Ladakh > Gompa - the Ladakhi Monasteries

GOMPAS

Ladakh's gompas are really its treasure: they contain the finest examples of the region's artistry in metalwork, painting, sculpture and the decorative arts. A visit to at least several gompas is necessary to appreciate the full flowering of the religious beliefs and the artistry that has gone into Ladakh's celebration of Buddhism.

Generally, the gompas have a central courtyard with one or more prayer flags on tall poles. It is here that the masked dances take place during a gompa's festival. Off this courtyard is the Dukhang, or main assembly hall, where the lamas gather for prayers and meals. The entrance veranda to the Dukhang will almost always have a mural of the Guardians of the Four Directions: yellow for north, blue for south, white for east and red for west.

The Dukhang usually has a high seat reserved for the gompa's Rimpoche (an Incarnate Lama, who is the gompa's head), two or more rows of seats for the lamas, numerous thankhas (religious paintings on cloth hung like a banner) decorating the walls and pillars, and statues of various figures, including at least one of Lord Buddha.

The Dukhang will also have one or more chortens decorated with semi-precious stones and containing the ashes of a high lama or perhaps, simply offerings of grains, jewels or the holy books of Buddhism.

The Dukhang may also house these holy books in bookcases on the side walls. Religious books are printed with wooden blocks on separate sheets of paper. Wooden boards are placed on the top and bottom and the whole is then wrapped in brocade cloth.

Each gompa keeps a complete set of these holy books, known as Kandshur (108 volumes of Buddha's teachings) and Tandshur (a 225 volume commentary on the Kandshur), either in the Dukhang or in a separate library room. Wealthier gompas will have more than one complete set.

ALCHI GOMPA
This gompa is located near the small village of Saspol. It is one of the earliest monasteries built in Ladakh, dating to the 11th century. Because it was constructed before the invading wars began in the 15th century, Alchi was built on lowlands rather than on a hilltop as others were, in order to protect them from marauding armies.

The gompa was erected by King Rin-chen-Izghimpo, one of the first Ladakhi kings to engage in foreign relations. To build the monastery, the Ladakhi king signed a treaty with the Gyalpo (king) of Tibet, who agreed to provide the artisans. The rambling monastery has six main buildings the Dukhang or main assembly hall, the Sum-tsek or three-tiered temple; the adjoining Manjusri Lha-khang and Lotsawa Lha-Khang; the Lha-khang Soma and the Kanjur-Lha-khang.

Walking towards the gompa from the small group of houses nearby, the first temple of importance is on the left. This is the Sum-stek, the oldest of the Alchi gompa. The temple is surrounded by wooden pillars and carved woodwork of mythological animals. The middle arch portrays a seated Buddha with the Green Tara (the Saviouress) to the right and Vajrasattava, a Bodhisattva, to the left. The woodwork is original and reflects Kashmiri influence.

Inside and over the doorway is a mural of Mahakala, a fierce guardian divinity. The walls are covered by over 2000 small pictures of seated Buddha while directly ahead is a central chorten of no particular significance. On the three sides are alcoves with large Bodhisattva images of Avalokitesvara (“Lord of All He Surveys” and analogous to the Hindu god Shiva) on the left; Maitreya (the Future Buddha) opposite the entrance and whose face is not visible on this level and Manjusri (the Lord of Wisdom) on the right.

Ascending to the next storey by a notched ladder in the porch, reach an upper balcony and enter the temple through a double door. From here, the face of the Maitreya statue is visible. The walls have images of Vairocana (the teaching Buddha), located over the head of Maitreya, eleven-headed Avalokitesvara and Prajnaparamita (the goddess of Perfection of Wisdom). There are also ten mandalas and paintings of the Five Buddhas.

The third tier of Sum-stek cannot be reached. From the second tier and looking up, one can see that the three walls have three large mandalas. The interior wall on the entrance side is painted with three fierce guardian divinities and rows of religious masters beneath. While this temple was repaired in the 16th century, it is probable that the paintings were restored simply by recopying over them. Thus, the paintings still reflect 11th century buddhist art, rather than that of a later period.

