Ladakh Monastery
These are the main centres for worship, isolated meditation and
religion teaching. These are the centres for Ladakh's Cultural Heritage
and a Spiritual hub for all social activities. It plays a very important
part in the Ladakhi society. The monks from the monastery are called
during all the occasion for prayers and for blessing.
Thiksey monastery:
About 2 0Km south of Leh. This Gompa is situated on the top of the hill
and part of Gelukpa order. the disciple of Jangon Tsongkhapa, Sherab
Zangpo of stod, first built the temple of Stagmo Lakchung at the top of
Stagmo Lakchung at the top of the Thiksey valley. Then Paldan Sherab
nephew of Sherb Zangpo, founded Thiksey monastery. There are sacred
shrines and a many precious objects to be seen. The successive
reincarnation of the Skyabje Khampo Ringpoche act as incharge of the
monastery. Thiksey gustor (festival) held from 17th to 19th day of the
12th month. There are chance to see prayer in the early morning.
Tonde Monastery:
The village of Tonde can be reached from Padum in a four to five hours
hiking tour through a bare, desert like plateau. The monastery Marpa
Ling stands high above the village on the way to the Ronde Pass. The
originally Red Hat Monastery was reformed in time and belongs now to the
Gelugpa school. Over 50 monks of this sect are working in Tonde.
Sankar Gompa
The monastery, a small under Gompa of Spitok, is staffed by twenty
monks, and is the official residence of the Kushok Bakul, Ladakh's head
of the Gelug-pa sect. Appropriately for such a high-ranking 'Rinpoche',
his glass-fronted penthouse enjoys pride of place on top of the main
building, crowned with a golden spire and a "Dharma Chakra"
flanked by two deer, symbolizing the Buddha's first sermon in Sarnath.
A flight of steps leads from the courtyard to the Du-khang. Beyond the
lords of the four quarters and wheel of life Mandala that adorn the
verandah, one enters a high ceilinged hall whose walls writhe with
lustrous multicoloured murals. Those on either side of the doorway are
the most amazing: many armed pot bellied bovine monsters drink blood
from skull cups, while the copulating "Yab-Yum" couples to the
right are garlanded with severed heads and engulfed in swirling red and
yellow flames.
Stok Monastery:
17 km from Leh. Build in 1825 by king Tsespal Tondup Namgyal. Museum
and monastery. stok is the present village where the royal family lives
now. In the palace there is a museum which has artifacts associated with
the Ladakhi history and culture. In the museum are shrines, the crown,
ceremonial dress and jewellery of the king of Ladakh
Takthok Monastery:
Around 46 Km from Leh, Takthok monastery was a meditation cave of
mahasidhas “Kunga Phuntsog”. Later, it started calling Takthok
(rock roof) monastery. The festival of Takthok held on the 28th and 29th
days of the 9th month.
Matho Monastery:
Gompa is 26 Kms south of Leh on the opposite bank of Indus river,
belongs to saskya order, founded about five hundred year ago by Lama
Dunpa Dorjey. The festival called " Matho Nagrang" takes place
every year on the 14th and 15th days of the 1st Tibetan month.
Alchi Monastery:
69 km from Leh the only monastery built on flat ground. Also known as
the choskor or religious enclave. Built in the 11th century by the great
translator Ringchen Zangpo. This is very famous for its painting and
architecture which has an Indian and Kashmiri influence in them.
