Tengboche Monastery is known as Thyangboche or Dawa Choling Gompa which is Tibetan Buddhist monastery. It is the largest monasteries in Everest region which located at 3,867 meters on the top of the hill and offers the magnificent views of mountain ranges including Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse. Mt. Lhoste, Ama Dablam, Tawache, and Thamserku. Tengboche Monastery lies in Tengboche and Sherpas inhabit it.
Tengboche Monastery came under the influence of Buddhism about 350 years ago in Khumbu Valley. Lama Gulu who was known as Chatang Chotar found the Tengboche monastery in Tengboche village and established at its present location in 1916. The monastery is the first celibate monastery under the Nyingmapa lineage of the Vajrayana Buddhism.
Vajrayana Buddhism does not distinguish between male and female while teaching Buddhism. Nuns studied and practiced Buddhism during the years of establishing the Tengboche monastery. Then some years later, the nunnery was established at Devoche for sisters. This small nunnery, administrated by Tengboche, named Debuche Nunnery (Ani).
The Tengboche monastery was destroyed in 1934 due to the earthquake. Lama Gulu, who built the monastery was already dead so his successor, Umze Gelden rebuilt it with strong support from Ngawang Tenzin Norbu. The exclusive murals were painted by the well-known artist Kappa Kalden.
Moreover, on 9 January 1989, the monastery was again rebuilt; the fire destroyed all the precious old scriptures, murals, statues and wood carvings caused by an electrical short circuit.Tengboche Monastery is the last stop of the “Sacred Sites Trail Projects” of Sagarmatha National Park which attracts vast numbers of visitors. Tengboche Monastery is surrounded by ancient mani stones and prayers flag. The flags are in five colors denoting five Buddhist elements: earth, wind, fire, water, and consciousness. The monastery is a home for 60 monks. Every year many visitors and trekker visit the monastery to get blessed by Lama. It is said that very few numbers of boys join as monks as they prefer to work in mountaineering or trekking activities.
