Khumjung Monastery

Introduction of Khumjung Monastery

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Picture Monastery in route to Everest base camp trekking trail

One of the old Sherpa settlement Khumjung has its sister village just in 40 minutes walking distance towards Hillary memorial view point. Both Khumjung and Khunde are famous village in route of Everest base camp trekking trail.

Sister Village of Khumjung is called Khunde village & has a hospital called Hillary hospital. Khunde village has a monastery on the lap of the mountain ridge of its neighboring hill. If you pass by this monastery you will get to the famous view point of the region.

As every village have one primary school and a local monastery, as compulsory traditional thing. Khumjung monastery is ornament of this Sherpa settlement. Khumjung Monastery is second oldest monastery of this holy Khumbu region.

Khumjung Monastery
Khumjung Monastery, also known as Khumjung Gompa, is a Buddhist monastery located in the Khumjung village of the Everest region in Nepal.

Khumjung is famous village since at least one of the family members from each household are climbing guides and most of them have been to the top of Everest. If you ask any of the household you can hear story of their Everest climbing and many mountains of Khumbu Himalaya range.

Another famous monastery of Everest, Tengboche Monastery stands as the first old monastery of the region.

Yeti scalp of Khumjung monastery

Whereas Khumjung monastery has its identity to keep scalp of Yeti open for trekkers. You need to pay small amount of entrance fee in Khumjung monastery it is for seeing scalp of Yeti.

Yeti scalp at Khumjung monastery is inside a box with glass frame. You cannot take picture inside the monastery but you are allowed to take picture of this yeti scalp.

People believe these yetis’ in the past, used to be care taker of the domestic animals grazing in the field. Yak & nak are domestic animals left to graze in the jungle as wild animals.


    Story of Yeti

    As Sherpa people of these region keeps yak for milk, fur, meat and transporter used to graze yak in jungle where danger of Snow leopard and other flesh eating animals was high. In that time Yeti used to take care of animals. Even now days, if you ask some of the locals, you will get this as a true thing in reply from them.

    This sounds crazy but it is true. Yeti is half human and half animal living wild in the upper mountains of Nepal Himalaya. I have met many those old people who believe there was yeti. They have a lot of interesting story about yeti.

    Khumjung Monastery
    In Khumjung village, we can see yak for transport.

    Once while I was on the trekking to Gokyo Lake, I was talking with an old man there and he was sharing experience with me like this;

    “During the cold night I was at home alone and I called Naks to milk them but they did not come. I was sad because they are not doing what they used to do regularly, and I slept that night without milking Naks thinking that I lost them.

    But in the morning when I wake I saw all the yaks’ were near my shed. And I saw foot prints of Yeti leaving from my shed to one of the cave.”

    I asked him if he went to the cave to look at yeti, but he was astonished by how he could go as he was happy getting yaks back and also said that going to that cave was not easy and could be dangerous.

    Holy mountain of Everest region

    Apart from Khumjung monastery of Khumjuhng village hike; view of the holy peak just on the head of village named as Mt. Khumbila, beautiful mountain Mt. Amadablam will be great to see in-front of you.

    As Khumjung is near to both; Everest view hotel and Khunde village you can spend 2-3 days easily in this village of Everest, Khumjung.

    After reading this blog about Khumjung monastery; I am sure you will not regret staying couple of days in this beautiful village in the lap of holy mountain of Everest, Mt Khumbila.

    You are reading this article Means you will like trekking with monasteries and these trekking tour might interests you well :-

    1 – Everest trek till Tengboche Monastery
    2 – Manaslu Trek with historic Pungen Monastery
    3 – Multiple Monastery on the trail
    4 – Lumbini – birthplace of Buddha – tour

    More destination from Nepal

    Explore Nepal with us – to the deep in those nook and corners of Nepal Himalaya. Suggestions other than Khumjung Monastery.

    About Author

    I grew up in the mountains & got university education in Kathmandu to become an engineer. But with homely environment of mountains interest me to become a trekking & tour guide, by passion. I have been 6574 meter to the highest & fortunately got chance to explore most of Nepal and bit of abroad.

    Eventually, passion converted to profession and here i am on behalf of Nepalgram - a Trekking agency in Nepal.

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    (1) Comment

    1. vorbelutr ioperbir

      Enjoyed looking through this, very good stuff, thankyou. “While thou livest keep a good tongue in thy head.” by William Shakespeare.

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