Situated about six kilometres from Darjeeling, known as the Queen of the Hills, Ghoom is a picturesque town with multiple Buddhist monasteries, of which the Yiga Choeling, popularly known as the Ghoom Monastery, is the oldest Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in the region, established in 1850 by Lama Sherab Gyatso, a famous monk and Mongolian astrologer, who headed the monastery till 1905.

Located near Tiger Hill at a grand elevation of 8000 feet (2438 m), with the backdrop of the majestic Kanchenjunga and offering a peaceful escape to serenity, the monastery belongs to the Gelukpa or the Yellow Hat sect, who worship the Coming Buddha or Maitreyi Buddha. Interestingly, in 1959, during the Chinese occupation in Tibet, several high ranking monks, fled to India and took refuge in the monastery.

The outer area of the Ghoom Monastery is decorated with prayer flags, ornate wall paintings, called thanka scrolls, bells, drums and prayer wheels, along with images of several Buddha deities and lamas, which include the Chenrezig, Buddha of compassion, and Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelupka sect of Buddhism.

However, the main attraction of the monastery is the 15 feet (4.57 m) high statue of Maithreya Buddha, located in the central hall. Painted in gold and encrusted with precious stones, the statue was commissioned by Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Kalsang, popularly known as Lama Domo Geshe Rinpoche, who succeeded Sherab Gyatso in 1909, and headed the monastery until 1952. There are two huge hanging oil lamps in front of the statue, which keep burning for 24 hours a day, throughout the year.

The interior walls of the monastery are elaborately decorated with murals in Tibetan style, depicting several important stories and events from the life of Lord Buddha in a symmetrical manner to easily understand the basics of Buddhist philosophy.

Yiga Choeling, alias the old Ghoom Monastery, a revered place for Buddhist community, also serves as the storehouse of several rare and invaluable Buddhist manuscripts, along with Tibetan translations of some famous Sanskrit works, which include the Meghadūta by Kalidasa, Nagamandala by Sriharsa and Nyaya Krit by Dharmakriti, and many more. To the delight of the visitors, the complex of the monastery also houses a souvenir shop, containing Tibetian curios like small prayer wheels, prayer flags, singing bowls, wall paintings, and images of Buddha heads for sale at reasonable prices.

Strangely, for some unknown reasons, both the Yiga Choeling Monastery, along with the closely located Samten Choling Monastery, are often referred to as the Ghoom Monastery. However, unlike the Yiga Choeling Monastery, belonging to the Yellow Hat sect, the Samten Choling Monastery, built in 1875 by Lama Sherab Gyatso, follows the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, and less visited by the locals. Nevertheless, apart from everything, the cool, calm, and peaceful ambience of the monastery attracts all groups of visitors, especially those with spiritual inclination.