Ladakh is dotted with plenty of monasteries. Lamayuru is the oldest monastery, where the pre-Buddhist religion known as Bon was practiced. The Namgyal kings founded the monasteries of Phiyang, Hemis and Chemrey. The most interesting is Phiyang, built as an act of repentance by the 16th century King Tashi Namgyal for the bloodshed he caused in order to ascend the throne.
Hemis and Hanle were commissioned by King Singge Namgyal, while his widow founded Chemrey in her husband’s memory. An interesting visit is to Tak-thok, situated at the foot of the Chang-la Pass, where the Indian Buddhist apostle Padmasambhava is said to have rested and meditated on his journey to Tibet. The brightest star in this galaxy of monasteries is Alchi. It was once a busy and revered place of worship; today it is being carefully preserved by the monks of Likir, the nearest functioning monastery. When you visit Chos-kor, or the religious enclave, you will get to see five temples, with intricate and rich paintings dating back to the 11/12th centuries. Some of them bear strong resemblance to the paintings of the Ajanta Caves.
Hemis
This place is located at about 40 Kms from Leh. It is the wealthiest, best known and biggest Gompa of Ladakh. About 47 km from Hemis is a thronged by tourists and it’s easy to see why. It stands within a gorge surrounded by thick woods, and the Indus hurrying nearby. It is also the wealthiest monastery in Ladakh.
Alchi
The Gompa is positioned on the banks of the Indus, around 70 kms from Leh and dates a thousand years back. One of its wall features umpteenth number of miniature sized pictures of the Buddha.
Spituk
This Gompa rests significantly on the top of the knoll, 8 km from Leh, and commands a panoramic sight of the Indus valley for miles.
