Standing in for the 1474 Tibet original, this large monastic complex forms an attractive scene backed by mountainscape at Sidhbari village (7km from Dharamsala towards Palampur). It is the adopted home of Ogyen Trinley Dorje, widely accepted as the 17th Karmapa – the leader of the important Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
When in residence, the Karmapa gives half-hour public audiences on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2.30pm; foreign visitors are welcome but security is tight: bring your passport and be ready to leave bags, phones and cameras outside the auditorium. Gyuto monks are famous for their deep-throated chanting and have performed at Glastonbury Festival, the Sydney Opera House and elsewhere.
