‘The Buddha Of Future’ Inside Yiga Choeling Monastery

The untouched beauty of the hills, the jaw-dropping locales, the mesmerising sunrises, and the old-world charm of the past, and the welcoming smiles of the local people all combine to portray Darjeeling as one of the most beautiful hill stations in India. And if you are planning a visit to the steep mountain ridge, then Yiga Choeling, or the Old Ghoom Monastery should definitely be on your list.

One of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Darjeeling, this was built around 1850 by a monk and famous astrologer Lama Sherab Gyatso. He served as the first head of the monastery and continued his tenure until 1905. The monastery located below the Ghoom railway station, belongs to the Yellow Hat sect known as Gelupka. Inside the monastery there is a 15-foot model of the Lord Buddha which is known as The Maitreya Buddha or the Gyalwa Shampa which means the Buddha of the future or the Coming Buddha. The statue was erected with clay that was all brought from Tibet and in front of the Buddha's statue there are two huge oil lamps that keep burning all the time and all through the year. Images of Buddha deities and lamas adorn the monastery. Well, this is the view inside the premise and if you step outside, the view is even more breath-taking and you get the sweeping views of the snow-capped peaks including the Kanchenjunga.

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