Kagyu Monlam Pavillion
2 January 2026
The day began early in Tergar shrine hall at 4.00am when monastic practitioners from various Kamtsang monasteries who had completed the three-year, three-month retreat prepared to demonstrate their accomplishments.
During the Monlam, from 6:00–8:00 pm each evening, they had gathered behind closed curtains in the shrine hall at Tergar Monastery to practise the Six Yogas of Naropa.
In the Monlam Pavillion monks. Nuns and lay practitioners gathered to receive the Mahayana sojong vows from Kyabgon Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche and then recited the opening prayers of the first session.
At 6.30am the retreat monks emerged from Tergar shrine hall and wrapped wet sheets around their bodies—the traditional way of proving achievement in tummo is to dry a wet sheet with the body heat generated by the practice. Wearing lower garments, meditation belts, meditation hats and the wet white robes, they proceeded clockwise along a carpeted route from Tergar monastery to the Kagyu Monlam Pavillion, greeted by crowds of devotees who lined the path.
Meanwhile in the pavilion, the congregation began the Offerings to the Gurus, the sutra-based guru puja compiled and composed by His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, which contains the twenty branches.
During the fourth branch of inviting, the retreat practitioners entered the pavillion through the main gate and took their seats on the right side of the stage. During the eleventh branch, the offering section, when making the offering of practice, monastics from the Kamtsang shedras engaged in a demonstration philosophical debate. After the debate concluded, a monk from Tergar shedra summarised what had been said to complete the offering of practice.
The whole assembly then began reciting the guru puja again until the midday break.
