Main Info
Mulbekh Monastery
Mulbekh monastery is located 36km from Kargil, on the way to Leh on the National Highway 1D. This place is known for its 9 meters tall Maitreya Buddha idol carved in the rocks.
While some historians believe the idol to be as old as from the 8th century, there is another lore that dates it back to the period of Kushan. The carving of the idol suggests that the missionaries built this sculpture. But further inspection into the artwork suggested it being built by Ladaakhi missionaries and not Tibetan. Other decrees in Kharoshti script can also be found next to the main idol. The view from Mulbekh is a landscape covered with some green patches covered across hard rocks. This view goes up till as far as the horizon.