Lava Kagyu Thekchen Ling – Rigpe Dorje Institute
Construction of New Residential Halls
Project of PARAMITA CHARITABLE TRUST, India
2012 August 17th
Commencement Date
2012 October 19th
2014 October 31st
Estimated Cost
INRs. 16,650,000 (US$305,000)
Project Information
Rigpe Dorje Institute at Kagyu Thekchen Ling, Lava, West Bengal, India, offers a 13-year Acharya (Masters) degree program in higher Buddhist philosophy to monastic students who have successfully completed the 8-year basic curriculum in Tibetan language, general Buddhist studies and training in scriptures and rituals of the Vajrayana tradition of the Karma Kagyu Lineage.
The Principal of the Institute is The Ven. Drupon Khenpo Lodro Namgyal. The students are from the Himalayan region of India, Nepal, and Bhutan where the culture and tradition are founded in Buddhism. Today, there are 110 students at Lava Kagyu Thekchen Ling pursuing the Acharya program. Among them is His Eminence the Fourth Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche.
In 2011, His Eminence proposed the building of 50 additional rooms with facilities for teachers and staff, and located the site for the new building at Kagyu Thekchen Ling, Lava. At present, the Institute has 48 rooms for 92 students. There is already a shortage of rooms and new annual enrollments have created urgency for the project initiated by His Eminence.
The Proposed Student Residential Hall
Set below the level of the road leading to the main Temple and the Institute, the building will comprise 2 wings. Each wing will have 25 rooms. The completed buildings will cater to a total 92 monks including Tulkus, Khenpos, teachers and staff. The total built-up area will be 16,650 square feet.
The estimated funds required have been met and the project begun as scheduled on October 19th, 2012. A review of the work-in-progress and the budget will be conducted in mid-April 2013 to determine if additional funding is needed.