His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama.
 Spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet

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CURRENT ABBOT (KHEN RINPOCHE)

GESHE  YONTEN DHAMCHOE:
THE 79^TH ABBOT (Khen Rinpoche) OF
DREPUNG GOMANG MONASTERY, SOUTH INDIA.

The Abbot (Khen Rinpoche) term is of six year and after every six years, a list of nominees for new Abbot is gathered from the monks during the congregation and that is submitted to His Holiness the Dalai Lama via Dept of Religion and Culture. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has appointed Geshe Yonten Dhamchoe as the 79^th Abbot of Drepung Gomang Monastery, South India.

Born at Amdo Taktsang Lhamo (Tibet) in 1940, he escaped to India after invasion of Tibet by China 1959, he is one of the 60 monks who reestablished the monastery here at present location after shifting from Buxar. Day and night he and other monks worked hard in the field for crops, sometimes writing texts and scriptures so to provide monastic education to young monks who enrolled during that time, so that the study of monks goes on without hindrance and traditional monastic curriculum survives. Conferred Geshe Lharampa title in 1984 after passing Gelug University Examination with great result, Geshe la has been spending many hours of his day teaching the Buddhist sutras to the monks of this monastery.

74th Abbot of Drepung Gomang Monastery,
Shungpa Khensur Geshe Tsultrim Gyatso

1924-1986

73rd Abbot of Drepung Gomang Monastery.
Shungpa Khensur Geshe Kalsang Thabkey
1927-1999

Click here for biography

72nd Abbot of Drepung Gomang Monastery,
Samlo Khensur Geshe Ngawang Nyima
1907-1990

click for biography

Khensur Geshe Tempa Tenzin was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his high scholastic achievement and was one of the monks who gave Geshe debate examination with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Tibet before the Chinese invasion, born in Kham province, he left Tibet in 1959 when the Chinese invaded and followed H. H. the Dalai Lama into India. He was also one of the 60 monks who were present during the re-establishment of the monastery in India. Rinpoche was highly known Buddhist scholar and well respected by every one for his vast Buddhist knowledge of Tantra and Sutra.  With his guidance, this monastery has excelled in its monastic studies.

Khensur Tempa Tenzin passed away in 2007

70th Abbot of Drepung Gomang Monastery
Hardhong Geshe Ngawang Lobsang
The first abbot of Drepung Gomang monastery in India.
1899-1979

Gyumed Khensur Geshe Ngawang Legden was
appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama 
as the temporary Abbot of Drepung Gomang Monastery 
when monks first reached India after Chinese invasion.