Thiksey Monastery
Ladakh is one of the attractive and famous Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Ladakh,India. Thiksey monastery is situated at an altitude of 3,600 metres in the Indus valley.Thiksey Gompa
Ladakh belongs to the Gelukpa Order of Buddhism, one of the largest gompa in the central Ladak which is 18km far away from Ladakh. Thiksey Gompa Ladakh serves as the residence of around eighty monks. Sherab Zangpo of Stod built the Thiksey Monastery Ladakh for the first time. After sometime Spon Paldan Sherab which was the nephew of Sherab Zangpo reconstructed the monastery in 1430 AD.The structural design of the Thiksey Monastery Leh strongly resembles the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, the former official seat of the Dalai Lamas.Thus, Thiksey Monastery Leh is also known as Mini Potala. Also there is statue of the Tibetan protective deity on this path at the entrance at the lower level. Stupa have been made on the highest level of the complex has a chorten.The monastery area at the foot of the mountain has a quad from where a flight of steps leads to the main monastery which is 12-stories in height. It has mainly two chambers. Thiksey Gompa Leh looks very attractive because it is painted in red color. There is very beautiful view around the Indus Valley around the east as well as west side.The Statue of Maitreya Buddha at Thikseyis two storeys tall. Road passes from the main Thiksey monastery building.It has an attached nunnery. Likir and Rangdum monasteries, it was built as a fort monastery in the Central Tibetan pattern. There are excellent views across the Indus Valley flood plain both east and westbound fromit, from which the gompa at Matho , the royal palace at Stok and the former royal palace at Shey are clearly visible.
Maitreya which is known as the future Buddha Temple erected to memorialize the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to Thiksey Gompa Ladakh in 1970. It has a statue of Maitreya Buddha which is one of the largest statue in Ladakh covering two storeys of the building. He is strangely portrayed as seated in the lotus position rather than his usual representations as standing or in a sitting posture on a high throne. Thicksey Gompa Ladakh is the biggest Buddha statue deified in the monastery and took four years to craft. Thiksey Gompa Leh was made by the neighboring artists under the master Nawang Tsering of the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies in clay, gold paint and copper. Thiksey monastery has one assembly hall. The red building has the protector god holy place. On the entrance to the assembly hall of Thikseymonastery ,Bhavacakra is made which means the wheel of life. Wheel contains pictures of a pig,bird and a snake which significantly means ignorance, attachment, and a version.Prayer room is next to this wall.Behind the prayer hall there is a small chamber of Buddha flanked by Bodhisattvas. On the left side of the assembly hallthere is Buddha in inner sanctum and on the right Throne of Dalai lama and head lama. The Assembly hall contains the pictures of 11 headed Avalokitesvara with Padmasambhava.
On to the top floor of the Thiksey monastery Leh there is a temple of Lamokhang , which is a storage area of many volume of scriptures including Kangyur and Stangyur. Only men are allowed to enter this floor. There are big stupas and mani walls at the entry to the monastery. Small rooms have been made above the temple which is completely used as a school room in order to teach the local boys of the villages and some of these boys are chosen as Lamas. The top floor is also the official residence of the incarnate lama of the Thiksey Gompa Leh. A large pillar is fixed with the Buddha's teachings is also located here. The monastery complex has a number of white washed huts, which house the Lamas. Gustor Festival is celebrated on 17th to 19th of the ninth month of Tibetan calander. and Sacred dances which form a part of this custom, and takes place yearly. Trade fair is organized in the Thikseymonastery where persons residing in neighbouring villages comes to exchange ,buy and sell the items. Sand mandalas are made for smaller festivals.In thiksey monastery morning prayers start in the early morning at 7am which attracts many worshippers to observe the services. Along these they also provide facilities of hotel, restaurant, medical shops and many more. There is chargeable amount of Rs20 to enter in the Thiksey Gompa Leh.