Thiksey Gompa,Ladakh,India
Thikse Gompa (also transliterated from Ladakhi as 'Tikse', 'Tiksey' or 'Thiksey') is a Yellow Hat (Gelugpa) Buddhist monastery in the Indus Valley, 25 km east of Leh, the capital of Ladakh. It is noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. One of the main points of interest is the Maitreya (Future Buddha) Temple inaugurated by the the 14th Dalai Lama in 1980 containing a 15 metre high statue of Maitreya Buddha (the Buddha to come), unusually portrayed as seated in the lotus position rather than his usual representations as standing or in a sitting position on a high throne. It is also noted for its collection of thangkas and other Buddhist wall paintings. Thikse was founded during the initial period of Gelugpa expansion about the middle of the 15th century, probably on the site of an earlier Kadampa establishment, or as a 'daughter house' of the small chapel of Stagmo, about 7 km to the north.[1] This 12-story gompa painted in red, ochre and white has 60 lamas in residence, plus a nunnery and a total of 10 temples. Like Likir and Rangdum monasteries, it was built as a fort monastery on the Central Tibetan pattern.[2] There are excellent views across the Indus Valley flood plain both east and westbound from it, from which the gompa at Matho (to the east), the royal palace at Stok (across the valley to the south) and the former royal palace at Shey (to the west) are clearly visible.
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Location: Thiksey Monastery , Ladakh,India
Photo credit: © Thomas Boehm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
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