Ghum Monastery (Yiga Choeling), Darjeeling

Yiga Choeling is the best-known monastery at Ghum, home to a large Maitreya Buddha statue. It is easy to combine with Batasia Loop and the Toy Train.

Yiga Choeling, also called the Old Ghum or Ghoom Monastery, is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school at Ghum, about 6 to 8 km from Darjeeling. Wikipedia gives 1850 as the date the external structure of Yiga Choeling was established; the neighbouring Samten Choeling was built in 1875.

The monastery is known for a 15-foot statue of the Maitreya Buddha, the Coming Buddha, painted in gold, and for its collection of Buddhist manuscripts including a 108-volume Kangyur. It has been led by a series of heads including Domo Geshe Rinpoche and Dhardo Rimpoche. Wikipedia says grants-in-aid have not arrived and the monastery relies on donations from local devotees.

Darjeeling-Tourism.com says admission is free, but photography is charged at Rs 10 per photo and Rs 50 per video, to be dropped into the donation box, which it says funds the monastery's operations. Hours differ between sources: one says open every day from early morning until evening and another gives 9 am to 6 pm to the public.

Ghum is on the Toy Train line and the Darjeeling–Siliguri road, so the monastery is often visited with Batasia Loop or on the way to or from Tiger Hill. Dress modestly and be quiet inside the prayer hall.