Yulo Koepa Nunnery started out as a project of Universal Education School in Sarnath, India. The Tara Temple was,  established by Valentino as a place for full time practice of the Mother Goddess Tara.

In early 2010 the Tara Temple together with the property and service buildings was offered to Kopan’s Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery and was renamed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche Yulo Koepa, Tara Pure Land. Twenty nuns from Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery live and study there all year round under the care of the manager, Ven. Dekyi.  Yulo Koepa is now registered as a NGO with the government of India. The buildings are located amongst beautiful flowers, trees and a vegetable garden.

The gompa of the nunnery features beautiful statues of the 21 Taras surrounding a life size statue of Green Tara. The main purpose the nunnery is the practice of Mother Tara, the female Buddha that has vowed to come to the quick help of all that invoke her. The Praises to the 21 Taras, an invocation of the twenty one emanations of Tara, is recited 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the gompa of the nunnery with each nun taking a turn.  Every morning the Four Mandala offering to Cittamani Tara is performed.

During the day the nuns attend classes that include Tibetan, English and Hindi, and study philosophy with the resident geshe. This way they stay ahead of their studies and can participate in the annual exams at the nunnery. After a  two years period the nuns return to their mother nunnery and a new group of nuns comes to take over.

The nunnery is located on the outskirts of Sarnath, near Varanasi. Sarnath is a very holy place, where Shakyamuni Buddha turned the Wheel of Dharma for the first time for a small group of disciples. The stupa in the Sarnath park is surrounded by ruins of the monasteries and hermitages that were there hundreds of years ago.

In this part of India it is very hot in the summer months and the nuns from Nepal are not used to this. The living conditions are very difficult. The accommodation is simple, crowded, and hot, with several people sharing a room. Three years ago, a new kitchen was built to allow for a more hygienic food preparation. A generator has been installed to make the electric supply more reliable.  Plans are being made for a accommodating block which will improve the living conditions of the nuns greatly.

The nunnery receives occasional offerings from visitors, and is dependent on the donations of benefactors who are devoted to Tara, and wish to encourage this wonderful and rare activity.

You are welcome to visit the nunnery.

Find out how you can support the nuns at  Yulo Koepa - Tara Pure Land