Leaving the Sum-stek, turn left until the walkway ends before a wooden door. Another left will bring you to the entrance door to the Dukhang's courtyard. The courtyard has very fine wood carvings of Kashmiri style while the walls depict stories of the Buddha's previous incarnations. The doorway is carved with the Five Buddhas and accompanying divinities.

To the side of the doorway are shrines with depiction of various Buddhist divinities. On the left is an image of Avalokitesvara with a clear depiction of its nine Bodhisattva heads, the tenth head angry at the suffering in the world and a top head of the Buddha.

Inscriptions on the Dukhang's back wall attribute its building to the religious devotion and financial generosity of a man named Kal-Idan Shes-rab. The Dukhang, where the lamas gather for meals and prayers, is a fairly square room with an alcove sanctuary at the far end.

In the sanctuary is a statue of Four-headed Vairocana (the Teaching Buddha) together with stucco statues of his entourage. The four main Buddha manifestations are arranged seated against the left and right walls of the sanctuary.

The walls along both sides of the Dukhang are covered by mural paintings which are probably original to the time of the gompa's founding. These murals depict various mandalas of Vairocana and his manifestations and entourage, a mural of Mahakala, the "Great and Black One", the most powerful Buddhist guardian divinity, miniature paintings of lay and religious scenes and depiction of the Thousand Buddhas. In addition, there are roundels of Manjusri and Prajnaparamita set between the large mandalas on the side walls

Of particular interest are the miniature scenes (to the right of the doorway as one faces it from inside the Dukhang) of royal life. The best preserved is the royal drinking scene (just above an inscription). This is one of the most remarkable to have survived anywhere in the Tibetan-speaking world. The costumes in this scene clearly depict central Asian dress and the king and queen each have a halo, a convention that appears elsewhere in Alchi and possibly shows Nestorian Christian influence from Persia. This is the only painting in Ladakh that shows central Asian influence so clearly.

Leaving the Dukhang, go through the wooden door (where previously a left turn was made) and on left are the adjoining temples of Lotsawa Lha-khang and Manjusri Lha-khang.

Entering the Lotsawa Lha-khang on the left is a table with a gilded stucco image of Sakyamuni (the Historic Buddha) in the "earth witness" position. On his right is a small image of Rin-chen bZangpo, a great translator and builder of temples (958-1055 AD), with unduly large ears - a sign of wisdom. On his left is a small image of Avalokitesvara. The wall behind is decorated with murals of these same figures. The left wall has a central image of Amitabha (Boundless Light) and mandalas of Avalokitesvara on the left and Amitabha on the right.

The Manjusri temple next door is distinguished only by its fourfold image of Manjusri, each aspect facing one of the four quarters. The wall by the entrance door which suffered damage from water, has recently been partially repaired.

Returning to the three-tiered temple and facing it, to the immediate left is Kanjur Lha-khang (closed to the public) and behind it is the Lha-khang Soma. In this second or "New" temple are paintings from the 12th and 13th centuries. The main image on the wall opposite the do

The left wall is occupied mainly by three mandalas: a central one of Amitabha surrounded by an inner and outer circle of Bodhisattvas; on the left of Vairocana in his tranquil state and, on the right, of Vairocana and all the accompanying divinities. The right wall has a large mural of Amchi (the Buddha Master of Medicine) who is surrounded by miniature paintings of Akshobhya (the Imperturbable Buddha). The chortens around Alchi gompa contain numerous wall murals, often of Rin-chen bZang-po, meant to honour his activities as a translator in collaboration with Indian teachers of Buddhism.

BAGSO GOMPA
This gompa is situated about 40 km west of Leh. The complex of buildings includes a ruined fortress dating from before the 15th century, two large temples and a small shrine. The best preserved temple, situated at the highest point, is the Chamba Lha-khang or Maitreya temple (Chamba is the Ladakhi word for Maitreya, the future Buddha). This temple was built in the mid-16th century by Tshe-wang Namgyal, a member of the Namgyal dynasty which ruled Ladakh. Presently, one lama from Hemis gompa is the caretaker at the temple. With the exception of Alchi, this temple has the oldest original wall murals, dating from the 16th century.

