Tengboche Monastery or Dawa Choling Gompa
Long Life to Rinpoche of Tengboche!
Tengboche Monastery (or Thyangboche Monastery), also known as Dawa Choling Gompa, located in the Tengboche village in Khumjung in the Khumbu region of eastern Nepal is a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery of the Sherpa community. Situated at 3,867 metres (12,687 ft), the monastery is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region of Nepal. The monastery was built in 1916 by Lama Gulu with strong links to its mother monastery known as the Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet. However, in 1934, it was destroyed by an earthquake and was subsequently rebuilt. In 1989, it was destroyed for a second time by a fire and then rebuilt with the help of volunteers and international assistance.
Tengboche monastery located amidst the Sagarmatha National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site of 'outstanding universal value'), is draped with a panoramic view of the Himalayan Mountains, including the well known peaks of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Thamserku.
Tengboche is also the terminus site of the "Sacred Sites Trail Project" of the Sagarmatha National Park that attracts large number of tourists for trekking and mountaineering. It is a circular trail that covers 10 monasteries in a clockwise direction terminating in the Tengboche Monastery.
Tengboche Monastery is located on a hill at the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and the Imja Khola rivers. It lies in Khumbu district to the north east of Kathmandu on the Nepal - Tibet border. It is inhabited by sherpas ('sherpa' literally means the easterner) who migrated from Tibet six hundred years ago. The monastery is approached by a mountain trail from Namche, via the nearest airport in Lukla (2,800 metres (9,200 ft)) connecting to Kathmandu. Its approach is by a hard three days of trekking from Lukla. However, considering acclimatization needs for the high altitude climbing, a four day trekking is generally preferred. This trail crosses initially the Dudh Kosi (3,250 metres (10,660 ft)) river and a further climb leads to the Tengboche monastery at 3,870 metres (12,700 ft) altitude. However, a down hill trek leads to Devouche, the nunnery.
The backdrop to the monastery is provided, particularly during winter, by the shining snow clad peak of Ama Dablam, the tip of the Everest that glows from the Lotse ridge and several other peaks. Tengboche is mid way station of the trail to the base camp for the mountain climbers of Mount Everest and other peaks of over 8,000 metres (26,000 ft) elevation; all these areas form part of the entire Kumbhu region up to Tibet border with an area of 1,148 square kilometres (443 sq mi) encompassing the Sagarmatha National park.In the Kumbu region of Nepal, the monastery is strategically placed on the way to Everest base camp and thus attracts large number of tourists from all parts of the world. During the spring season, hill slopes around Tengboche are covered with flowering rhododendrons.
Khumbu valley, where the monastery is located, came under the influence of Buddhism about 350 years back. Ancient scriptures of Tibet refer to this valley along with Rowlang and Khanbalung valleys as sacred places. Lama Sangwa Dorje is referred to as the founder of the oldest monastery in Khumbu at Pangboche as well as many other small hermitages. His divine psychic knowledge and clairvoyant vision had prophesised suitability of establishing a monastery at Tengboche based on a foot print on a rock left by him while meditating. However, the actual establishment of the monastery happened only during Ngawang Tenzin Norbu's time; Norbu was considered as Sangwa Dorje's fifth incarnation. He had established a monastery at Rongbuk in Tibet on the northern face of Mt. Everest. He blessed Chatang Chotar, known as Lama Gulu, to found the Tengboche monastery at Tengboche village and as a result it got established at its present location in 1916. It is the first celibate monastery under the Nyingmapa lineage of the Vajrayana Buddhism.
Here you can see some photos Tengboche and environs.
View on mountain Kangtega and Tengboche, Rivendel lodge and Deboche. October 2009
View on Tengboche from rhododendron forest. June 2010
Cloud morning in Tengboche. June 2012
Tengboche monastery and fir trees. May 2017
Tengboche monastery. May 2017
View on Tengboche and Rivendell lodge from chorten. May 2017
View on Heaven Land. May 2017
