Chokling Monastery, Bir: A Local’s Guide to Visiting

Updated October 2026

Chokling Monastery stands in the middle of Bir’s Tibetan Colony. Its formal name is Pema Ewam Chögar Gyurme Ling. You can’t miss its big white stupa. The grounds are open to visitors from early morning until around sunset (around 6 am to 6 pm), and entry is free.

The best times to go are the morning prayers, when the monks chant in the main hall, and the late afternoon, when the light turns gold on the stupa.

Chokling at a glance

Location	Tibetan Colony, Bir (walking distance from the main colony cafés)
Opening hours	around 6am to 6pm (approx)
Prayer times	morning and evening [Moonshine: confirm times]
Entry	free
School	Nyingma (Chokling Tersar tradition)
Founded	1960s, by the 3rd Neten Chokling Rinpoche
Led today by	the 4th Neten Chokling Rinpoche
Time needed	45 minutes to 1.5 hours

The story of Chokling Monastery

After 1959, Tibetan refugees began settling in Bir, and the Tibetan Colony grew around their monasteries. Among those who came was the 3rd Neten Chokling Rinpoche, a lama of the Nyingma school in the line of the great 19th-century treasure-revealer Chokgyur Lingpa. In the 1960s he founded Pema Ewam Chögar Gyurme Ling here, rebuilding in exile the practice tradition of his monastery in eastern Tibet.

His sons became important teachers in their own right. One of them, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, still calls Bir his hometown. The monastery is now led by the 4th Neten Chokling Rinpoche. Born in Bhutan in 1973, he was brought to Bir and enthroned here at the age of four, and he took full responsibility for the monastery in 2004. He’s also known outside the monastic world as a film-maker. He directed Milarepa (2006).

Today the monastery has temples, stupas, monks’ quarters and a three-year retreat centre, and it keeps up its annual cycle of rituals and drupchens.

 What to see at Chokling

• The great stupa: the white landmark you’ll see from all over the colony. Walk around it clockwise with the locals, who turn prayer wheels as they go.

• The main prayer hall: red pillars, painted beams and murals of Buddhist teachers and deities in deep reds, golds and blues.

• The statue of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava): the 8th-century master who brought Buddhism to Tibet and who is especially honoured in the Nyingma school.

• The courtyard: young monks between classes, and the evening light on the stupa. It’s a good spot just to sit.

The interior is richly decorated with reds, golds, and blues — symbolic of compassion, wisdom, and divine protection.

Visiting during prayers and festivals

If you arrive at prayer time, you can usually sit quietly at the back of the hall while the monks chant with drums, cymbals and long horns. Leave your shoes outside, keep your phone away, and stay until the session ends rather than walking out halfway.

The busiest and most colourful time of year is Losar, the Tibetan New Year, usually in February or early March. The monastery also holds ritual dances and long group practices (drupchens) on special dates in the Tibetan calendar. If you’re planning a trip around these days, message us and we’d love to point you in the right direction.

Etiquette at Chokling

• Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered

• Always go clockwise around the stupa and inside the hall

• Ask before photographing monks, and don’t record ceremonies without permission

• Don’t sit with your feet pointing towards the altar

• If you want to make an offering, put it in the donation box or on the altar. It’s welcome but never expected

Getting there and what’s nearby

Chokling is right in the Tibetan Colony, so if you’re staying in the colony you can walk. From the villages around Bir it’s a short scooter or taxi ride. There’s limited parking on the colony road, so in peak season it’s easier to come early.

Once you’re in the colony, a few other places are close by. Tsering Jong and the blue-walled Sakya Dirru Monastery make a good monastery walk, and Deer Park Institute is close too if you’re interested in Buddhist studies or workshops. For a quieter, forest setting, take a short drive out to Palpung Sherabling. Our map of Bir’s monasteries shows how they all fit together.

Local tips and Local Stay with Moonshine Villa

Go once in the morning for the prayers, then come back at sunset for the stupa. The colony is calm after the day visitors leave, and that’s when Chokling feels most like a neighbourhood monastery rather than a sight.

If you’re staying with us in Kotli, it’s an easy evening outing. Our guests often walk the stupa and then eat momos in the colony on the way bhttps://www.themoonshine.in/ack.

Have a look at the rooms at Moonshine, and we’ll help you plan a monastery day around the prayer times.

We've lived in Bir for more than a decade — we don’t just give directions, we curate experiences.

Frequently asked questions about Chokling Monastery

Can you stay at Chokling Monastery?

Chokling doesn’t run a guest house for tourists. Retreats and stays are for practitioners and arranged through the monastery itself. You can stay with us at Moonshine and experience a luxury stay in Bir.

Is Chokling Monastery the same as Dzongsar or Sherabling?

No. These are three separate monasteries. Chokling is in the Tibetan Colony and follows the Nyingma school. Sherabling is a large Kagyu monastery in the forest near Bhattu, and Dzongsar Institute is a monastic college at Chauntra, a short drive from Bir.

Can I join the prayers?

You can usually sit quietly at the back during public prayers. You don’t need to know the chants. Just sit still and listen. Special ceremonies may be closed to visitors, so follow the monks’ lead.

Can I take photos inside?

Photos of the stupa and courtyard are fine. Inside the prayer hall, ask first, and don’t photograph during ceremonies.

Is Chokling Monastery suitable for children?

Yes. Kids enjoy turning the prayer wheels and walking around the stupa. Just keep voices low inside the halls.