Thiksey Monastery is a Tibetan-style monastery located 20km south of Leh, on Leh Manali highway. The twelve-story monastery is located on top of a hill, giving magnificent views of the town and the Indus valley below. The main highlight of Thiksey is the Maitreya Temple which houses a 15-meter high Maitreya Buddha statue. It covers two stories of the building and is the giant statue in Ladakh.
Thiksey consists of numerous white buildings arranged in hierarchical order, which stand out against the rocky golden brown hills. It resembles the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Thiksey consists of 10 temples and is currently home to over 100 monks. The monastery houses Buddhist stupas, thangkas, swords, wall paintings, and statues. Other main attractions at Thiksey are Tara Temple, Lamokhang Temple, Assemnly Hall, Nunnery, Library, and the rooftop. The monastery also serves as a residential monastery for monks.
Tips :
- Women are not allowed in the Lamokhang Temple.
- There are two cafes in the monastery complex.
- A trip to Thiksey Monastery can be combined with Hemis Monastery, Stakna Monastery, Matho Monastery, and Shey Palace and Monastery.
- Spend at least half a day at the monastery to explore it properly.
How to Reach Thiksey Monastery :
Bus: Board a public bus from Leh bus stand to Choglamsar, available every 15 minutes. From here, buses for Thiksey leave every half hour.
Car: Opt for a taxi or a private car to Thiksey, which will take around 40 minutes to reach.
For more information about Leh & Ladakh Tourism, visit https://leh.nic.in/tourism/
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