Manaslu Village Trek: Serang Gompa, Culture, and the People of Bihi

25 Jun 2024 Chandra Gurung

Do you want to explore the years of an old monastery? Here is Serang Gompa, which is built between the lush forest and the backdrop of Manaslu Mountain. 

The monastery signifies Buddhist culture with the architecture of old Tibetan craftsmanship. It is none other than the Serang Gompa in Manaslu Village Trek. You shall trek to Manaslu Circuit Trek without missing this side trip to the monastery.

Serang Gompa, the sacred site of Tibetan Buddhists, is just a few kilometers from the base of Bihi village. Here, the cultural options have been preserved over the years, and most importantly, the Sherpas relate to them the most. 

Let us know more details about the Serang Gompa monastery and the culture and people of Bihi Village.

About Serang Goma

The Serang Goma is 3100 m in height and was built by the Chokyi Gyaltsen to teach the culture of Buddhism. Buddha’s guidelines were translated from Sanskrit to Tibetan. It is in the Kyimoloung Valley, the Valley of Peace and Happiness.

• This monastery was originally named Sancen Rabten Norbuling Monastery but is locally known as Serang Gompa. 
• Serang Monastery is also known as Nubri Monastery, which is the branch monastery of H.H. Chabjay Dodrupchen Dinpoche’s Gumba in Gangtok, Sikkim. 
• This monastery has been home to over 100 monks and nuns and is 500 years old.

Serang monastery serves as the center of Buddhist study and practice, with young monks receiving their education. It’s where monks and nuns pursue their education, majoring in reading Tibetan, Nepali, and English. The local children of Bihi and Khimoloung join the primary teaching of this monastery as a part of age-old tradition. 

History of Serang Gompa

Jetsun Milarepa, one of the celebrated Buddhist gurus made this place famous, as he originally meditated in a cave in this region. The first Lama “Gonpo Tsten” visited Nepal from Kham, eastern Tibet. He came with his three sons, who possessed special powers known as Druptobs.

Then, villagers in the Kyimoloung Beyul region requested that one of his sons become their Lama. At the request of the villagers, he sends his younger son, Nyime Cho Kyi Gyaltsen, who then overcame the dangers of a local charnel ground, where villagers had disappeared or been killed. 

This demonstrated his spiritual powers to overcome the problems and led the villagers to accept him as their Lama. He then built Serang Gomapa on barren and dry land. After the monastery was built, the landscape around it became abundant with grass and trees, a miraculous transformation in the region.

Where is Serang Gompa? 

Serang Gompa Trek is a sacred pilgrimage with religious significance. It is in the Manaslu region of northern Gorkha. And to our wonders where it lies, 

• To the north of Buddha Himal
• West of Ganesh Himal
• East of Mt. Manalsu
• In the lap of Shringi Himal 

It is located in Kyimoloung Valley, with its base point in Bihi Village. It takes 5 to 6 hours of walking to reach the monastery from Bihi Village.

Take an upward journey from Bihi village towards Serang Gompa; you will witness the beautiful landscape of hills, flowing rivers, waterfalls, and snow-capped mountains. 

As you ascend your trails toward the monastery, you will pass through small, beautiful traditional settlements like Tsak and Kogpa. 

Tsak and Kogpa have small tea houses where the trekkers can take a rest and drink the salted butter tea. This tea helps to keep the body warm and refreshed on the route to Serang Gompa. 

On the way, you may encounter lush forest, mountain goat Jharal, Himalayan Pica, Himalayan Marmot, and Himalayan cock with nine colored birds named “Daphe,”  the national bird of Nepal.

How do I get there? 

Serang Gompa is located in the remote Kyimooung Valley in the Manaslu region of Nepal. To reach Serang Gompa, one must first get to the

• The starting point of the Manaslu Circuit Trek is Sotikhola or Arughat.
• From Sotikhola, it takes approximately 6-7 hours of walking to reach Bihi Village, the closest settlement to Serang Gompa. 
• after reaching Bihi Village, it takes another 5-7 hours, depending on your speed of walk, to reach Serang Gompa. 

So, in total, it is likely to take 2-3 days from the Kathmandu valley.

Explore the nearest villages to Serang Gompa 

Let us introduce some of the nearest villages to Serang Gompa in the Manaslu region. 

1. Bihi Village

Bihi village is popular for its proximity to Serang Gompa. It is the base point and safest trail accessible to Serang Gompa, a retreat in the Manaslu Circuit Trek. For those who want to explore ancient Tibetan culture in Nepal, take 5-7 hours of trekking experience from Bihi village to Serang Gompa.

2. Kwak Village

Kwak village is on a longer trail with an elevation of 3163 meters, and this village doesn’t have tea house lodges. So, trekkers can stay in the nearby village of Gap.

3. Rana 

Rana village is one of the neighboring villages of Serang Gompa. Trekkers reach here after crossing the suspension bridge from Deng. But the trail is riskier due to rockfall.