Entering the Chamba Lha-khang, over the entryway you see a portrait of the Bodhisattva Vajrapani (meaning "vajra-in-hand", for Vajrapani is always shown holding a vajra). Flanking Vajrapani below are the Kings of the Four Quarters and above are Indra and Brahma on the left and Vishnu and Shiva on the right. Below these are four small guardian divinities. Below this are groups of miniature paintings that reflect the royal dress of Kashmir and the Mughals in the 16th century, as this wall mural is original to that time.

On the right is a scene of Tshe-wang Namgyal, his two brothers and members of the royal family with their servants. On the left are scenes from the life of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha). The left side wall has images of a seated Buddha in the meditation posture, a seated Buddha making the gesture of explanation, a painting of Atisa (an Indian Buddhist who went to Tibet and became a great teacher of Buddhism, dying there in 1054) and another seated Buddha whose hand-gesture is not identifiable.

On the right side wall are Avalokitesvara (a Bodhisattva analogous to the Hindu god Shiva), Padma Karpo, a 16th century Buddhist scholar associated with the re-hat sect of Buddhism, a seated Buddha making the Earth-witness gesture and Vajradhara, a Buddha holding a vajra and representing the supreme Buddha manifestation of the red-hat sect of Buddhism.

The three main images opposite the entrance are a lovely Maitreya (the Future Buddha or Buddha of Compassion) in the centre, flanked by Bodhisattva images. The one on the right is making the preaching gesture and the one on the left is making the gesture for generosity. To the right of these images are paintings of Padme Sambhava (an 8th century Indian teacher of Buddhism in Tibet) and Mila Ras-pa (spiritual head of the red-hat sect and famous ascetic).

The Serzang temple (Serzang translates as "Gold and Silver") located next to the royal quarters is in a somewhat neglected state. Its name refers to a Buddhist canon manuscript, commissioned by Senge Namgyal (a 17th century Ladakhi king), that was partially written in gold, silver and copper letters. Volumes of the Kandshur (the 108 volumes of Buddha's teachings) are on the left side of the temple. The Tandshur (the 225-volume commentary on the Kandshur) is on the right. Both sets of volumes are stored in attractive glass-fronted bookcases.

The main image in this temple is a two-storey tall Maitreya and by his head are mural paintings of Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa and Mila Ras-pa, historical personages associated with the red-hat sect. Another small shrine is located off a courtyard one level below the Serzang temple. This shrine was built in 1642 and dedicated by a wife of Senge Namgyal, a Balti princess named Zeze Khatunee, whose Muslim background caused the Buddhist monks in Ladakh to declare her an incarnation of Tara. This shrine contains a large image of Maitreya while the wall murals depict various guardian divinities.

CHEMRE GOMPA
This gompa is located about 40 km south of Leh in the Chemre Valley. It was founded about 350 years ago by Stagtshang Raspa, a Tibetan lama who also founded Hemis gompa. To this day, Hemis and Chemre have the same head lama. About 120 lamas of the red-hat sect of Buddhism live at Chemre. The gompa, situated atop a rocky outcropping in the valley, resembles a medieval European castle when seen from the rear. Chemre has a Dukhang, and two temples above it.

Entering the central courtyard, the Dukhang, used for prayers and meals, is on the right. The two images in front of the Dukhang are of Chemre's founder, Stagtshang Raspa, in his 4th and 5th incarnations (successive incarnations become the head lama, or Rimpoche, of the gompa). Behind these images is a mural of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) flanked by his two chief disciples. On either side of this painting are two large mandalas, one of Kalachakra and the other of Akshobhya (the Imperturbable Buddha or the Buddha of the East). The other walls of the Dukhang as well as the background of the wall behind the images contain murals depicting the Thousand Buddhas.

Exiting the Dukhang, ascend the steps on the right to the second level. Here is the Lama Lha-khang (Lama Temple), with its images of various lamas, Buddhas and other divinities. Tibetan Buddhist religious texts are also found here.Climb two more flights to the gompa's highest level where the Guru Lha-khang, a new temple, is located. This temple is dedicated to Padme Sambhava, an 8th century Indian Buddhist who propagated Buddhism in Tibet and translated many Buddhist writings from their original languages of Pali and Sanskrit into Tibetan. He is flanked by striking statues of several of his manifestations, including some in his fierce aspect of the being who conquered various demons. The walls of this temple, beautifully painted in 1977 by a Ladakhi artist, are some of the finest wall murals in Ladakh. Facing the statue of Padme Sambhava, the left wall shows Buddha and his various manifestations next to illustrations of guardian divinities and the rear wall again shows the fierce guardians of Tibetan Buddhism. This room also contains beautifully decorated columns and roof struts.

