Monasteries and shrines · Lachen
Ngodrub Choling, Lachen's monastery
Climb to Lachen Monastery, built in 1858, for its murals, its monastic school and a wide view down the Lachen valley. This is the monastery whose Gomchen taught Alexandra David-Néel, and which cares for the shrine at Gurudongmar Lake.
Photo: Prof Ranga Sai · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Lachen Monastery, known as Ngodrub Choling, stands at the top of the village, a short drive or a steep 15–20 minute walk from the highway hotels. Built in 1858, it belongs to the Nyingma school, the oldest of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the one most closely tied to Guru Padmasambhava. A monastic school trains young monks here.
Visit on arrival in the late afternoon if you reach Lachen with light to spare, or on the way back from Gurudongmar if your schedule allows. Walk clockwise around the building, remove shoes and hats inside, and ask before taking photographs. If prayers are under way, wait quietly or watch from the door.
The monastery also links the village to its two best-known stories. Its Gomchen, or hermit lama, taught the French scholar Alexandra David-Néel in the 1910s. And since 2001 it has looked after the shrine building at Gurudongmar Lake, where it keeps a lama as caretaker.
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Questions travellers ask
Before you book
When was Lachen Monastery built?
In 1858, according to Wikipedia's article on the monastery. It is a Nyingma monastery, known as Ngodrub Choling, and houses the Lachen Monastic School. The present buildings have been renovated over the years, and the monastery remains the spiritual centre of the village.
Is there time to visit Lachen Monastery on a package?
Often, if you arrive in Lachen by about 4 pm. Most packages reach Lachen late afternoon and leave before dawn, so the evening of arrival is your window. Ask your driver to take you up for half an hour. On some itineraries a visit fits after Gurudongmar, before lunch.
Can we photograph inside Lachen Monastery?
Ask first. Many Sikkim monasteries do not allow photography inside the prayer hall, and rules vary. Exteriors and views are usually fine. Never photograph monks at prayer without permission, and do not use flash.
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