Also known as Song Zan Ling Monastery, Ganden Sumtseling is located in Shangrila. Due to its distinct architecture, the monastery is also known as Little Potala as it resembles the Potala in Lhasa.

The monastery’s abbot is Pongdrup Rinpoche and he is assisted by his vice abbot, another Rinpoche. Together they oversee the community of over 800 registered monks who live in eight khamtsens.

Five of these khamtsens practice Dorje Shugden, while the other three practice other protectors like Setrab. The khamtsens practicing Dorje Shugden are Chatreng Khamtsen, Dong Wang Khamtsen, Draya Khamtsen, Nyo Khamtsen and Yang Tang Khamtsen. Of these five, Yang Tang Khamtsen is the most comprehensive in size and resources.

An Inspiration: Gen Tsultrim of Chatreng Khamtsen

Gen Tsultrim’s story never fails to inspire. He is primarily responsible for the rebuilding of Chatreng Khamtsen, on extremely limited resources.

Gen-la was a student of Ngawang Dorje for six years, before his Guru passed away 20 years ago. Like many of his teacher’s other students, his lama’s passing deeply saddened him and he cried for many days.

After his teacher’s passing, many monks from the khamtsen left and soon, the buildings fell into a state of disrepair. With just two monks remaining, Gen-la says that at this time, monastic life was difficult because the khamtsen received little help and had very limited resources.

That is when he embarked on a pilgrimage in Tibet and India. During this time, he thought deeply about his options – he was considering whether to remain, or to leave Chatreng Khamtsen (as many others had done) and to go to India to continue his studies.

However, he decided that he would remain in Tibet and he would rebuild Chatreng Khamtsen. This included rebuilding the gompa, their Protector Chapel and their monks’ quarters. Gen-la says that his reason for staying back was very simple: no matter where he is, he will not gain any attainments if he cannot carry out his Guru’s instructions.

For the last 20 years, Gen-la has single-handedly rebuilt Chatreng Khamtsen. By day, he spends his time finding resources and sponsors. By night, Gen-la goes to the forests to chop down trees, and together with some other monks they will pull the wood back to the monastery itself. This wood is stored to one side, and used to rebuild their khamtsen. All of this work is done by hand, without any machines.

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View video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rbux7wp-KQ

Without Gen-la, Chatreng Khamtsen today would be no more. As a direct result of his hard work, not only are the khamtsen buildings still standing, but Gen-la’s example has inspired other monks to join and there are now 15 monks from Chatreng who reside in the khamtsen.

