Gomar Monastery

Gomar Monastery – སྒོ་མར་དགོན་

Gomar Monastery is a Gelug sect monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, and its full name in Tibetan is Gomar Kelden Phuntsokling. It is located 5 kilometers north of Tongren County and 175 km south of Xining in Qinghai Province.

Giant Stupa of Gomar Monastery in Amdo Tibet

It was founded by Lama Yarjang in 1741. Originally, Lama Yarjang built a three-story Maitreya Hall in the temple. Later, the monastery expanded to what it is now. The monastery now contains a Great Assembly Hall, Maitreya Hall, and Protector Hall, all of which were built before 1958. There are about 209 monks and 105 monks’ residences. The building covers a total area of nearly 100 acres.

Monks Mask Dance in Gomar Monastery in Qinghai Province.

The original Great Assembly Hall and Maitreya Hall were undamaged by the Cultural Revolution, and Lama Yarjang is still the head of the monastery. Apart from the old temples in the monastery, the newly built Gomar Kalachakra Chorten outside the monastery would be the highlight of the monastery, including its location. This chorten was founded by the abbot of the monastery in 1994. It is a 5-story building with a height of 33 meters. Its base has circular prayer wheels; the modeling of this pagoda is a replication of the Kalachakra that Sakyamuni first turned at Deer Park of Sarnath in ancient India. It took 5 years to complete and is filled with the belongings of the 10th Panchen Lama inside this chorten.

Shaman Festival in Gomar village in Tongren County.

The artistic and architectural standards of this building are much higher than those of normal monasteries in other regions. Gomar Monastery is also famous for its Monlam festival in winter, a great prayer festival held each year at every Gelug monastery across Tibet.