Kagyu Monlam International · Bodh Gaya
Sangha
Vihara
New dormitory buildings rising behind the Monlam Pavilion — a permanent home for the monks and nuns who gather each winter in Bodh Gaya.
New dormitory buildings rising behind the Monlam Pavilion — a permanent home for the monks and nuns who gather each winter in Bodh Gaya.
Starting in 2007, the Kagyu Monlam has, under the guidance of the Gyalwang Karmapa, been gradually developing facilities for the Monlam and other activities in Bodh Gaya. With the generous help of sponsors, the Monlam Pavilion was built first — able to seat more than ten thousand people — followed by a dining hall that can prepare and serve food for the thousands who attend.
But for many years, the monks and nuns who come for the Kagyu Monlam, the Kagyu Guncho, and the Arya Kshema Winter Dharma Gathering have stayed in tents behind the Pavilion, sometimes for two or three months at a time. Bodh Gaya's winter weather is unpredictable: tents turn frigid and damp in the cold, then swelter when the sun is out. In some years, wind storms have destroyed tents entirely, scattering the monks' and nuns' belongings.
To protect the health of the monks and nuns and support their dharma activities, the Kagyu Monlam is building new dormitories directly behind the Monlam Pavilion — offering real shelter, sanitation, and dignity in place of tents.
Accommodations for 3,500 sangha members, in separate buildings for monks and nuns
Separate rooms set aside for rinpoches, khenpos, lamas, and teachers
Warmer in cold weather, cooler in the heat — with a much longer season of use
Proper sanitation and bathing facilities, built to last with far less maintenance
Available for use by other dharma lineages, and rooms set aside for retreat
Space for medical camps and community programs, especially for the poor
Situated directly behind the Monlam Pavilion, the new dormitories wrap around a landscaped courtyard, keeping monks, nuns, and shared facilities within easy reach of one another.
"H.E. Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche blessed the ground for the Sangha Vihara building."6 January 2026 · Bodh Gaya
Every dedicated offering — bigger or smaller — will be accounted towards this project.