Tengboche

Tengboche तेङबोचे
VDC Hill station
Tengboche with Ama Dablam behind
Tengboche Location within Nepal
Coordinates: 27°50′10″N 86°45′50″E / 27.83611°N 86.76389°E / 27.83611; 86.76389Coordinates: 27°50′10″N 86°45′50″E / 27.83611°N 86.76389°E / 27.83611; 86.76389
Country	Nepal
Region	Eastern (Purwanchal)
Zone	Sagarmatha
District	Solukhumbu District
VDC	Khumjung
Elevation	3,860 m (12,660 ft)
Time zone	NST (UTC+5:45)
Area code(s)	038

Tengboche (or Thyangboche) is a village in Khumjung in the Khumbu region of northeastern Nepal, located at 3,867 metres (12,687 ft). In the village is an important Buddhist monastery, Tengboche Monastery, which is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region. The structure was built in 1923. In 1934, it was destroyed by an earthquake but subsequently rebuilt. It was destroyed again by a fire in 1989, and again rebuilt with the help of volunteers and the provision of foreign aid. Tengboche has a panoramic view of the Himalayan mountains, including the well-known peaks of Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Thamserku. Tenzing Norgay, the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, was born in the area in the village of Thani and was once sent to Tengboche Monastery to be a monk.

The Khumbu valley, where Tengboche is located, came under the influence of Buddhism about 350 years back. Ancient scriptures of Tibet refer to this valley along with Rowlang and Khanbalung valleys as sacred places. Lama Sangwa Dorje is referred to as the founder of the oldest monastery in Khumbu at Pangboche as well as many other small hermitages. His divine psychic knowledge and clairvoyant vision had prophesised suitability of establishing a monastery at Tengboche based on a foot print on a rock left by him while meditating. However, the actual establishment of the monastery happened only during Ngawang Tenzin Norbu’s time; Norbu was considered to be Sangwa Dorje’s fifth incarnation. He had established a monastery at Rongbuk in Tibet on the northern face of Mt. Everest. He blessed Chatang Chotar, known as Lama Gulu, to found the Tengboche monastery at Tengboche village and as a result it got established at its present location in 1916. It is the first celibate monastery under the Nyingmapa lineage of the Vajrayana Buddhism. However, many older village level monasteries also exist close by.