History
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Gyudmed Tantric Monastery (pronounced "gyoomay" and often spelled "gyume") is also known as the Lower Tantric College of Lhasa, Tibet and is one of six major learning monasteries within the Gelugpa School of Tibetan Buddhism. The first tantric monastery of the Gelugpas, Gyudmed was founded in 1433 by Lama Je Sherab Sengey, the most eminent and celebrated disciple of Lama Je Tsongkhapa, the Tibetan Buddhist master and founder of the Gelugpa School. The other five learning monasteries of the Gelugpa are Gaden, Drepung, Sera, Tashi Lhumpo and Gyuto. Gaden, Drepung, Sera and Tashi Lhumpo specialize in sutra studies, while Gyudmed and Gyuto specialize in both sutra and tantra studies with the major emphasis on tantra. Tantra here means the study of rituals, the theory of mandala practices, the construction of mandalas and chanting.

The Gyudmed Tantric Monastery in South India is the Indian branch of the famous Gyudmed Tantric Monastery of Lhasa, Tibet. It was begun after 180 Gyudmed monks escaped into India due to the Communist Chinese occupation of their country. These 180 monks reestablished their monastery in Dalhousie, North India and stayed there until 1972 when the monastery was relocated to Gurupura in South India. The ongoing wave of religious refugees from Tibet were originally provided with accommodation and farm land, mostly due to the efforts of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Indian Government. Remarkably, these monks have been able to maintain their rituals and traditions while in an ongoing state of exile. Although only about 35 monks remain of the initial group, over the years the number of monks has increased to about 500.

Since forced into exile, Gyudmed has become known worldwide as a center for the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture and traditions. The monks are experts in sand mandala, butter sculpture, traditional thangka painting and specialized prayer rituals. Also, because Gyudmed of India was able to preserve certain uninterrupted oral transmissions of sacred knowledge and rituals, the original Gyudmed of Tibet continues to send monks over the Himalayas into India. This is because in Chinese occupied Tibet monks are forbidden to provide proper religious instruction for their students. Of course, Gyudmed Monastery of India welcomes these mainly younger and novice monks, many of whom make the harrowing escape over the Himalayas in order to obtain religious freedom.

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