Monasteries · Chitrey
Turn the prayer wheels at Chitrey gompa
Stop at the small monastery and white chorten on the saddle at Chitrey, turn the prayer wheels with your guide and take a few quiet minutes before the ridge proper begins. It is a short pause most trekkers rush past.
The chorten at Chitrey is the first big Buddhist monument on the Singalila trail, a whitewashed dome and spire with prayer flags radiating out to the trees. Guides from Maneybhanjan, many of them from Buddhist Sherpa and Tamang families, often stop here to walk around it, touch their foreheads to the base and spin the wheels for a safe journey.
Walk around clockwise, keeping the chorten on your right. If the gompa door is open, take off your shoes and step in quietly; there is usually a simple altar with butter lamps, images of the Buddha and Guru Rinpoche, and offering bowls of water. Photographs inside are best avoided unless someone tells you otherwise.
A small donation in the box helps with the upkeep of a building that sees thousands of trekkers each year. Then sit on the bench outside for ten minutes with a cup of tea. Below you, the trail you climbed winds back down toward the roofs of Maneybhanjan.
Cost: Free · donation welcome
Questions people ask
Good to know
Is Chitrey monastery open to visitors?
Usually, yes, though there is no fixed timetable and the door may be locked when the caretaker is away. Trekkers can always walk around the chorten and turn the outer prayer wheels. Remove shoes before entering, walk clockwise and keep your voice low.
Can I photograph Chitrey chorten?
Yes, photographs of the chorten, flags and view are fine. Inside the gompa, ask first, and avoid flash. If people are praying, wait until they finish. The prayer flags look best with morning light from the east.
How long should I stop at Chitrey?
Twenty to thirty minutes is enough for tea, a walk round the chorten and a breather after the climb. If you are staying the night, there is time to walk down a little way into the rhododendron forest in the late afternoon.
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