Phodong Monastery

Phodong Monastery (or Phodang and Podong; Tibetan: ཕོ་གདོང, Wylie: pho gdong) is a Buddhist monastery in Sikkim, India. It is located 28 kilometres from Gangtok.^[1] It was built in the early 18th century but an older monastery had pre-existed the current one.^[1]

Phodong Monastery
Phodong Monastery
Religion
Affiliation	Tibetan Buddhism
Sect	Kagyupa
Festivals	Chaam Dance (28 and 29th of the 10th month)
Location
Location	Sikkim, India
Location within India
Geographic coordinates	27°24′46″N 88°35′02″E
Architecture
Style	Current building early 18th century
Founder	Chogyal Gyurmed Namgyal
Date established	1740; 285 years ago (1740)

9th Karmapa was invited by the king of Sikkim, where he founded three monasteries : Rumtek, one of the most important monastery of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, Phodong and Ralang Monastery.^[2]

It was reconstructed by Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal,^[3] who was recognized as the reincarnation of his uncle, Sidkeong Namgyal, the abbot of the monastery.^[4] The line was to be continued by Palden Thondup Namgyal.

The monastery has a residence of approximately 260 monks and has a numerous collection of some ancient murals.^[1]