In the hinterlands of Dehra, there is a famous Buddha temple located in Mohabewala, Clement Town. Cradled on the foothills of the Himalayas, the Mindrolling Monastery in Clement Town is one of the largest Buddhist centres in India. This Tibetan Monastery is located about 4.4 km from ISBT and boasts a marvellous Japanese architecture.

Famously known as Buddha Monastery or Buddha Gardens, the Buddha temple has five floors that house the statues of Lord Buddha and Guru Padmasambhava. The first three floors offer a deep insight on the life and teachings of Lord Buddha through its ornate wall paintings. While the fourth floor offers a glorious 360-degree view of the pristine Doon Valley.

History of Buddha Temple

Mindrolling Monastery that literally suggests the ‘place of perfect emancipation’ in the Tibetan language was re-establish in 1965 by Khenchen Rinpoche, a prominent lama of the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and other monks. In Tibet, Mindrolling was a prominent center of Vajrayana Buddhism. This monastery was built to protect and promote the religious and cultural understanding of Buddhism. This Buddhist shrine was built as one of the four Tibetan religion schools and was named as ‘Nyingma’. The other three schools are called Sakya, Kagyu, and Geluk which are highly revered by the Tibetans. Surprisingly, this temple has survived numerous attacks as well as natural disasters.

Inside the Temple

The temple features impressive architecture, tasteful interiors and beautifully carved stone figurines. The walls of the temple are decorated with beautiful murals that have been painted in gold paint by 50 skillful artists who took about three years to complete it.

This place is famous for ?

Frankly speaking, Buddha temple is famous for a lot of things like its gardens, tiny shops, the architecture etc. But the highlight of this temple is the stupa also known as ‘Great Stupa’ which was built for world peace. This stupa is 220 feet high and 100 square wide and is believed to be the largest reliquary in Asia. The statue of Lord Buddha is another major attraction of the monastery. This statue is nearly 103 feet high and is dedicated to Dalai Lama, the spiritual guru of Tibetans. The temple also houses the Ngagyur Nyingma College, one of the largest Buddhist institutes in India.

What makes Buddha Temple, a must visit place ?

The Mindrolling Monastery has always been the favourite spot for the city dwellers as the aura of the temple is so relaxing that it offers peace to the soul. One can admire the architecture of the temple and walk around to see the Great stupa, set amidst the well-maintained gardens graciously sprawling over 2 acres of land. One can shop from the local Tibetan shops present inside the temple, have delicious food from the restaurants or relax on the fresh grass of the garden. The Tibetan book lovers can buy books from the tiny bookshops aligning the shopping complex. These bookshops hoard a great collection of books in Tibetan language and holy books on Buddhism. There are benches where you can sit and read. Some shops also sell clothes, artifacts and handicraft items made by the Buddhist people. If you have spare time then you can visit some of the nearby places like Guru Ram Rai Darbar, St. Francis Church, Tibetan Market, Paltan Bazaar, Indira Market, Gandhi Park and Astley Hall.

Food

There are innumerable options for food in Buddha temple. You can try Chinese and local cuisines at the budget hotels and restaurants located in and around the temple. Or you can tempt your jaded palates with the pure vegetarian Tibetan cuisines served at the temple such as Tibetan cuisine, dumplings, and chop suey that are a must have.

Best Time to Visit

You can throng to Buddha Temple any time, but it is advised to visit the temple on Sunday as the interior of the temple remains open for the tourists.

Timings : 7 am to 7 pm

How to reach Buddha Temple

Buddha Temple in Clement Town is located on Delhi-Saharanpur road about 4 km from ISBT, Dehradun. Local buses and autos are available till Buddha temple. This famous Buddhist temple of Dehradun is located about 52 km from Rishikesh, 59 km from Haridwar and 239 km from Delhi. Dehradun railway station at 9 km away is the nearest railhead to Buddha Temple and Jolly Grant airport at 35 km away is the closest airport.