4. Bihiphedi

Bihiphedi village is located at an altitude of 1985 m ( 6,512 ft) and has a direct route to Serang Gompa. The trekking trail from Bihi Phedi to Rana to access Serang Gompa is considered riskier due to rockfalls. 

Things to do in Serang Gompa 

• Participate in or observe daily prayers, chanting, and ritual offerings. These ceremonies provide a deep glimpse into the monastic practices and spiritual life of the monastery.
• Join the meditation sessions conducted by the monks to experience peace and mindfulness.
• Learn Buddhist philosophy, meditation techniques, and moral conduct by attending lectures and teachings given by the monks.
• Explore the monastic art of Buddhist paintings (thangkas), statues, and murals that adorn the monastery.
• Witness and participate in vibrant celebrations such as Losar, Saga Dawa, or the Annual Great Prayer Festival, traditional dances (Cham), and special religious pujas.
• Light the butter lamps to offer the goddesses and take a round of the prayer money outside the monastery.
• Visit the school and interact with children and teachers.
• Can donate some amount to enhance the facilities of schools and monasteries.

So, never miss the opportunity to plan your adventure to Manaslu Circuit Trek with side trips to Bihi Village and Serang Gompa on your itinerary. 

Architectural Significance of Serang Gompa

Serang Gompa is located where monks and devotees gather for prayers and meditation. As you sit here to pray, the spiritual essence will give your soul some purity from negative thoughts.

Tibetan prayer flags in rectangular shapes with different colors are hung around the monastery. It signifies the area’s peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. Serang Gompa structures are built specially to withstand the harsh Himalayan climate. 

• It has the rectangular shape of a three-story building ( traditional Tibetan Buddhist design). 
• The white color on the wall of the monastery signifies purity. 
• Furthermore, the monastery is designed with complicated, beautiful mandalas, Thangka paintings, and statues of goddesses.
• There is a big golden Buddha statue at the center of the monastery, along with the other Tibetan goddesses.
• The small stupas of dome-shaped relics are deliberately placed around the monastery to symbolize the enlightened mind. 

Near the right-hand side of the gompa is the prayer wheel or mani wheel. It is a twirling prayer wheel in a cylinder made from metal, wood, stone, leather, or coarse cotton. A mantra is written in Ranjana script on the outside of the wheel. Many worshipers turn prayer wheels into a belief in accumulating merit and purifying their karma.

Cultural Practices in Serang Monastery

The Monastery displays many spiritual and religious rituals that attract most trekkers to visit when they trek the Manaslu Circuit Trek. The special rituals and practices that can be attended are during the end of winter and the start of spring, which include, 

• Losar (Tibetan New Year)
• Chotrul Duchen 
• Guru Rinpoche Da 
• Saga Dawa 

Monks and practitioners perform rituals in front of all the locals, members of the monastery, and trekkers who participate in the greater gathering of festivities in Serang Gompa. The rituals of the gods are for the well-being of the world and to keep the culture alive. Prayers, mantras, dances, songs, traditional drums, and bajjas are performed as per ritual practices. 

The monks here spend their days studying, meditating, and chanting mantras. Along with that, it provides education, spiritual guidance, and a sense of unity to the villagers. Trekkers can also take part in meditation, prayer sessions, and learning mantras. After that, offer the butter lamps. This place would help you with the peace of mind of its surroundings and the spiritual mediation process. 

The People of Bihi Village

Bihi Village is a 1000-year-old settlement in the Gorkha district of Nepal, rich in ancient Tibetan culture, well surrounded by the majestic landscape of the Himalayan region. Bihi village is located about 2.2 km above Deng or Rana at an elevation of 2130 m (6988 ft), which takes around 45 minutes to reach.  

Their houses are traditionally made up of wood, bamboo, thatch, and mud. Agriculture is their primary livelihood, shaping their daily routines and seasonal activities.

They have a terraced field grown with barley, buckwheat, and potatoes. Livestock, including yaks and sheep, are raised for milk, meat, and wool. Manaslu foods such as dhido, thenduk, gundruk, dumplings, and tea momo are what trekkers can experience for a new taste.

The people of Bihi Village are welcoming and have the ethics to show their Tibetan culture by welcoming the guests with a silk garland named “Khada,” Tibetan dance, and songs.

Along with those, if trekkers are lucky, they can get to involve themselves in the festival and spiritual rituals of Bihi Village. All the festivals and rituals are performed in the Serang Gumpa. No restriction exists for any national or international trekkers to participate in their rituals.

Despite the harsh living conditions and limited access to modern amenities and infrastructure, the community remains calm and deeply connected to its cultural and religious roots. They are more involved in community growth and live life with a smile.

Conclusion

Manaslu Circuit Trek gives the trekkers the full package worth the money. It’s all about natural beauty, rich culture and spiritual heritage, adventure, challenges, and rewards worth the happiness and success to reach whatever it takes. 

To make perfect indulgence in the natural beauties, flora, fauna, and traditional culture of spirituality, contact the most trusted travel agency, Manaslu Guide. Get yourself ready to plan for your next adventure on the Manaslu Circuit Trek.