Monasteries beyond the Tibetan plateau
Many of the best-known Tibetan Buddhist monasteries are not in Tibet at all. Ladakh, Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan have each held Buddhist communities for centuries, and each has monasteries whose founding stories go back long before modern borders existed. Since the 1950s, new monasteries have also been founded by refugees from Tibet, which is why a single school may have a very old seat in one valley and a newer counterpart in another.
This article is a general survey. Founding dates are traditional or approximate, and school affiliation can be more complex than a single label suggests. Check with the monastery or a reliable local source if the detail matters to you.
Ladakh
Ladakh, in the far north of India, has a strong Tibetan Buddhist culture, and the Ladakh pilgrimage circuit draws visitors along the Indus valley.
- Hemis belongs to the Drukpa Kagyu and is well known for its annual festival; the Hemis Monastery has its own article.
- Thikse is a Gelug monastery built on a hillside above the valley, covered in its own article on Thikse Monastery.
- Lamayuru is generally described as belonging to the Drikung Kagyu tradition and sits in a striking eroded landscape west of Leh.
- Alchi is traditionally linked to the translator Rinchen Zangpo and noted for very old wall paintings. It is not a typical working monastery in the way the others are, and its administration has changed over time.
Sikkim
Buddhism in Sikkim has strong Nyingma and Kagyu roots. The Sikkim monasteries include:
- Pemayangtse, a Nyingma monastery in the west, associated with the royal history of the former kingdom.
- Tashiding, also Nyingma, regarded locally as especially sacred.
- Rumtek, a Karma Kagyu monastery that became the seat of the Karmapa in exile in the twentieth century. The Kagyu lineage is covered in its own article.
Sikkim is also associated with beyul hidden valleys, places that tradition says were set aside as refuges. The idea is explored elsewhere.
Nepal
Nepal’s Buddhist heritage is varied. In the Kathmandu Valley, Boudhanath and Pharping are centres of Tibetan Buddhist life with monasteries from several schools around them; the Boudhanath monasteries and the Pharping caves are each described in their own articles. Further north, in the Khumbu region on the way to Everest, Tengboche is a Nyingma monastery of the Sherpa community. Mustang and Dolpo, near the Tibetan border, preserve older forms of Buddhist art and are subject to special permit conditions, which should be checked with official sources.
Bhutan
Bhutan differs from the rest of the region because Buddhism is closely woven into the structure of the state. The Drukpa Kagyu is the school most closely associated with the national religious establishment, while Nyingma traditions are strong in central Bhutan. Large fortress-monasteries called dzongs combine monastic and administrative functions, and the Bhutan dzongs are described in another article. The cliffside Taktsang, or Tiger’s Nest, is associated by tradition with Padmasambhava.
Visiting Bhutan normally involves official arrangements and visa requirements that differ from the neighbouring countries. Check current government rules.
Reading a monastery’s school
If you are unsure which school a monastery follows, several clues can help. Gelug monasteries often display images of Tsongkhapa. Kagyu monasteries often honour Marpa, Milarepa and the Karmapa or other lineage heads. Nyingma sites may give prominence to Padmasambhava. These are only rough guides, since monasteries commonly hold images from several traditions. The Tibetan gompa layout also tends to follow a similar pattern of assembly hall and chapels across schools, so the layout alone will not reveal affiliation.
Practical notes
Most of these monasteries are at altitude, in remote valleys or on mountain roads. Weather, landslides and seasonal road closures can change journeys at short notice, particularly in winter and the monsoon. Read the advice on altitude sickness awareness and take it seriously. Border areas may need permits, and rules change, so consult official government and tourism sources shortly before you travel. Monasteries are working religious communities: dress modestly, remove shoes, ask before photographing, walk clockwise, and follow any local signs about restricted areas or ceremonies.