New Ralang Monastery or Ralong Palchen Choling is a
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
monastery of the
Kagyu
The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. The Kagyu lineag ...
sect of
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
in southern
Sikkim
Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligur ...
, northeastern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is located six kilometres from
Ravangla
Ravangla or Rawangla or Ravongla is a small tourist town with an elevation of 8000 feet located in the South Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is connected by state highway to other major towns in the state and lies between Pelli ...
.
Ralang Monastery has an extensive collection of paintings and thangkas.
Construction
The old monastery underwent reconstruction in 1975-1981 and in 1995, this new monastery, known as Palchen Choeling Monastic Institute was built by the 12th
Gyaltsab Rinpoche
Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche () is a leading incarnate lama (tulku) in the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He is considered to be an emanation of Vajrapani.
The first Gyaltsab Rinpoche Paljor Dondrub (1427–1489) was born in Nyemo Yakten ...
, which retained its Tibetan architecture.
The older Ralang Gompa or
Karma Rabtenling monastery
Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively ...
is located close west of this new monastery.
Festival
Ralang Monastery is host to an annual festival, known as Pang Lhabsol when Mount
Kangchenjunga
Kangchenjunga, also spelled Kanchenjunga, Kanchanjanghā (), and Khangchendzonga, is the third highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the T ...
is worshipped usually in September and ending in early December with the
Kagyed.
See also
*
Tashiding Monastery
Tashiding Monastery is a Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism in Western Sikkim, northeastern India, which is the most sacred and holiest monasteries in Sikkim. It is described as the "Heart of Sikkim/Denzong", citing to it ...
References
External links
Buddhist monasteries in Sikkim
Karma Kagyu monasteries and temples
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