Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet.

Related Topics:
Gelukpa - Monasteries - Tibet

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The other two are Ganden Monastery and Sera Monastery.

Related Topics:
Ganden Monastery - Sera Monastery

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Drepung is the largest of all Tibetan monasteries, and indeed is the largest monastery of any religion in the world. At its largest, before the invasion of Tibet in 1959, the monastery housed fifteen thousand celibate monks.

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Drepung is divided into what are known as the seven great colleges - Gomang (sGo-mang), Loseling (Blo-gsal gling), Deyang (bDe-dbyangs), Shagkor (Shag-skor), Gyelwa (rGyal-ba) or Tosamling (Thos-bsam gling), Dulwa (?Dul-ba), and Ngagpa (sNgags-pa).

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Today the monastery in Tibet is much smaller, with a few hundred monks. However, the monastery has continued its tradition in India, and is based on land in Karnataka given to the Tibetan community in exile by Prime Minister Nehru. The monastery today houses about ten thousand celibate monks.

Related Topics:
Karnataka - Nehru

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