Diskit Monastery

Diskit Monastery
Galdan Tashi Chuling Gompa
Diskit Monastery
Religion
AffiliationTibetan Buddhism
SectGelugpa
DeityTsong Khapa
FestivalsDesmochhey
Location
LocationDiskit, Nubra, Leh, Ladakh, India
Diskit Monastery is located in Ladakh
Diskit Monastery
Location within India
Geographic coordinates34°32′28″N 77°33′37″E / 34.54111°N 77.56028°E / 34.54111; 77.56028
Architecture
StyleTibetan Architecture
FounderChangzem Tserab Zangpo
Located in Diskit village, the headquarters of Nubra Valley
33 metre statue of Maitreya Buddha near Diskit monastery facing down the Shyok River towards the Nubra Valley

Diskit Monastery also known as Deskit Gompa or Diskit Gompa is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery (gompa) in Diskit, Nubra Valley of the Leh district of Ladakh.[1][2] It is 115 km north of Leh.

It belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism and was founded by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, founder of Gelugpa, in the 14th century.[3][4] It is a sub-gompa of the Thikse gompa.

Lachung Temple and Hundur Monastery are also located nearby, the latter below the main road near a bridge.[3][4]

The monastery has a statue of Cho Rinpoche (Crowned Buddha) in the prayer hall, a huge drum and several images of fierce guardian deities. An elevated cupola of the monastery depicts a fresco of the Tashilhunpo Monastery of Tibet.

The monastery administration runs a school, with support from a non-government organization known as the "Tibet Support Group". The school has computer facilities and teaches science subjects, in English, to Tibetan children of the region.

A popular festival known as Dosmoche or the "Festival of the Scapegoat" is held in the precincts of the monastery in February, largely attended by people from villages of the Nubra Valley since the other regions in Leh are inaccessible during this period due to heavy snowfall.

  1. ^ a b Singh, Sarina (2005). India. Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet. pp. 313, 329. ISBN 978-1-74059-694-7.
  2. ^ "Diskit Gompa". Slate. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Diskit & Hundur". Buddhist-temples.com. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  4. ^ a b "Diskit Gompa". Retrieved 24 December 2009.