Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery, also known as Ratnarishi Bihar Buddhist Gumpa or simply Lava Monastery, is a Buddhist monastery situated in Lava, West Bengal, India.

History

In the 1980s, the local Buddhist community of Lava offered Karma Lodrö Chökyi Senge (1954–1992), the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, four acres of land to establish a Buddhist monastery in the hamlet, with the aim of preserving local religious and cultural tradition. The offer was accepted in 1987 and construction work commenced in April, 1988. The monastery was opened on June 6, 1990, on the occasion of ''Chökhor Düchen''. In 2001, the Dalai Lama opened Mane Lhakhang, a community temple next to the monastery. Today, over a hundred monks practise Buddhist philosophy at the monastery.

Location

The monastery is located in Lava,

Kalimpong district Kalimpong district is a district in the state of West Bengal, India. Originally known as Dalingkot tehsil, the region was alternatively under the control of Sikkim and Bhutan. In 1865, it was annexed from Bhutan by British India under the Treaty ...

in the Indian state of West Bengal. It sits just beside the Neora Reservoir, and serves as a gateway to the

Neora Valley National Park Neora Valley National Park is a national park in Kalimpong district, West Bengal, India that was established in 1986. It spreads over an area of , and is a rich biological zone in eastern India. It is the land of the red panda in the pristine und ...

. It is at a distance of about 32 km (19.9 mi) from

Kalimpong Kalimpong (Hindi: कलिम्पोंग) is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The re ...

. The nearest railway station is

New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station (station code NJP) established in 1960, is an A1 category broad gauge and narrow-gauge railway station under Katihar railway division of Northeast Frontier Railway zone. It is the largest as well as the ...

and the nearest airport is

Bagdogra Airport Bagdogra Airport is a customs airport located in the western part of Siliguri, in Bagdogra in northern West Bengal, India. It is operated as a civil enclave at AFS Bagdogra of the Indian Air Force. It is the gateway airport to the hill station ...

in Bagdogra, Siliguri.

Description

The monastery resembles elements and styles of

Tibetan architecture Architecture of Tibet contains Chinese and Indian influences but has many unique features brought about by its adaptation to the cold, generally arid, high-altitude climate of the Tibetan plateau. Buildings are generally made from locally availabl ...

, and is built of brick and concrete. It has several prayer halls, lawns, sitting areas, and houses a large Buddha statue. It is properly maintained.

Gallery

File:Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery, Lava, West Bengal, India (2).jpg, Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery, Lava File:Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery, Lava, West Bengal, India (3).jpg, Lava Monastery File:Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery, Lava, West Bengal, India (1).jpg, Lava Monastery File:Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery, Lava, West Bengal, India (4).jpg, Inside Lava Monastery File:Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery, Lava, West Bengal, India (5).jpg, Lava Monastery File:Mane Lhakhang, Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery, Lava, West Bengal, India (6).jpg, Mane Lhakhang

References

{{reflist Buddhist monasteries in West Bengal 1990 establishments in West Bengal Tourist attractions in Kalimpong district Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and temples in India