Build the School — Sed Gyued Monastery
A Project of Sed Gyued Institute of Buddhist Studies
Help Us Build a School for 240 Students
Sed Gyued Monastery charges no fees to its monks and students. We are building a new three-storey school — 10 classrooms, a library, and staff quarters — so 240 young monks can study, free of charge, for generations to come.
Construction Has Begun
Work is underway in Salugara, West Bengal. Steel, shuttering and timber have arrived on site, and the ground has been cleared and marked out under the guidance of Khen Rinpoche. Watch the latest from the site:
Why a New School
For nearly 600 years the Sed Gyued lineage has passed living wisdom from master to master. Today, 75 students learn in spaces the monastery has outgrown. The new school building in Salugara, West Bengal — with architectural working drawings complete — will give every child a proper classroom, a library filled with texts, and housing for their teachers.
Each floor spans 4,187 sq ft. The first and second floors hold ten classrooms of 24 students each, a library, conference room and offices; the third floor houses seven staff quarters so teachers can live where they teach.
The Building — Architectural Plans
From the foundation up: ground floor, classroom floors, and staff quarters.
Where Your Donation Goes
| Construction stage | Approx. cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Foundation & concrete structure (G+3) | $177,000 |
| Brick walls & plastering | $66,000 |
| Flooring, tiling & granite | $50,000 |
| Electrical works | $28,000 |
| Doors & windows | $20,000 |
| Plumbing & sanitation | $19,000 |
| Painting & finishing | $19,000 |
| Roofing & steel works | $13,000 |
| Site preparation & contingency | $11,000 |
| Total (incl. taxes) | ≈ $465,000 |
Based on a professional construction budget (April 2026). Figures converted from INR and rounded.
Ways to Give
Sponsor a Classroom — $5,000
Build one of the 10 classrooms, honoured with a dedication plaque at its entrance. Only 10 available.
Sponsor a classroom →Sponsor a Student's Place — $1,900
Cover one student's share of the entire building. Remembered in the monastery's daily dedication prayers.
Sponsor a student →Sponsor a Window — $250
One of 59 windows filling the classrooms with Himalayan light.
Sponsor a window →Lay a Foundation Brick — $50
Bricks, concrete and steel for the foundation. Give as many as you wish.
Lay a brick →Donate Any Amount
Choose your own amount — each unit is $1, so set the quantity to the dollars you wish to give.
Donate any amount →Our Promise to You
Every donation goes directly to construction. The budget and architectural drawings are complete and signed off; work proceeds stage by stage as funds are raised, and we will share photo and video updates of construction progress on this page and on our Instagram and Facebook.
For large gifts, corporate giving, or to dedicate a sponsorship in the name of a loved one, please contact us or write to sedgyuedmonasterysikkim@gmail.com.
Watch His Holiness the Dalai Lama Live
Sed Gyued Monastery is patronized by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. His teachings are broadcast live and free of charge by his office:
📺 Live webcasts — dalailama.com/live (the stream appears here when a teaching goes live)
📅 Upcoming teaching schedule
▶️ Official YouTube channel · 🌐 dalailama.com
Teaching dates are announced on the official site; times are given in Indian Standard Time.
"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others." — H.H. The 14th Dalai Lama