HEMIS GOMPA
The Hemis Gompa was built in 1620 by the king-architect Singe Namgyal who was a great patron of Buddhism. He filled Hemis with golden statues, stupas set with precious stones and thankhas brought from many places including Tibet. The lamas of Hemis were associated with the Ladakhi royal family and became quite prosperous, owning much land and supervising many smaller, scattered monasteries. Hemis is the richest monastery in Ladakh and although only about a dozen lamas actually live here, it has several hundred lamas attached to its various subsidiary monasteries.

The Rimpoche or spiritual head of Hemis is a reincarnation of the monastery's founder Stagtshang Raspa. The last Rimpoche was a reincarnation who, as a five-year old child, was being taught in Tibet when the Chinese invaded. There has been no communication with the Rimpoche since the 1960s. Since then, the brother of the late King of Ladakh has conducted the business of the gompa. During the 1975 festival, Drugpa, a 12-year old youth, became the new Rimpoche as a new incarnation.

The central courtyard, 60 meters long and 18 meters wide, contains four tall poles stuck in the ground at equal distances, with four different banners flying atop. It is in this courtyard that the monastic dances take place. The dances occur during the Hemis festival in the summer (usually June or July) when a huge thankha, one of the largest in the world, is hung in the courtyard. It takes about 50 monks to carry the thankha to its place and unfold it. The thankha is made of fine heavy silk and embroidered with pictures of various gods as well as of the founder of Hemis. It is displayed once every eleven years and was recently shown in July 1992. The hands of the artist who painted this thankha are preserved at Hemis as holy relics, though they are not shown to the public.

As one enters the courtyard, to the right are two large temples up small flights of stone steps. The fronts have a wooden veranda of Kashmiri style, rising two storeys. As one faces them, the temple on the left is the Tshogs-khang and on the right is the Dukhang which contains the throne of the Rimpoche and seating areas for the lamas. It is here that religious ceremonies are held. Tall wooden pillars rise in the centre to a square cupola with windows that supply light to the throne. The walls also have paintings of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) with blue hair, other Buddha figures and paintings of Tantric deities such as Hevajra and Samvara.

In the Tshogs-khang is a large gilded statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha with blue hair surrounded by several silver chortens decorated with semiprecious stones. In front of the Buddha is a throne made of painted and lacquered wood, a present from the former Maharaja of Kashmir to a former Incarnate Lama of Hemis. On the right is a collection of Buddhist canonical volumes.

To the side of the Tshogs-khang, a stone staircase leads up to a large roof covering both this temple and the Dukhang. Here are a number of smaller temples. At the top of the stairs and to the left is Tsom-khang temple that contains an image of Hemis' founder, Stagshang Raspa, by the side of a large gild and silver chorten containing his relics. Diagonally opposite this, up a flight of stairs and over the roof of the Tshogs-khang are the private apartments of the head lama and a small chapel.

LAMAYURU GOMPA
This gompa lies 15 km east of the Fatu La on the Srinagar-Leh Highway, with its medieval village seemingly growing out of the rocky hillside below it. In the past, Lamayuru has housed up to 400 lamas, but presently there are only 30 to 50 lamas living here, although about 150 lamas belong to the gompa. The other lamas stay and teach at Lamayuru's smaller daughter gompas located in outlying villages. Twice a year, all the lamas gather at the gompa for general prayers which are accompanied by three days of masked dancing. These gatherings occur in the second and fifth months of the Tibetan calendar (usually March and July). Lamayuru belongs to the red-hat sect of Buddhism.

Ancient legends say that at the time of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha), Lamayuru's valley was a clear lake where nagas (holy serpents) lived. The Bodhisattva Madhyantaka foretold that the lake would be emptied and a monastery built there. The legends continue by saying that Naropa, an 11th century Indian Buddhist scholar, came to Lamayuru and spent many years meditating in a cave, which can still be seen in the main Dukhang. Naropa then caused a split in the surrounding hillside and the lake emptied through this opening. After the lake emptied, he found a dead lion previously covered by the waters of the lake. On this spot, he built the first temple at Lamayuru, the Singhe Ghang (Lion Mound). Other historical accounts relate that in the 10th century the King of Ladakh ordered the building of Lamayuru gompa and placed it under the supervision of Rinchen Zangbo.

