Main Info
Sankar Gompa
Located 6 km from the town of Leh, Ladakh, is a stunning monastery called the Sankar Gompa or the Sankar Monastery. It is said to be a sub-part of the Spituk Monastery, hence, it is headed by the same Lama. Sankar monastery is home to 20 monks who stay at the monastery to learn more about Buddhist culture and history. Sankar is also a very important religious site because of it being the residence of the Abbot of Spituk, the senior incarnate lama of Ladakh.
The Sankar monastery is the perfect place to visit for anyone who is interested in art and knowing more about cultures. This is because Sankar monastery provides a number of attractions that delineate parts of Buddhist history. From the monastery, you can also sight the beautiful peaks of the Namgyal Tsemo Hills. Sankar Gompa has restricted times of visit for outsiders since it is home to a few monks. So plan your visit only after thorough research.
Structure of Sankar Gompa
The monastery is surrounded by stone walls. On entering, the path leads to an assembly hall that you can admire for its beautiful Buddhist artefacts and sculptures. Paintings of Lord Buddha are hung on the walls of the monastery. These paintings are immensely captivating to look at. The Sankar Gompa also houses a throne that is a property of Chief Lama. The overall effect of the Lord Buddha paintings and the throne of the Lama is extremely positive. The artefacts, in all, have a spurt of spiritualism in the aura of the monastery. The main attraction of the monastery, however, still remains the painting of Avalokiteshvara, a boddhisattva with 11 heads and 1000 arms. It is located on the right side of the throne and remains to be one of the rarest artefacts in the monastery.
How to Reach Sankar Gompa
You can opt for a private vehicle or a local cab to get to the monastery from Leh. From Leh, the monastery is a 30-minute drive.