Takthok Monastery

About 46kms from the town of Leh, in a small village called Sakti, the Takthok Monastery is situated. The site of the monastery was once the meditation cave of Mahasidhas "Kunga Phuntsog". Takthok means 'rock roof and the monastery is so-called as the roof, as well as walls of the monastery, are made up of rock. Also known as the "Old Order" Takthok belongs to the Nying-ma-pa sect of Buddhism. About 55 lamas reside in the Takthok Monastery.

The annual celebrations held on the 9th and 10th day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar at Takthok Monastery of Leh Ladakh include sacred dances and the rituals of consecrated offering. To the left of the central courtyard is the cave chapel of the monastery.

The main assembly hall called the Dukhang located on the right of the central courtyard has murals of deities painted on the walls of the verandah that are displayed only at the time of the annual festival.

There is a throne inside the assembly hall reserved for the Dalai Lama and the wall left to the throne is painted with frescoes of Padmasambhava while the tight wall had paintings of Sakyamuni.

Statues of Maitreya, the Future Buddha, or Buddha of Compassion are found in the Dukhang while idols of Padmasambhava and Dorje are also found here. 108 volumes of Buddha's teachings called the Kandshur are also housed in Takthok Monastery.

History

It was founded during the middle of the 16th century during the time Tshewang Namgyal reigned. It is located around a cave that is on a mountainside. This cave is thought to be the same one that was used in the 8th century for mediation by Padmasambhava. The area that hosts the main temple is extremely gloomy and dark due to the residue from butter lamps that covers the rock ceiling. Another cave was transformed into a kitchen that produces the food that is fed to those who pilgrimage here during the annual festival.

Structure

There are plenty of attractions that you can enjoy at Takthok monastery, including exploring the caves. The most popular thing that draws in tourists is the 108 volumes that the library holds from the teachings of Buddha, which are called Kanjur. There is also a new temple that was dedicated in 1980 by the 14th Dalai Lama. There is also a Padmasambhava-based mural that is close to the throne along with another painting on the left side of Sakyamuni. There is also a cave chapel that is very popular along with another small cave that is believed to be the location that Padmasambhava resided as well as meditated for 3 years.