The monastery's year has a shape. Some of it is fixed by the Tibetan calendar, some by the school terms, and some by the ordinary business of a community of more than 300 people living together.
Dates set by the Tibetan lunar calendar move against the Gregorian one, so the day given here is the day in this year — and where the timing depends on something a calendar cannot express, it is written out rather than reduced to a date.
Visitors are welcome at public ceremonies. If you are planning to travel it is worth getting in touch first: some dates shift, and a few are confirmed only close to the time.
30 September 2026
Date to be confirmed.
The school's half-yearly examination ceremony, held in the prayer hall and presided over by the Abbot, with prizes for the students who have done well.
The new prayer hall
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5 February 2027
The 29th day of the twelfth Tibetan month; the Gregorian date moves each year. Dancers undertake two days of preparatory practice beforehand.
The monastery's own masked ritual dance, with a torma offering, given as a year-ending thanksgiving to the Dharmapalas. At its centre an oversized yak transforms into Vajrabhairava — the vision that gave the dance its name six centuries ago.
The monastery courtyard, Hunsur
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7 February 2027 – 9 February 2027
Three days; the Gregorian date follows the Tibetan lunar calendar.
The Tibetan new year, beginning two days after the old one has been cleared at Gutor. Prayers, offerings, and the first days of a new calendar in the monastery and the settlement around it.
The monastery, Hunsur
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These listings are drafts, awaiting confirmation by the monastery.