About

The Yiga Choeling monastery in Ghoom is also known as the Old Ghoom Monastery. The monastery belongs to the Gelukpa or the Yellow Hat sect.

The building was established in 1850 by the Mongolian astrologer and monk Sokpo Sherab Gyatso. In addition to the main shrine, the complex also hosts hostels, class rooms and conference rooms, and a community space. The building is a modest sized one, with a wu-dian roof topped by a gilded kanjira finial and with chiwei elements at its four corners and medallions on the edges. The two-deer and dharma-chakra image depicting wisdom and compassion is seen above the roof on the second floor with prayer drums at its four corners. The eaves on the first floor feature garuda images over the entrance to the shrine.

The inner shrine has a 4.6m high statue of the Maitreya Buddha. While the outer walls are largely plain, the inner walls of the shrine are painted with bright and colourful murals in thangka style. The inner wall around the entrance features a large bhairava image over the doorway, with a mahakala image on the right and an image of troma nakmo, mahakal's consort, on the left. The other walls feature images of Gautam Buddha in preaching and meditating poses. The verandah leading in to the main shrine is also similarly covered in murals with five guardian lions above the doorway.
There are two sets of prayer drums flanking the entrance to the verandah that leads in to the main shrine.

The Samten Choeling monastery is also situated in Ghoom, at a distance of about 1.5km from the old monastery. The monastery was built in 1875 by Lama Sherab Gyatso. It follows the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.