Categories: culture, heritage, Jammu and Kashmir, ladakh, Uncategorized

Ladakh – Monasteries – Spituk Monastery

Spituk was the first monastery I visited in Ladakh. A few pictures from the visit.

Spituk Monastery

Spituk Monastery, like all monasteries in Ladakh, is located on a hill overlooking the village. River Indus flows behind the monastery, beyond which are the tall mountains capped with ice. On the other side of Spituk is a very different landscape where the wide valley of Indus is used in constructing the Leh Airport and the army installations. At less than 10km from Leh, Spituk it is almost ready to be consumed by the expanding town.

Spituk Monastery

The colourfully painted doors of dukhang (prayer hall) in Spituk Monastery.

Spituk Monastery

A mural of Virupaksha (also called Chanme-Zang), the lord of the west direction. The front wall of the prayer hall in every monastery is usually painted with images of guardians dieties of four directions.

Spituk Monastery

Colourful decorations in the prayer hall of Spituk Monastery.

A monk at Spituk Monastery

A monk wearing the traditional yellow hat of the gelug pa lineage at Spituk Monastery.

Spituk Monastery

A statue of Tara (also called Dolma), a female Bodhisattva. Spituk Monastery has a room dedicated to images of Tara, called Dolma Lhakhang or the Temple of Tara

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