Bir Tibetan Colony
town · 147 m away
temple6 min from Bir
Chokling Monastery, Bir
Chokling Monastery in Bir, also called Chokling Gompa and Pema Ewam Chögar Gyurme Ling, is a Nyingma monastery with a large stupa and public ceremonies.
What it is
Chokling Monastery, also called Chokling Gompa and Pema Ewam Chögar Gyurme Ling, is the monastery of Neten Chokling Rinpoche in Bir, in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The third Neten Chokling brought his family and a small group of followers to Bir in 1966 and began building. His son carried the work on after 1973, and in 2004 the fourth Chokling took charge of the monastery.
Photos: Himalayanlens (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Himalayanlens (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
About 6 minutes by road from the centre of Bir, 2 km, at the Tibetan Colony end of the village. From the colony itself it is a short walk.
The visit
The Tibetan architecture and the large stupa are the main draw. The monastery runs its own programme for its full-time students and holds ceremonies that are open to the public from time to time. There is a guest house and a restaurant on the premises. Dress modestly and keep your voice low in the prayer hall.
When to go
Any month. The monasteries are quietest on weekday mornings, and a rainy day in the flying season is a good use of the monastery. See when to visit Bir.
Around it
The Bir Tibetan Colony is the neighbourhood around it, and Billing is the other reason people come to Bir. Both plans include this stop: the one-day plan and the two-day plan.
Plans that include this
All 2 plans that stop here →
Day plan · First visitClassic
One day in Bir — Billing, Chokling Monastery and the Tibetan Colony
A one-day Bir plan: the Billing launch meadow in the morning, then Chokling Monastery and the Tibetan Colony in the afternoon. Free, copyable.
Best Sep–Nov
See the plan →
1 night · 2 days · First visitTemples & heritage
Two days in Bir — the colony, Baijnath Temple and the Ahju ruins
A two-day Bir plan for any month: the Tibetan Colony and Chokling Monastery on day one, then Baijnath Temple and the Ahju ruins. Free, copyable.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov
See the plan →Nearby places
Questions people ask
What is Chokling Monastery?
It is the Nyingma monastery of Neten Chokling Rinpoche in Bir, also called Chokling Gompa and Pema Ewam Chögar Gyurme Ling. The Tibetan architecture and the large stupa are what most casual visitors come to see, and the monastery hosts ceremonies that are open to the public.
Who founded the monastery in Bir?
The third Neten Chokling, a lama of the Nyingma lineage, brought his family to Bir in 1966, bought land and began building. After his death in 1973 his eldest son carried the work on, and the fourth Chokling took full responsibility for the monastery in 2004.
How far is it from the centre of Bir?
About 6 minutes by road, 2 km from the centre of Bir. It stands at the Tibetan Colony end of the village, so it combines easily with the colony's other monasteries and the Deer Park Institute on a slow morning.