Tergar Bodh Gaya Monastery

A History of Tergar in Bodhgaya, India

In 2001, Tai Situ Rinpoche requested that Mingyur Rinpoche construct a new Tergar monastery on the sacred  land near the village of Bodhgaya. Construction for the Tergar Monastery began in 2003, and Mingyur Rinpoche worked tirelessly to see the project through until it was completed  in 2006. 

Since then, Tergar Bodhgaya has hosted  the Kagyü Monlam prayer festival, the Karma Günchö winter teaching sessions and other important celebrations, bringing together the greatest masters of the Kagyü tradition,  headed by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa. 

Mingyur Rinpoche also had a strong desire to establish a school for the monks and a monastic college. He first created an elementary school at Tergar Bodhgaya where young monks (ages 5-12) begin their  studies. Once students have completed their elementary school training, they can move to the monastic college at Tergar Oseling in Nepal to pursue the next level of studies. Although, in general, there are several monastic schools and colleges throughout India, Nepal, and Tibet, Tergar education is unique as it combines both the study of Buddhism, and meditative practice. The Khenpos (monastic professors) provide textual instruction, and Mingyur  Rinpoche provides  meditation instruction so that they can engage in spiritual practice. Thus, it is the intention and aim of the program that graduates become instructors with both scholastic and practical backgrounds. 

At Tergar monastery in Bodhgaya, there are 300+ monastics.