ABOUT THE
Attraction
The two-storey white Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist temple in West Bengal’s Darjeeling town was built in 1972 in traditional Japanese style. Inside the temple, there is picture of Fujii Guruji, the founder and preceptor of Nipponzan Myohoji, a Buddhist order for world peace. About 100 yards away from the temple is the Peace Pagoda, the foundation stone of which was laid on November 3, 1972 by Nichidatsu Fujii. It was subsequently opened in November 1, 1992. According to the Lotus Sutra, the very appearance of the Peace Pagoda is an embodiment of Lord Buddha that radiates peace and non-violence. The pagoda showcases four avatars of Buddha and is the tallest free-standing structure in Darjeeling with a height of 28.5 m and a diameter of 23 m. The nearest major city is Darjeeling, 2.5 km away.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Ghoom Monastery
The Yiga Choeling monastery, which is popularly known as the Ghoom monastery — a name it has earned owing to its location in Ghoom — is the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery to have been built in Darjeeling.
Bhutia Busty monastery
It belongs to the Red Sect of Buddhist lamas. Originally a branch of the Nyingmapa sect’s Phodang monastery in Sikkim, it was built in 1761 by lama Dorje Rinzing.
Itkhori
Located in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, a number of historic artefacts have been excavated at Itkhori. Among the discoveries are 104 beautifully sculpted Bodhisattvas and four statues of Buddha sculpted on each side of a stupa-like structure.