Gompoas in the area of the stupa

There are over 30 gompas in the area. Each of the four main Tibetan Buddhist sects has at least two gompas in Bodhnath. North each of the monasteries has a morning and evening puja.

Dilgo Kyentse’s Gompa is one of the most interesting monasteries at Boudhanath.


Sakyapa Gompa


This gompa is directly on the west side of the stupa. There is a beautiful Tara covered in colorful embroideries. There is a huge prayer wheel left of the entrance and some nice paintings.

Kargyupa Gompa

It is also known as the Ka-Nying Sheldrup Ling Monetary. It has some large thangkas and some nice painting. It is a large white gompa that you enter on the left side of the metal gate. The friendly lama speaks English. There is an annual seminar studying Vajrayana, usually for two weeks in October.


Gelugpa Gompa

Northeast of the stupa is popular place with worshippers.


Chinya Lama Gompa

This gompa is on the right down the road that goes north from the stupa. It is named after a lama that was trained in China.

Nyingmapa Gompa

This is one of the more interesting gompas and it has a good number of monks. It is a large reddish color monastery design after a gompa in Tibet. It is well decorated inside by artist from Bhutan. It was constructed in 1984.

Sakyapa Gompa

The gompa is northeast of the stupa. It is not so interesting from the outside, but the main rooms with well-decorated and richly gilded. There are some really good paintings.



When you enter inside Gompas!!

You should take off your shoes and hat before entering, and should ask before taking photo. Smoking is prohibited. During a service photos should not be taken and you should not walk in between the monks or near the altar. The monk’s cushions should not be stepped over.




It is normal to give an offering at a gompas. It is traditional to give a khata (white scarf) to a lama (Buddhist monk), but a donation of money will be highly appreciated.



In the gompas there will often be large statues of forms of Buddha. Tibetan believe that the Buddha and reincarnated many times. There are also prayer wheels, rice offerings, and lamps with ghee (clarified butter) in them.



In all the gompas there are interesting mural paintings and sometimes there are thangkas, which are painted on a cotton material. Subjects of the paintings include pastimes of the Buddha, important lamas, deities and mandalas.

During ceremonies then are usually chanting a sacred texts, often along with the playing of musical instruments. Trumpets play and drums pound and cymbals bang. Often the instruments are not played in a systematic musical way. Often there is an uplifting effect.