Tayul Monastery

Tayul Monastery
Tayul Monastery Location within India
Coordinates	32°33′42″N 77°4′23″E / 32.56167°N 77.07306°E
Monastery information
Location	Satingri, Lahul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India
Founded by	Serzang Richen
Founded	17th century
Date renovated	By Tulku Tashi Tanphel of Tagna Monastery
Type	Tibetan Buddhist
Sect	Drugpa

Tayul Monastery or Tayul Gompa is a Buddhist monastery in the Bhaga Valley of Lahul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, northern India. It is located 6 kilometres from Keylong above the village of Satingri.

History

Tayul gonpa written in Tibetan as Ta - Yul means "chosen place".^[1]

The Drugpa (Dogpa) Lama, Serzang Richen of the Kham region of Tibet established the Tayul Monastery in the 17th century. Legend has it that Serzang, while making the meritorious circumambulation of the holy peak Drilburi, spotted a small glade in the juniper forest above Kyor and Tashikyang villages on the opposite side of the valley and told his fellow pilgrims, "Look, over there, that is a suitable and auspicious place for a gompa".^[1]

Structure

The monastery was then constructed and houses a hundred million mani wheel and would apparently turn by itself on special Buddhist occasions. According to the lamas of Tayul, this wheel last turned on its own in 1986.

Tayul has 12 foot statue of Padmasambhava and his two materialisations, Sighmukha and Vijravarashi and is well decorated with elaborate murals.^[2] The library contains the Buddhist scriptures, the Kangyur.

It was renovated avbout 100 years after establishment by a Ladakhi Tulku, Tashi Tanphel of Tagna Monastery who renovated it and extended the building.^[1] He also decorated the walls with murals.

Footnotes

1. "Lahaul and Spiti Tourism:Monasteries". District Lahaul & Spiti. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
2. Indian Horizons

References