Jonang Richo Chenmo” or the “Great Mountain Hermitage of the Jonang,” the meditation caves nestled in the high crevices of the surrounding mountains at Jomonang (jo mo nang) have served as homes for yogis for over a thousand years. This mountain retreat (ri khrod) is said to have first became a site for the Jonangpa when Nag Gyalma (nag rgyal mo), the local protector deity of the Jomonang valley invited the Tibetan Kalachakra master Kungpang Thukje Tsondru to meditate in the cave known as, “Nub Traway Ling” (nub khra bo’i gling). Since Kungpang-pa made Jomonang his home in 1293, the tradition of meditation practice and philosophical thinking that has been associated with this site has become known as “Jonang,” and those who have lived here have been referred to as “Jonangpas.” As this lineage was transmitted on at Jomonang through the masters Changsem Gyalwa Yeshe and Yontan Gyamtso, it was then inherited by Kunkhyen Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. Spending most of his life in meditation and teaching at the Richo Chenm.
Great masters after the time of Dolpopa who lived at the Richo Chenmo include all 14 main disciples of Dolpopa such as Nyawon Kunga Pal and Chogle Namgyal whose caves are nestled high above the valley, Jetsun Taranatha who spent many years in meditation there, In the year 110 many great masters lived there for practicing meditation, Nobchen Namkhe Nyipo, Nglam Lhegyaltsen, Panampa Tsultrim Jongni and other great masters used to stay at Jonang Richo Chenmo and practicing Dharma.
There were two different sites and the first was originally a dwelling from for Padmasambhava and other sites called Dorjee Den and Padma Den.