As with every monastery in Tibet, beautiful paintings adorn their walls. The gompa of Chatreng Khamtsen’s gompa is no different.	Tsongkhapa and his two heart sons sit beneath the elaborate beams of Chatreng Khamtsen’s gompa. Remember that all of this was restored, built and maintained by Gen Tsultrim himself, with his own hands.
Gen Tsultrim in front of the Heruka and 1000-Arm Chenrezig statues placed on the main altar of their khamtsen’s gompa.	HH Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche’s fame is such that throughout Chatreng’s monasteries and in buildings related to Chatreng, there is always a throne for him. In Ganden Sumtseling’s Chatreng Khamtsen, they also have a throne for Trijang Rinpoche in their gompa.
The monks here are devoted to Dorje Shugden and have a throne for him in their gompa.	Gen Tsultrim, the man behind the inspirational work at Chatreng Khamtsen. For over 20 years, Gen-la has single-handedly rebuilt his khamtsen which fell into a state of disrepair after the passing away of his Guru.
Ganden Sumtseling as seen from the outside.	The main entrance of Chatreng Khamtsen’s gompa. At the front, there is a handicraft shop selling Buddha images and handicraft items, in order to generate some income for the khamtsen. Business however, is not very good because according to Gen Tsultrim, there is a bigger souvenir shop at the monastery’s main gompa, where most people will purchase their souvenirs.
In the first floor of the Chatreng Khamtsen gompa is a Protector Chapel, dedicated to Dorje Shugden.	Since they reside in the same mandala, Setrab and Dorje Shugden are often pictured together. Here in the Protector Chapel, there is also a Setrab statue.
The khamtsen may be small but their devotion to Dorje Shugden is evident, through their efforts to have many images of him there. In the Protector Chapel, there are many statues of Dulzin Dorje Shugden, as well as his cardinal emanations and two ministers Karche Marpo and Namka Barzin.	In audience room of the vice Abbot, there is a picture of HH the Dalai Lama visiting Chairman Mao in China.
In the main gompa of Ganden Sumtseling, there is a very large Tsongkhapa statue. This image was taken at the third level of the gompa.	The Abbot of Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, HE Pongdrup Rinpoche
In Drachang, the prayer hall of the monastery, there is a statue of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. He was the one who recognised Dorje Shugden as an official Protector.	A board in front of Za La Ju Protector Chapel informs visitors that it was built in 1679, during the Qing dynasty.
The main Protector Chapel of Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, called Za La Ju Protector Chapel	The entrance of the Za La Ju Protector chapel, with Karche Marpo on the right.
In the Protector Chapel, to the left of the main altar is the Oracle’s holy costume. To the right of the altar is the Protector’s mandala. The mandala is a 3D representation of Dorje Shugden’s abode.	Images of holy lamas also sit on their main altar, including HH Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and HH the 10th Panchen Lama.
Some of the cardinal emanations of Dorje Shugden located on an altar to the side. From left to right, there is Gyenze, Wangze and Trakze.	The outside view of Za La Ju Chapel. To the right of the chapel is where the monks reside and do their daily works.
The main form of Dorje Shugden in the Chapel. As is traditional, his face is covered. This is done when the monks consider an image to be so holy, that they cover its face as a mark of respect.	A closer look at the Protector’s Mandala.
A sacred Dorje Shugden thangka hangs at the top of the chapel, to bless everyone who enters.	A few years ago, the Oracle took trance in the chapel. During the trance, he twisted a sword which is now hung above the entrance of the chapel.
Many monasteries in Tibet benefit from stunning views, and Ganden Sumtseling is no exception.	There are three main buildings in the central area of Ganden Sumtseling. One of these buildings is Tsongkhapa Hall, located to the left of Drachang.
The central building is Drachang, which is the prayer hall where the monks conduct pujas.	The right of the Drachang is Shakyamuni Hall
In order to access the main area of the monastery, visitors need to climb 143 steps. This is seen as a purification practice and those who know this will visualise themselves as entering a holy being’s abode when they make their way towards the monastery.	The signboard at the entrance of Yang Tang Khamtsen
There are two Protector Chapels in Yang Tang Khamtsen. One is on the ground floor and contains 1,000 statues of Dorje Shugden, all of which were sponsored by devotees.	The central images of this Protector Chapel are the five forms of Dorje Shugden.
A close-up view of the 1,000 Dorje Shugden statues.	The notice board at the entrance of the second Protector Chapel states that the chapel has more than ten great Protector statues. For those who are travelling or are experiencing bad luck, they are welcome to pay their respects in the Chapel. The signboard also states that the monks in the Chapel do Protector prayers everyday, to bless devotees.
The second Protector Chapel of Yang Tang Khamtsen, located on the first floor.	The location map of the monastery’s khamtsens.
The main Dorje Shugden image in the second Protector Chapel of Yang Tang Khamtsen.	Yamantaka, another wrathful emanation of wisdom energy, in the second Protector Chapel of Yang Tang Khamtsen
An image of Setrab, the wrathful emanation of Amitabha, in the Chapel.	Beautiful kang dzey (wrathful offering of implements) are drawn on the Chapel’s wall, as an offering to the Protectors residing within.

The site map of Ganden Sumtseling Monastery.