Gyuto monastery

Gyuto Monastery  

The number of monasteries present in India are unaccountable but we could surely state, for a fact, that every tourism destinations, mainly the Himalayan belt will definitely have an aesthetic monastery in its tour chart. The Himachal Pradesh Tourism does not serve it short in this department when it comes to Dharamshala. You will find many beautiful and historical religious buildings here, including the famous Gyuto Monastery. The region of Dharamshala is renowned throughout the world as the seat of Tibetan religious preaching. After fleeing from the Chinese grip, his holiness Lord Dalai Lama the 14th, Tsuglag Khang rallied his Tibetan mass of disciples and followers through the mountainous route of the Himalayas and found the safe haven in the serene environment of Macleod Ganj in Dharamshala. Since then, many years have passed and it is now the administrative center for Cultural & International Relations of Tibet. The famous Gyuto Monastery lies in the vicinity of this significant Macleod Ganj.

Built somewhere in the 1400s of the Common Era this is a tantric energy center of Buddhism. The Sakhyamani avatar of Lord Buddha is worshipped here and this monastery is believed to be one of the most awakened spiritual centres in the whole country. Aside this, what attracts the visitors most is the architectural modesty of the monastery and the exquisite all-encompassing natural panorama. Everywhere you look you will find the contrast of pristine white and verdant mountains, the caressing flow of the rivers, the soft touch of the chilly and cloudy air and the warmth of the ever glowing sunThe monastery, the temporary residence of Karmapa XVII, is home to the Gyuto monks that follow the Gelugpa tradition. The monks, who are world famous for their overtone chanting and singing style, are part of the personal choir of the Dalai Lama. The monks also featured on the Seven Years in Tibet film soundtrack and in Freedom Chants album.

They are trained in multiphonic singing and polyphonic vocalizing techniques. The multiphonic chanting implies singing the chord featuring two or three notes at the same time. The polyphonic style refers to the music in which an array of tunes are sung or played simultaneously.

The low, multi-tonal, guttural style chants are accompanied by sounds of bells, drums and mountain horns during the religious rituals. The guttural sounds refer to the deep sounds created from the rear of the throat. These soul-touching sounds please the ears. However, a note of caution, the deep three-note chord chanting technique could be dangerous if overdone. Overdoing may lead to muteness because of excessive pressure on the vocal chords.

Gyuto Tantric Monastery set up in the end of fifteenth century in Tibet was relocated to India and other parts of the world to escape the Chinese onslaught in mid twentieth century. The Japanese built the new monastery in the lap of the Himalayas to celebrate the Nobel Peace Prize won by the Dalai Lama in 1989.

 Gyuto Tantric Monastery

P.O. Sidhbari, Dharamshala

Kangra District

Himachal Pradesh

India-176057