Muney Gonpa

Located on a cliff above Lungnag Valley, Mune Monastery is the main monastery for Mune and Raru villages. It is said to have been established by Jangsum Sherap Zangpo, a disciple of Tsongkhapa, during the 15th-17th centuries. Whereas the Monastery is now located on a flat portion of the cliffside, monks at the monastery believe it was originally constructed on the very peak of its cliff. A Mune monk climbed with us up the rocky outcrop above the monastery to show us packed mud brick remains of these original, 15th-century walls. However, in the 17th century, the monastery was moved down to a larger and flatter location in order to construct a courtyard that could accommodate the chams-dance ritual. Today, the monastery is associated with the Gelugpa sect and has a total of about 45 monks, 15 of whom live at the Monastery itself, and the remainder of whom study in Southern India. The monastery’s oldest monk, Meme, is 86 years old. Surrounding the main campus are dilapidated remains of monks’ quarters, left untouched and unneeded due to the steady decline in monk enrollment. There is also a dwelling for the Monastery’s caretaker who is responsible for its agriculture and livestock. In contrast to these older structures, a new Zimchung was constructed in the last 4-6 years on what was previously the roof of the Dukhang. This new construction was built in preparation for an anticipated visit by His Holiness. It was a joint effort between local villagers, monks, and sponsorship from the government. The renovations also included the entrance corridors to the oldest spaces in the monastery, its Assembly Hall (Dukhang) and Gonkhang, though the 500-year-old structures themselves remained untouched.