One of the three important monasteries in Kalimpong, in West Bengal state, the Tharpa Choling Monastery is a well known monastery built during the year 1912 by the famous Rinpoche Domo Geshe Ngawang Kalsang. Gaden Tharpa Choling Monastery is registered as a non profitable organisation and development association as per the 1961 Act of societies registration of west Bengal. Monastery follows the prayer rules laid down by 13th Dalai Lama as per Vinaya spiritual code of conducts. Perched on top of the Tirpai Hills, the Tharpa Choling Monastery has been known for the serene and calm surroundings, suitable for meditation, where monks come from different places for spending some quality time. Also, the picturesque scenery around the monastery is worth watching, attracting many tourists during the travel season. The monastery belongs to the Gelupga sect of Buddhism of the Yellow hat group and is well known for the unpolluted surroundings and cool nature of the area.
History
Considered to be one of the oldest Tibetan monasteries in India, the Tharpa Choling Monastery is said to have been built by Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngwang Kalsang in the early 20th century. It was during a visit to Kalimpong, when he lived here in 1906 that Rinpoche thought of setting up a monastery in Kalimpong, egged on by some businessmen and local influential people. the Rinpoche was staying at Kalimpong to collect some medicinal plants and had arrived from Tibet. For building the monastery, lots of acres of land with paddy fields and orange plantations were donated by the people of the region. As the monastery was set up under the Rinpoche, many novice monks from different backgrounds and countries arrived in here to follow Buddhist teachings and lived there. After the death of Dome Geshe, there was no one to take over as the Geshe and hence, the administration was handed over to a team of abbots from different other monasteries.
Architecture
Due to the presence of the Tharpa Choling Monastery on top of the hill, it has a picturesque view and the constructions are equally awe inspiring. The style of building of this monastery is simple but the images of Buddha and other deities is quite amazing. Remarkable feature of the monastery is the presence of sacred Buddhist scriptures and old literary works from various saints. Inside the monastery, there are statues of Buddha, depicting the past, present and future incarnations namely the Bhaisajya, Sakyamuni and Maitreya and each of these structures has a garuda statue above, which has a snake in its mouth and holds ignorance and hatred symbols in its feet. Idols of Dorje Shugden are kept in locked rooms in the monastery. New buildings were recently added inside the monastery, to accommodate more monks, the present strength of whose is 55, who are studying here and learning buddism and involved in prayers.
Apart from the monastery building, there are few other structures inside the compound, having importance as shrines. Ge-sar Lhagang or the Chinese temple is a Mongolian temple, shifted into the monastery when it was being built in 1912. There are inscriptions praising the deity Ge-sar and has Tao Chen beliefs, which is an ancient form of future forecasting.
Lha Ten is a temple, where the diety present is supposedly the protector of the monastery. Lu Khwang or the Temple of Naga, Mani Lhagang and Shrine for Shangmo Dorje Bhuti are few other structures of importance, present inside the complex, which are also visited by the tourists coming into the Tharpa Choling Monastery.
Festivals
Buddhist monks in the Tharpa Choling Monastery have been offering prayers and meditating from early morning every day. On special occasions, when revered Buddhist leaders arrive, there are special meetings and initiation programs held, that too in silence. During the visits by Rinpoche or Dalai Lama, there are mass gatherings, where people from the community and the monks from other monasteries gather here for the sermons and blessing programs.
Getting There
Monastery of Tharpa Choling can be reached from the town of Kalimpong by travelling 3 kms towards the Tirpar Hills, along the KD Pradhan Road. Kalimpong is one of the well known towns of west Bengal and has good communications with Kolkata.
