Rizong Monastery
is situated at the top of a mountain side valley on the north side of the Indus valley. It lies to the west of Alchi on the way to Lamayuru.Rizong monastery Ladakh belongs to Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism which is called as the Yellow Hat sect. Rizong monastery Ladakh was established in 1831 by Lama Tsultim Nima under Gelukpa order.There are mainly 40 monks in this monastery.It is also known as Yuma Changchbling in Ladakh,India.Chulichan is located about 2 km from the Rizong monastery and the number of nuns reside in Chlichan is only 20.According to popular belief, Guru Padmasambhava meditated in the caves around Rizong . It is said that lamas used to meditate in the caves around Rizong in isolation, depends on one meal a day and avoid maintaining relationship with the outside world. Lamas used to mediate for many years without in touch with other peoples. Local peoples were only the way from where they get one meal in a day through a square window that was opened in the cave. Lama Tsultim Nima in the 18th century mediates at the mountains on order to establish a monastery for monks to learn the teachings of Buddha and mediate .It was supported by various monks and many mud huts were built.Vinaya Rules were made and it should be followed by each of the monks.No monks can leave the monastery only if monks is sick,there is no bed to sleep at night,none of the monks can touch thing that are handled by women,monks cannot leave their cell before sunrise or after sunset in case if there is need of water,no fire cannot be lit in their rooms.
Rizong Monastery
Ladakh was established in 1831.It mainly contains three chambers, in two of these chambers there is statue of Buddha and the third chamber has a stupa. The head of the Rizong monastery, Lama Tsultim Nima and his son Sras Rinpoche lives in Manali and the other one is the Abbot of 'rgyud-smad Dratsang' who is the chiefs of all the Tibetan scholastics after completion of two years of course. At the time of absence of these two Lamas Inas batan looks after all these things for example- Food and providing other necessities to the monks residing in the monastery. The first group is of the Lamas , the second of Chomos and the third group is of ordinary folks; the duties of each group and their interrelationships are well defined.There is a relic shrine which is called as Sku-Gdung which shows old remnants of the monastery at the center.Then there is a assembly hall having statue of Shakymuni Buddha in the center.It contains wall paintings of Dlama-mchod-pa and Lam-rims. Holy books or bibles of Bka-gyurand and bstan-gyur were assembled on the sides. The central throne is reserved for the founder with the side seats earmarked for Sras Rinpoche and mKhan-po of the monastery.
In the Rizong monastery,there is a sacred chamber having statue of Mahakala who was the originator of the monastery and a sculpture of second incarnate are positioned. Each of the rows of this chamber has the idols of the two head lamas. The monastery also has some books and scriptures written by such incarnates. Mandala shrine is the roof over the assembly which is known for Mandala of Lord Yamakantaka.Julichen is an additional of the monastery and presently there are 25 nuns are residing here that are governed by the main monastery. These nuns participate in the economic activity of the monastery and always have to do their work regularly.Rizong monastery is one of those monasteries where mask dances are not performed. It also has the distinction of having two lamas incarnates.There are no places to stay for the visitors nearby this monastery but they can stay in the monastery by taking permission from the monks.