Thiksey Monastery

4.7

Location: Leh Manali Highway Thiksey Jammu and Kashmir, 194201

Estimated Visiting Time: 1 hour

Affiliated with the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism, Thikse Gompa or Thiksey Monastery is a gompa. Approximately 19 kilometers (12 mi) east of Leh in Ladakh, India, it is located on top of a hill in Thiksey. The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, is noted for its resemblance, and is the largest gompa in central Ladakh, for female renunciates that have been the source of significant recent building and reorganization.

Attraction

Gestor ritual, which is held from the 17th to 19th day of the ninth month of the Tibetan calendar (October–November), is the annual festival held in the monastery precincts. As a part of this ritual, sacred dances such as the mask dance or Cham dance are performed. In which villagers from all over Ladakh assemble to barter and trade items and socialize, another special feature is the trade fair held at the base of the monastery. For smaller festivals, sand mandalas are made. Attracting many worshippers to observe the services, the morning prayers at 07:00, with synchronized chanting of sutras at this monastery.

History

A few kilometers away from Stagmo, on a sacred hill above a village of the same name, the new Thiksey monastery was located. On the site of an earlier Kadam establishment or as a daughter house of the small chapel of Stakmo about 7 kilometers to the north, the monastery is believed to have been built. At Thiksey dedicated to the protector Dorje Chenmo, Rinchen Zangpo is also known to have built a temple named Lakhang Nyerma .

But today you can see all ruins. Administering ten other monasteries in the region, Thiksey grew in prominence in Ladakh, second only to Hemis Monastery, such as Diskit, Spituk, Likir and Stok. Some 25 villages became attached to the monastery, and the monastery came to own or control 1,327 acres (537 ha) of land. In around 1770, While other princes should be lamas at Thiksey and Spituk, the lama of Hanle Monastery dictated that his elder son should inherit the throne of Ladakh. As a result, at Thiksey, princes such as Jigsmet Namgyal served as lamas.

Inside/Outside Views

The front view of thiksey Monastery

In the Indus Valley, the monastery is located at an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,800 ft). Such as stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings and swords, it is a twelve-storey complex and houses many items of Buddhist art. It contains the largest such statue in Ladakh, a 15 metres (49 ft) high statue of Maitreya, covering two stories of the building, one of the main points of interest is the Maitreya Temple. To commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama, this temple was installed at this monastery in 1970.

Opening Hours

Everyday 6 AM–7 PM

Entry & Others Fees

INR 30 is needed to be paid as entry fee.

Near Restaurants

Near Hotels

The Driftwood Ladakh
The Shanti Nest@Boutique Hotel
The Abduz
Hotel Shambhala – 3 Star Hotels In Ladakh
The Grand Dragon Ladakh

How to Reach

By air: Very well connected with some major airports in India, including New Delhi, the closest airport is Leh Airport. To reach the destination from the airport, taxis can be hired and.

By Rail: At a distance of 812 km from Leh, the closest major railway station from Leh is Jammu Tawi. To reach Leh over Srinagar Leh Highway in a 3-day journey with overnight halts at Srinagar and Kargil, taxis can be hired from the railway station.

From Leh via Manali Leh Highway, Joginder Nagar railway station is just 635 KM but is not a major one.

By road: The most feasible option is to travel the distance between gurudwara and Leh by road. Between November and April, the road remains closed , so during that time,you should avoid going there.