Originally constructed in India in the 5th century, Nalanda was a center for sacred learning throughout Asia. A vast amount of what came to comprise Buddhism stems from 9th century teachings. Unfortunately, around 1200 AD, the center was destroyed by the muslim army. However, in 1754, the temple was rebuilt in Bhutan after recognizing a number of auspicious signs correlating to the history of the original Nalanda.

Today, Nalanda carries on ancient tradition through 140 orphaned students learning buddhist philosophy, ritual instruments, scriptures, prayer ceremonies, english, and buddhist logic. It is the goal of Choki to meet the needs of the orphans in order to sustain culture and history.