Culture · Tholung Monastery
Visiting Tholung with respect
Tholung is one of Sikkim's most sacred monasteries, and its treasures belong to the whole Buddhist community. Learn what to expect when you arrive, how to behave, and why the doors may be closed outside the Kamsel.
Photo: Anja Disseldorp · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Tholung follows the Nyingma school, the oldest tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the one closely linked with Guru Padmasambhava in Sikkim. Outside the Kamsel the treasury is sealed, and the monastery may be locked, with a caretaker living nearby. If it is open, a monk or caretaker may show you the prayer hall.
Remove your shoes and hat before entering, walk clockwise around the building and any chortens, keep your voice low and do not touch altars, statues or offerings. Ask before taking any photograph, and accept a no. A small offering placed where your guide shows you is appreciated but not required.
Remember why the relics are here: they were carried into this remote forest to keep them safe in a time of war. Treat the place as you would a shrine at home. Take all rubbish back down the trail.
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Questions travellers ask
Before you book
Is Tholung Monastery open every day?
Not reliably. Outside the Kamsel, the monastery may be locked, and opening depends on whether a caretaker or monks are present. Your Dzongu host or guide can try to check in advance. Even if the doors are closed, the walk and the setting are worth the effort for keen walkers.
Can I photograph the relics at Tholung?
Photography of the relics and the interior may not be allowed, especially during the Kamsel. Always ask the monks or caretaker, and accept a no. Photographs of the building's exterior and the forest are usually fine, but avoid photographing pilgrims without permission.
Which school of Buddhism is Tholung?
Tholung follows the Nyingma school, the oldest of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, according to Wikipedia. Many of Sikkim's older monasteries belong to it, including Pemayangtse and Tashiding. The site's link with the Lhatsun lineage connects it to the founding of Sikkim's Buddhist tradition.
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