Shimla, Sept. 16 -- The Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Monday approved the renewal of government land lease for the Jonang Monastery at Sanjauli's Dingu Hills for another 40 years, giving a fresh lease of life to the only surviving centre of the Kalachakra lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in exile.

The approval was granted in favour of the Sangya Choling Association, Sanjauli (Shimla). Locally known as Takten Phuntsok Choeling, the monastery doubles as a Tibetan Buddhist school and is regarded as the head seat of the Jonang tradition in India. The institution was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama 35 years ago.

The Jonang Takten Phuntsok Choeling Monastery is a very small, modest monastery of more than one hundred monks. The majority of the monks al...