The Ghoom Gompa or Yogachoeling Gompa is the biggest and generally well known monastery situated 8km south of Darjeeling Town, just underneath Hill Cart Road and the rail station close to Ghoom. It was founded in 1875 by a Mongolian monk and holds a huge picture of Maitreya Buddha encompassed by sticks of incense,bells, drums and elaborate thanka scrolls. Foreigners are permitted to enter the sanctum and take photos. A token contribution is a custom and the ,monks are quite cooperative. There are three different gompas in Ghoom, the huge yet generally uninteresting Samdenchoeling, the close-by and littler Sakyachoeling and the Phin Sotholing. Closer to Darjeeling, on Tenzing Norgay Road, there is the Aloobari Monastery. The monks offer Tibetan and Sikkimese hand crafted and religious articles here. There is a cottage nearby for inquiries. On the way from Ghoom and Darjeeling is the Thupten Sangachoeling Gompa at Dali. Western people having interst in Tibetan Buddhism can study at this place.
Dhirdham Temple The Hindu temple in Darjeeling was founded by Dhir Shamsher Rana of Nepal. Located underneath the rail station, the place of worship is modelled on the celebrated Oashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu
