Yiga Choeling Gompa Darjeeling

Yiga Choeling Gompa, the Darjeeling area's most famous monastery, founded in 1850, houses up to 40 monks of the Gelugpa school. The serene temple has wonderful old murals and enshrines a 5m-high statue of Jampa (Maitreya; ‘Future Buddha’) and 300 beautifully bound Tibetan texts. It's on the western edge of Ghum, 6km south of Darjeeling: from Ghum station, walk 100m west along the main road towards Darjeeling, turn left at the sign for the monastery and go 600m.