Besides visiting one of the highest motorable passes in the world (Khardung La) and camping overnight at a lake 15,000ft above sea level (Pangong Tso), most people go to Leh to visit monasteries in the area. Thiksey Monastery is among the many famous monasteries in Leh.
Most of the places we visited while in Leh required hours of driving through rugged mountain terrain. A nice change of pace for us was our visit to Thiksey Monastery which is only about 18km from Leh city (about 30 – 45min drive from the city).
Thiksey, Jammu & Kashmir 194201, India
Jammu & Kashmir, India
Before visiting, we were told that the 600 years old Thiksey Monastery (aka Thiksey Gompa) is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Ladakh. The 12-storey complex is considered one of the finest examples of Ladakhi art and architecture. Perched atop a hill slope at about 11,800ft (~3,600m), it is a stunning sight as you get closer to it and offers a beautiful view of the Indus Valley below it.
Stunning sight, even from afar.
It is a 600 year old monastery and is considered one of the most beautiful monasteries in ladakh.
The 12 storey complex is built in descending layer of importance. The buildings at the top of the hill is the most important part of the monastery down to the huts at the bottom of the hill where the monks live.
Thiksey Monastery is home to about a hundred monks, 10 temples, many valuable artifacts and ancient relics. The top attraction at Thiksey Monastery is a two-storey tall (~15m) statue of Buddha which was built in 1970 to commemorate a visit to Thiksey by the Dalai Lama.
The statue is a representation of Maitreya (aka “The Buddha of the Future”). It took four years to construct, is made of clay and is covered with gold paint. Inside, the statue is filled with volumes of Buddhist canonical texts.
Buddha of the Future who will teach compassion to the people.
The monastery also houses a school that provides free education (classes include knowledge of Buddhism as well as computer education) to children from poor families. They also provide food and medical assistance to the children.
[two]
Children exiting their classroom at the Thiksey Monastery
Brightly colored red walls make up the top of the monastery.
We sat at one of the benches at the edges of the monastery to take a break and admire the view from the monastery. While we were resting, we took out a couple chocolate bars we had with us for a snack.
Three children approached us and smiled at us while eyeing our snack. I smiled back and offered them the snack. They excitedly took the snack, smiled at me, said “Juleh!” and off they went to their play area. This was another one of the “magic moments” we experienced – with a smile and the word “Juleh”. Turns out the kids were children of the construction workers nearby that were working on restoring some parts of the monastery.
Three children approached us, smiled and eyed our snack. I smiled back and offered them the snack.
REMEMBER:
- Thiksey Monastery is among the many hundreds of monasteries located in Leh.
- Buddhist monasteries are one of the top attractions for people visiting this region.
- Thiksey Monastery is about 600 years old and is perced atop a steep hilltop at about 3,600m (~11,800ft).
- It is considered one of the most beautiful and largest monastery in Ladakh.
- A famous attraction at this monastery is the 2-storey tall statue of Buddha of the Future, Maitreya.
- This monastery is among the few attractions within a short drive away from Leh city.
- This is a nice destination to visit for those that are not keen on the longer drive, rougher terrain driving to reach other attractions.
- Entry Fee: We paid an entry fee of Rs20 (~USD$0.42) near the top of the monastery. There was a monk sitting at the top of the stairs who collected the fee from us.
- The monastery is open 7am – 7pm.
- Take off your shoes prior to entering any temples/prayer areas.
- Wear non-revealing clothing as a sign of respect (e.g. clothing that covers your limbs). I don’t think they enforce this but it’s respectful to do this anyways.
- Do not disturb monks at prayers, do not touch religious artifacts, drink, smoke, talk loudly or disturb the peaceful atmosphere.
- Walk around the statues and prayer areas in clockwise direction.
Have you been to Thiksey Monastery before? Does this place remind you of another place you’ve visited? Do share through our comments section.
Also, don’t forget to stumble, +1, tweet, share and like this post!
46 Comments
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{India} Thiksey Monastery is a “Must Visit” in Leh http://t.co/qXE1O3o
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This has got to be the most spectacular monastery in the WORLD – not just Ladakh! Just being in such magnificent surroundings would HAVE to inspire spirituality!
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Totally agree! The surroundings give the entire area a sense of peace and calmness that inspires spirituality like no other!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{Japan} Noboribetsu Jigokudani aka “Hell Valley”
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those photos are BREATH taking!! I love visiting your site just so I can be blown away!
jenjenk recently posted..Oahu: Surfing Lessons in Waikiki
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Thank you for the compliment! We’ve been super lucky to have gotten the chance to visit breathtaking destinations which makes for great photos!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{MALAYSIA} Snorkel, Dive and Chill at Redang Island
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{India} Thiksey Monastery is a "Must Visit" in Leh & Idelish http://t.co/Aq4AH5A
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Buildings that are built inside cliffs are cool.
adventureswithben recently posted..Travel: Every Season-
Agree wholeheartedly!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{Japan} Noboribetsu Jigokudani aka “Hell Valley”
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Wow! I can see why it’s the most beautiful – what and incredible complex
Andrea recently posted..Bozcaada: Turkey’s Island of Wine-
Thanks Andrea! It is a beautiful complex indeed!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{India} Thiksey Monastery is a “Must Visit” in Leh
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{India} Thiksey Monastery is a “Must Visit” in Leh http://t.co/xaGipVH @idelish
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Your blog makes me want to be a better photographer- I look at your pictures and am in awe of their colors, spacing, and emotions they capture!
Jade recently posted..Fly Fishing-
Thank you Jade! We’re glad you find the pictures inspiring! Jeremy is working on a couple of posts with more photography tips!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{USA} Whale Watching at San Juan Islands
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Hi,
Beautiful photos and good information. I would be interested in the cost of visiting these places. Tourists are often surprised by these matters. Who do I pay? And how much? Do I have to wear special clothing? I would love to know these things before I go.-
Great points! We’ve updated the tips section (last section) of the post to reflect these questions that you have. Hope it’s useful!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a note!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{Japan} Noboribetsu Jigokudani aka “Hell Valley”
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Always in awe of their #travel #photos –> {India} Thiksey Monastery is a “Must Visit” in Leh http://t.co/GyFOC3L via @IdelishTravel
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It looks so interesting built up on the hill like that. Are those top photos HDR? The exposure in them is fab. =)
Christy recently posted..How much does it cost to live in London?-
Thanks Christy! No, those aren’t HDR. We underexposed the photos a bit out of the camera because we were worried the sky would be blown out given how bright the day was. So in post processing, we had to bump up the exposure by about 0.5 – 1.0 🙂
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{USA} Whale Watching at San Juan Islands
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Very nice photos. I like the high-key effect. You look to be having a terrific trip!
Kris Koeller recently posted..A Tribute in Light-
Thanks Kris! We were playing around with the effect of that last picture a little. We wanted to make the people the focus of the picture and not the background, so we adjusted it a little 🙂
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{Japan} Noboribetsu Jigokudani aka “Hell Valley”
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More stunning travel and photos from@idelishtravel RT {India} Thiksey Monastery is a “Must Visit” in Leh http://ow.ly/6rPlU
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Absolutely incredible. I love the snow on the mountains in the background.
Kent recently posted..Postcard from Alaska – Hitting the Rails-
Thanks Kent! Yeah, the snow capped mountains just looks incredible~
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{USA} Whale Watching at San Juan Islands
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{#India} Thiksey Monastery is a “Must Visit” in #Leh http://t.co/V3dU7E0 #jammuandkashmir #ladakh #gompa #temples