The original gompa was composed of five buildings although only the central one still stands. In the 16th century, Ladakh's King Jamyang Namgyal was cured of leprosy by a lama from Tibet. In gratitude, the King gave Lamayuru gompa to this lama and also bestowed other privileges - no taxes were collected and the area surrounding the gompa was declared a sanctuary where none could be arrested. For this reason, Ladakhis still refer to Lamayuru as Tharpa Ling, the "Place of Freedom".

The Dukhang or main assembly hall is on the right side of the courtyard. The entrance veranda has been recently painted with a colourful depiction of the Guardians of the Four Directions. The mural on the left wall of the verandah depicts the proper way for a lama to live. The Dukhang was redecorated in 1970 with new column paintings.

In the wall on the right side of the Dukhang is a small cave known as Naropa's cave, where Naropa is supposed to have meditated for several years. This cave contains a statue of Naropa as well as statues of Marpa (Naropa's student who became a translator of religious texts and famous poet) and Mila Ras-pa (Marpa's student and a spiritual head of the red-hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism who was famous for his asceticism).

The right side of the Dukhang has three complete sets of the Kandshur (the 108 volumes of Buddha's teachings) in lovely glass-fronted bookcases. These cases were made in 1977 and have elaborate painted decorations above and below the shelves holding the books. The statue inset near the middle of the right side wall is Sakyamuni, although not with his usual blue hair.

Opposite the Dukhang's entrance, on the left side are five statues of various red-hat lamas. In front of these are statues of Amitabha (the Buddha of Boundless Light), Padme Sambhava (an 8th century Indian Buddhist translator of Buddhist texts into Tibetan) and Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha). In the centre is a throne seat reserved for Lamayuru's head lama, who is also the head lama of Phyang gompa (both Lamayuru and Phyang belong to the same sub-sect of the red-hat sect of Buddhism).

To the right of the head lama's seat is a chorten of no particular significance and statues of Padme Sambhava and Tungdup Tshogs-gyal, a previous head lama of Lamayuru. In the background are 11 thankhas telling the story of Buddha's incarnations.

Behind the main Dukhang is the Gonkhang, a temple devoted to guardian divinities. In the temple’s new glass-fronted cases are various images. Starting from the left there is a case of lovely sculptures made of butter mixed with barley flour for Lamayuru's festivals; Mahakala the fiercest guardian divinity, Apshi, a guardian of the gompa; Radha Shree, a founder of the religious sect to which Lamayuru belongs; three guardian divinities and another Apshi riding a horse. In front of the cases is a set of Tara, reflecting her twenty-one manifestations (Tara is the consort of Avalokitesvara and known as the Saviouress).

After leaving the main Dukhang, take the steps on the left up one flight. Go to the right and immediately on the left is another Gonkhang devoted to the guardian divinities depicted on the temple's side walls. During the festival in March, the masked dancers impersonate the guardians depicted in this temple.

There are three chortens in the front, the larger central one being decorated with turquoise and coral. The chorten on the right contains the relics of a previous head lama at Lamayuru. This temple also has statues of various lamas, as well as murals of the lamas on the wall behind the statues.

Separate from the large building containing the Dukhang is an old small temple dedicated to Avalokitesvara. In the alcove opposite the entrance is a very old 8-foot high image of Avalokitesvara with 1,000 arms and eyes in each hand (symbolising his enormous strength) and 11 heads (nine Bodhisattva heads, one head angry at the suffering in the world and a Buddha head on top). In the alcove is a collection of smaller images of Avalokitesvara, Padme Sambhava in the centre front and smaller of statues of eight Bodhisattvas.

On the wall to the right of the alcove is a recent but very well painted Avalokitesvara, again with 1,000 arms and eleven heads. On the right side wall is a mural of all the various divinities a Buddhist will see after death. The left side wall and the entrance wall depict Buddha's various incarnations.

