Ralang Monastery

Not to be confused with Ralung Monastery in eastern Tibet.

Ralang Monastery
Ralang Monastery
Ralang Monastery Location within Sikkim
Coordinates
Monastery information
Location	South Sikkim, Sikkim, India
Date renovated	1975-1981, expanded 1995 by 12th Gyaltsab Rimpoche
Type	Tibetan Buddhist
Sect	Kagyu
Number of monks	Approx. 100
Festivals	Pang Lhabsol, Chaam Dance (15th of the 7th month and 29th of the 10th month), Mahakala (9th month)

Ralang Monastery is a Buddhist monastery of the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism in southern Sikkim, northeastern India. It is located six kilometres from Ravangla.

According to legend, Ralang was built after the fourth Chogyal came back from his pilgrimage, when the 9th Karmapa performed the Rabney (blessing). He threw grains from his residence in Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet and where the grains fell, eventually, became the site for the Ralang Monastery.

The monastery underwent reconstruction in 1975-1981 and in 1995, a new monastery, known as Palchen Choeling Monastic Institute was built by the 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche, which retained its Tibetan architecture.

Ralang Monastery has an extensive collection of paintings and thangkas and is host to an annual festival, known as Pang Lhabsol when Mount Kangchenjunga is worshipped usually in September and ending in early December with the Kagyed. Chaam masked dances are also organized every year, on the 15th day of the seventh month of the Buddhist calendar (August-September) and on the 29th day of the tenth month of the Buddhist calendar (December). The Mahakala Dance takes place every year in the month of November.