Jaigaon Sakya Monastery Tour March 2024

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Laura Ellis

A room with colorful thangkas on the walls. Many people are seated in the room.

Welcoming ceremony for the Sakya Family in the Guru Rinpoche shrine room on the 3^rd floor of the Jaigaon Sakya Monastery, March 1, 2024.

A room with Lamas seated on the left facing toward the center of the room. At the back of the room are more individuals, seated, sitting behind low tables.

From left: Khondungs Avikrita Rinpoche and Asanga Rinpoche, Minzu Rinpoche, Ani Rinpoche, Mati Rinpoche, Bermiok Yawa Tinley, Zaya Rinpoche, Ananda Rinpoche, Nyima Rinpoche.

A child sits on a throne to the left, facing toward the far left. Behind him, facing his back, are people seated, with tea sets on tables.

Dhungsey Dawa Rinpoche (left front). From right: Jetsun Aloki, H.E. Dagmo Kushog, Seymo Chimeyla, Dagmo Carol, Dagmo Peggy, Dagmo Lhanze.

View of a room. On the left, we see the back of H.E. Dagmo Kushog, and in front of her is Minyak Tulku Rinpoche in monk's robes, smiling. Other people are smiling on the right.

H.E. Dagmo Kushog greeting Minyak Tulku Rinpoche of Bhutan.

A smiling Lama stands in a room under construction. Sand fills the floor. Empty window frames a view of trees and mountains.

H.E. Khondung Asanga Rinpoche in one of the monks’ rooms. There will be 40 monks’ rooms on the 3^rd an 4^th floors, housing two monks each and each room has an ensuite bathroom.

a room under construction with debris and sand in the middle of the floor. View through window of structures with columns, windows and elevated walkways

Monk’s room with a view of the 4^th floor portico in front of the main shrine.

people standing among stacks of wood in a room under construction.

The wooden window frames are being made on-site using insect-resistant hardwood.

closeup of a piece of woodwork being held by hands, with more on floor beneath.

image of decorative paint on one small section of the support pillar, walls and eaves of the external walls of the building.

The Tibetan knot motif of the woodwork framing the windows and the painting of the pillars are examples of the exquisite detail, craftsmanship and care taken at every step of the construction project. The Lama in the center is Lama Jamyang Gyaltsen who is the Jaigaon project manager, and longtime student of H.H. Dagchen Dorje Chang.

view of room with colorful carpet, parge wood-framed decorative windows. A low bench sites on the right with a small ornamental table before it.

view or a room with colorful carpet, short bench with purple cushion and decorative table. On the right wall, a four-door decorative cabinet.

This finished room has been furnished to serve as an audience room for Lamas.

view of courtyard showing four levels of the building. Pillars extend up to the top of the 3rd level. piles of gravel and bricks in the courtyard. Two SUVs are parked next to one of the pillars showing the vast scale.

Front view showing the first 4 floors with classrooms on the 1^st and 2^nd floors, and monks’ quarter on the 3^rd and 4^th floors.

a bathroom wall with two sinks, two mirrors, and aquatic theme painted on the wall

long view of the bathroom with painted theme running along the wall at mid-height, with windows and light on the floor.

The bathrooms for the classrooms on the first and second floors have a delightful “Finding Nemo” tile theme.

corner of kitchen with tan and white tile squares, tan marble counter top, sink and food grill. Windows frame the wall on the right.

The living quarters for each teacher will have a bedroom with ensuite bathroom and kitchen (above).

The shrine room on the second floor will house the 3 three deities of which the Sakya Khon lineage holders are emanations: Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, and Vajrapani.

construction site with pillars, vaulted ceiling, windows on two sides, and dais along back wall. A pile of construction material is to the right, and center

in a large room under construction, Monks and Lay Persons look up at scaffolding and decorative work underway.

The main shrine room on the 4^th floor which will house statues of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni, the Five Founders, and the Sixteen Arhats. Construction began on the main Buddha statue (below) in April 2024.

elevated view of construction of shrine room, showing decorative elements, box ceiling, scaffolding along back wall.

view of monks and lay people walking around large shrine room under construction, with bright light shining in from above.

The main shrine room will seat up to 500 monks during pujas, teachings and various religious activities.

Monks and lay people walk around large room with open view of countryside.

In front of the main shrine room, facing the front of the Monastery is a conference/ multifunctional room.

view from the outside of two levels of the building, showing one room above the next. People are in the upstairs room. The walls are brick and the windows covered in decoriative relief. on the ground below is a small building and gate, and trees in the distance.

The Jetsunma and the Dagmo suites each include a living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom and attendant’s room.

view from a balcony overlooking shrine room under construction, with door and decorative material in the upper right corner.

View of the main shrine from the 5^th floor. Above right is the entrance to the Green Tara shrine room.

a man looks down from a rooftop, beneath prayer flags. A woman below walks along a patio, in front of a large doorframe and window, with many decorative elements.

The Green Tara Shrine Room on the 5^th floor.

views of two pavilions, covered in red "pagota"-style roofs, featuring decorative work. Wood chairs and tables in the left pavilion, with someone sitting in a settee.

Pavilions covering the Hevajra Shrine Room (center), Mahakala Shrine Room (far side) and Green Tara Shrine Room (near side) on the 6^th floor.

view from above of several monks and lay persons. One monk looks up through a gap in the ceiling toward the camera, his neck askew.

View of the Mahakala Shrine from the 6^th floor.

Monks and Lay persons on a deck overlooking mountains and a red/orange sunset through high clouds. Prayer flags hang toward the left, and leftmost is the roof of one of the pavilions

Lamas and visitors enjoying the sunset from the top floor (6^th floor) of the monastery.

external view of entire building from the front. Bare dirt in the foreground, completed but unfinished walls adorn the building. Prayer flags hang above. A lone person in center before the building shows the building's size to be very large.

The main structure of the Sakya Phuntsog Phodrang Monastery and Buddha Bharati Public School is 80% completed. The plumbing and electrical has begun and plans for the next phases of the internal infrastructure are being developed.

view of the building from outside, with trees in the foreground.

This is a view of the Monastery from the adjacent land which will be the site of the future Sakya nunnery or guesthouse. The approximately 2.5 acres of property was recently acquired by SHS.

A white car on left, people in monk's robes and lay persons stand on bare land with trees in the distance. An animal stands just right of center in the distance.

Lamas and visitors survey the site of the future Sakya nunnery and guesthouse.

view of landscape shows mostly rocks on left with small river running left to right. Two people in monk's robes walk a path on the right. Mountains in the distance.

The Torsa river is within one kilometer of the monastery. The mountains are on the Bhutan side of the border with India.

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