In 1958, Chatral Rinpoche left Tibet for Bhutan where he travelled to Paro Taktsang and other places associated with Guru Rinpoche. He then moved to India, where he restored a small temple in Jorebungalow near Darjeeling. He turned the temple into a three-year meditation retreat center for Longchen Nyinthig practice. This was the first such center built by a Tibetan outside of Tibet. Chatral Sangye Dorje further established retreat centers in Sikkim, Godawari, Yolmo and Pharping.
