Yiga Choeling Monastery
Founded in 1850 by Lama Sherab Gyatso and later developed in 1875 by Mongolian astrologer and monk Sokpo Sherab Gyatso. It was established as a monastery of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered the oldest monastery in the Darjeeling region. The monastery preserves a 15-foot statue of Maitreya Buddha and ancient Tibetan texts brought from Tibet.
Culture & Context
An important centre of Tibetan Buddhism in the Darjeeling hills, affiliated with the Gelugpa sect. It serves the local Tibetan Buddhist community, houses sacred images of Maitreya Buddha, Chenrezig and other deities, and displays traditional thangkas, murals and prayer wheels that reflect Tibetan religious art and monastic culture.