The Namgyal Monastery is the personal monastery of the 14th Dalai Lama, relocated from Lhasa to McLeod Ganj after the 1959 Tibetan uprising. The monastery is attached to the Tsuglagkhang temple complex — the main place of worship for the Tibetan exile community — which houses statues of Shakyamuni Buddha, Avalokitesvara (the bodhisattva of compassion), and Padmasambhava. Around 200 monks live and study here, maintaining the same tantric curriculum they would have followed in Tibet.
The complex is open to visitors most days. When the Dalai Lama is in residence and gives public teachings, anyone can attend — teachings are free, given in Tibetan with translation available, and widely announced in advance. Even outside teaching seasons, the monastery is worth visiting for the atmosphere: monks debating in the courtyard, butter lamps burning in the temple halls, and the views across the Kangra Valley from the terrace.