Urgelling Gompa

Arunachal Pradesh


The ancient if modest Urgelling Gompa, a 3km walk below Tawang town, is where the sixth Dalai Lama, a Monpa, was born in 1683. Before he left for Lhasa, it's said that he stuck his walking stick into the ground just inside the monastery gate and it eventually grew into a giant oak tree. Within the main hall are hand-painted portraits of all the Dalai Lamas, and imprints of the forehead and feet of the sixth Dalai Lama.

The gompa is 6km from town if you go by road. Note that it's often closed, and if the caretaker isn't around you'll only be able to enter a small side hall with nine chortens.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Arunachal Pradesh attractions

1. Tawang Gompa

1.06 MILES

The magical Tawang Gompa, founded in 1681 in what was then a Monpa royal palace, overlooks the town from its ridgetop site. Reputedly the world’s second…

2. Museum

1.07 MILES

An interesting Buddhist museum that contains images, robes, trumpets, gongs, oboes and ancient masks and manuscripts, along with some personal items of…

3. Khinmey Gompa

1.59 MILES

This beautiful monastery in a tiny village east of Tawang (9km by vehicle, 6km on foot) is well worth a visit. Its current head, the Thegtse Rinpoche, is…

4. Gyangong Ani Gompa

1.88 MILES

This friendly nunnery, with about 50 Buddhist nuns, was founded by Merag Lama (founder of the main Tawang Gompa) for his sister. It's connected to Tawang…

5. Gom Kora

21.75 MILES

An extraordinarily picturesque temple, Gom Kora is located 13km north of Chazam. The lush green fields, the monks' red robes and the temple's yellow roof…

6. National Institute for Zorig Chusum

22.99 MILES

This arts and crafts institute south of town was opened in 1997 to provide vocational training opportunities for those who aren't continuing in the higher…

7. Chorten Kora

23.26 MILES

Chorten Kora is large, but not nearly as large as the stupa of Bodhnath in Nepal, after which it was patterned. It was constructed in 1740 by Lama Ngawang…

8. Trashigang Dzong

25.93 MILES

The dzong is on a thin promontory overlooking the confluence of the Drangme Chhu and the Gamri Chhu. It was built in 1667 by Mingyur Tenpa, Bhutan's third…