The Drukpa Kagyu Buddhist monastery in Dali, a short distance outside of Darjeeling, is the main seat of His Holiness the XIIth Gyalwang Drukchen. He is at the head of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered to be an incarnation of the Buddha of compassion. He was officially recognized as such by His Holiness The Dalai Lama in 1967.
When arriving in Darjeeling by Jeep, the monastery is the first impressive structure one encounters.
This was the first Tibetan monastery and the first Buddhist monks I encountered while traveling in India so I was quite excited to be there. Many of those monks are actually of Nepalese and Bhutanese origins.
A friend and I spent some time inside the main temple before a group of young monks came in to perform daily prayers. The gold-platted Buddha statues inside the temple, off limits to cameras, were huge, gorgeous, finely made and remain the most impressive ones I’ve seen in the country.
This candid monk came to hang around me as I sat in the prayer wheels hall. He was quite curious about my camera and enjoyed looking at his miniature self in the screen.
The large prayer wheels make bell sounds as they turn and set into motion the prayers engraved on them. As I sat quietly, lay pilgrims recited the Om Mani Padme Hum mantra.
Outside, below the main courtyard, two monks playfully folded robes…
… while, others looked at the hustle and bustle of the streets below. This being February, much of Darjeeling was camouflaged in mist and haze. The normally spectacular view of the Kangchenjunga mountain rage couldn’t be seen.
Large colourful frescos adorn the exterior walls. Even more striking are those inside the main temple, from floor to ceiling featuring numerous saints and Buddhas.