Sakya  Center

The Beginning  :-

The 1959 invasion of Tibet by China, which triggered the massive exodus of Tibetans into India and neighboring countries, left a large void in the religious and cultural life of the Tibetans. Once in India, under the benign leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and with humanitarian help from the government of India and various aid agencies, rehabilitation centers and schools were soon established and efforts were made to preserve and promote the distinct religious cultural heritage of the Tibetans.

In 1964 the Sakya Center was formally established by Holiness Sakya Trizin with a primary objective to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of Tibetan Buddhism in general, and in particular, that of the Sakya Tradition. During the initial years of its inception, the members faced many difficulties due to lack of funds, language difficulties and ill-health while adjusting to the new environment.

To begin with, the owner of Pratap Kothi, Rajpur Road, kindly rented his hall to the Center. For quite some time it served as the Sakya Center. Soon, the Center had to vacate the hall and the monks had to live in tents on another piece of land, which was also kindly provided by the owner of Pratap Kothi. These tents not only served as dormitories for the monks then but also as the shrine room and kitchen, etc.

After sometime, the monks had to disperse from this makeshift establishment due to acute financial difficulties and it was not possible to run the Sakya Center.

However, with the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the blessing and thoughtful guidance of His Holiness Sakya Trizin, together with the continuous efforts and dedication of the members of those times, the Sakya Center was re-established and this time in an old rented bungalow at 187 Rajpur Road, Rajpur.

Soon it became necessary to secure the bungalow and land around it as the population of the Center rose. His Holiness the Dalai Lama kindly gave financial support so that the plot at 187 Rajpur Road could be bought. Loans and donations from various aid agencies and individual supporters also contributed to this major event.

The Center therefore managed to take firm root and become a vibrant and energetic religious community. Monks once again gathered and young monks also joined the Center. A study curriculum was then developed and the Sakya Center functioned as a monastic institute, imparting traditional education to the young monks while the elder monks continued with their spiritual practice as they had in independent Tibet.