Tashiling Tibetan Settlement, Sonada.

The settlement situated at 6500 meter above sea level and the temperature in summer is Celcius 11-19 and winter is Celcius 5-7. The annual rainfall is 1153 mm. The Settlement covers 28 acre in Total Area and 4.4 acre is Gifted to Central Tibetan Relief Committee in year 2017

Basically, with the 50 Household consisting of around 178 members with the purpose of setting up Nomadic Settlement building of House and purchasing of Cow and Hen were started with the help of Tibetan Govt. in Exile and Foreign Aid.

The Early settler of 178 members of the Settlement at the year 1965 collected amount of Indian Rupees 13,970/- to purchase land. The settlement has 28 Acre in Total at the initial set up. From that 3.495 acre of land is allocated for Sambhota Tibetan School, Sonada, Housing 1.44 acre of land, Farming land 1 acre, 4.4 Acre is allocated for CTRC, Department of Home, C.T.A. and 5 Acre of land is sold for Sherpa Kyiduk and 0.830 decimal of land is sold to Individual Dawang and 6.475 acre is left barren land.

ADMINISTRATIVE

The Settlement is administered by 24 consecutive Settlement officers appointed by Department of Home, CTA, Dharamsala Since it was started on 1967. From 1 January 2024 The Coordinator appointed by CTA, looks after the welfare of the public and carries out all the official duty in the Settlements. Under TSO we have four camp,

Camp no. 1 and 2 inside the Settlement and Camp no. 3 and 4 are members who are staying in and around the Sonada Bazar area.

The Settlements Healht centre was established in the 1980s in order to provide basic health care services to the Tibetan Settlers in and around Sonada. The centre has been operating under the supervision of the settlement office with

funding from Shenphen Aid. The Centre has one staff nurse appointed by Healh Department. Every month a Tibetan medical doctor from Darjeeling Mentseekhang Branch is visiting to the Dispensary for patient check up and follow up. Also Telemedicine program is conducting for Out-patient. All emergency cases are referred to the nearest hospital in Darjeeling or Siliguri. In Addition to medical services , the center also undertakes numerous public health initiatives.

Sambhota Tibetan School, Sonada is located within Shivalik Range of Himalayan Mountains at an altitude of approx. 6500ft. in the West Bengal state of India. It is 65 km from Siliguri city and 17 km from Darjeeling town. It was first established in the year 1975. Our school is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (C.B.S.E), New Delhi and there are classes from I-V

Majority of the students reside at the hostel under the administration of Darjeeling Tibetan Refugee Co-operative Collective Farming Society Ltd. (D.T.R.C.C.F.S. Ltd.), Sonada. They mostly hail from Nepal border, Mon-Tawang and Arunachal Pradesh. The school was under the Central Tibetan Schools Administration until 5th May, 2018, when it was handed over to Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society. On 28th May, 2018, the school was formally started to run under the administration of Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society.

Darjeeling Tibetan Refugee Cooperative Collective Farming Society

DTRCCFS is registered under the Bengal Cooperative Society Act on Year 1967 with the purchase of Land by the early settler of the Settlement. The main purpose of the cooperative society is to carry out trading activities. The Co-operative society now runs small enterprises of renting out Shop and room and Hostel for girls and boys, Guest house rent out. In order to procure benefit to the settlers, the cooperative society should create a support unit and small market.

Samdup Dargyeling, Monastery.

The monastery is founded by Former His Eminence Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche Karma Rangjung Kunkhyab in Year 1966 at Sonada, Distt Darjeeling, West Bengal. The Monastery follows Dak-Shang Kagyu Lineage of Karma Kagyu.

In year 2018 the monastery registered under the West Bengal as Rangjung Kunchab Charitable Trust.

Khachoe Dechen Ling Nunnery.

The nunnery was founded by Kyabje Jadral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche in year 1980. Earlier the nunnery has some of the nuns who hails from Kham region of Tibet. These Days local nuns of Sherpa Community take care of the nunnery.

The Settlement lie in the National Highway no.110. The distance from Siliguri towards Sonada is 47.5 km and 13 k.m distance upwards Darjeeling. The Settlement is located at Darjeeling District in West Bengal State.