Namgyal Monastery
The
Buddhist Pilgrimage
Namgyal Institute is located in Dharamshala district of Himachal
Pradesh.
The Buddhist Pilgrimage
Namgyal monastery, also called Namgyal Dratsang in local language, was
founded by Sonam Gyasto, the third Dalai Lama in 1575. The aim behind
the monastery was to assist Dalai Lama in his public religious
activities and perform prayers for welfare of Tibet. The monastery had
also been teaching the young Buddhist monks and Lamas. After Chinese
invasion on Tibet, many Tibetan monks fled to India and Nepal. Those
coming to India prefered staying at Dharamshala and adjoining areas. The
residence of Dalai Lama was shifted to Mcleodganj, and it was the time
when the site of original monastery was shifted outside the residence of
Dalai Lama. The monastery complex consists of a institute, monastery and
small temples.
Namgyal Institute
The Namgyal monastery aims at teaching the Lamas. The institute is one
of its kind in providing education which specializes in Tantra and
Sutra. It is very tough to get admission in the institute. Men have to
prove there mettle, by qualifying the difficult training. After the
successful completion of training, young lamas are taken in. The process
of study becomes more tough from this point onwards. The students have
to be here for 13 years, following rigorous routine, and attaining
knowledge. These 13 years lead to a Master of Sutra and Tantra degree,
which is unique to Namgyal. The faculty here includes the leading
spritual leaders of Tibet, alongwith Dalai Lama. Another peculiar thing
about the institute is that Dalai Lama himself teaches the students,
thus providing them with the most blessed knowledge. This is passed only
to the students studying here.
The Monastery
The Namgyal monastery is the private monastery of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama. No visitor is allowed to enter the temple premises, and is
open only to Dalai Lama and his students. The original monastery has
been used as the privately by the Dalai Lama since its inception. The
monastery was earlier at Lhasa, in Tibet. After Dalai Lama left Tibet, a
new monastery was constructed at his residence in Dharamshala on the
same principles of the ancient one. In 1992, six monks were selected by
Dalai Lama to visit New York and establish a new branch of Namgyal in
Ithaca. The monastery houses three to five monks who come on an exchange
from the parent monastery in Dharamsala.
Reaching Namgyal
Namgyal Monastery is in mcleodganj, in Dharamshala. One can take taxi
to reach Mcleodganj.