Go through a maze of buildings to Singhe Ghang temple, which may be original to the time of the monastery's founding as its wall murals and images are similar to those found at Alchi gompa and dated to the 10th century. The main image is a large Vairocana (the Teaching Buddha) seated on a lion throne with a garuda (mythical bird) and sea monsters surrounding his head. Stucco images of the Buddhas of the Four Directions are seated on the back wall.

The left side wall has a mural painting of an Eleven-headed Avalokitesvara and also a mandala painting of Vairocana. The right side wall murals have been almost totally obliterated by water damage. The wooden pillars and beams in this temple are all from the Zanskar Valley. To the right of this temple room is a small side room containing three images of Mahakala, the fiercest guardian divinity in Tibetan Buddhism.

LIKIR GOMPA
Masked dancers performing during the Likir Monastery Festival Likir Gompa is set on an isolated ridge a few kilometres north of Saspol. The road approaching the gompa makes a wide semicircle around its base, affording beautiful views of the gompa from different vantage points.Likir was established around the 15th century and early in its history, became responsible for the oversight of Alchi gompa, to which it has posted lamas up to the present day. Likir belongs to the yellow-hat sect and currently houses about 120 lamas.

The gompa school has about 30 pupils who learn three languages besides Ladakhi: Hindi and English, as these are the national languages of India, and Tibetan for religious purposes. The pupils, some of whom will be selected as lamas, live part of the time in the monastery and part of the time with their parents. Likir's head lama, a younger brother of the Dalai Lama, is married (against the rule of the sect) and is permanently absent from the gompa.

Climb up to Likir's central courtyard and immediately on the right is the main Dukhang or assembly hall. The entrance veranda is painted with the Guardians of the Four Directions on either side of the entry door. On the right veranda wall is a Wheel of Life mandala held by Yama, the divinity that decides a person's future fate after death.

Entering the main Dukhang, there are six rows of seats for the lamas. This is where the day's prayers take place and also where the lamas take their meals. Numerous thankhas hang from the columns and walls in the Dukhang.At the front on the left are two large chortens. Inside the chorten on the left is a statue of Avalokitesvara, a Bodhisattva whose name means "Lord of All He Surveys" and who is believed to be reincarnated in the Dalai Lama. The chorten on the right contains a statue of Amitabha the Buddha of the West.

In the centre at the front of the hall are three large statues: in the left and central position are statues of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) and to the right is Maitreya (the Future Buddha or Buddha of Compassion). To the right of this are statues of Tsong-kha-pa (founder of the yellow-hat sect who lived from 1357 to 1419 AD) with his two disciples.

The throne seat in the centre of the hall is reserved for the head lama of Likir and visiting head lamas from other gompas. The walls on both sides of the Dukhang are lined with glass-fronted bookcases containing the Kandshur (the 108 volumes of the Buddha's teachings) and the Tandshur (the 225-volume commentary on the Kandshur). The entrance walls are painted with various guardian divinities.

Near the entrance, looking up, one can see two large, rolled-up thankhas hanging from the beams. These thankhas are displayed only during the winter festival. One depicts Sakyamuni and the other Likir's guardian divinity. Exiting the Dukhang, diagonally across from the courtyard's entrance is the "new" Dukhang, about 200 years old. Interestingly, the entrance veranda is not painted with the Guardians of the Four Directions, as is the usual practice. Instead, the wall on the left depicts the different ways a lama may wear his robes while the wall on the right demonstrates how lamas should behave in a gompa.

The Guardians of the Four Directions appear on the right entrance wall inside the new Dukhang. The main image in this Dukhang is Avalokitesvara with 1000 arms and eleven heads. On either side of this image are bookcases, filled mostly with volumes of the Sumbum, a narrative of the life of Tsong-kha-pa. The left side wall is painted with the Thirty-Five Confessional Buddhas. The right side wall depicts the Sixteen Arhats (worthy ones who have achieved nirvana) on either side of a central image of Sakyamuni flanked by his two chief disciples.

After leaving the New Dukhang, turn left and go up a ladder for one flight. Step through the doorway to the left into a courtyard. On the far left side is an entry door into the Zinchun, the head lama's room, where the Dalai Lama stays when he visits Likir. The room is hung with numerous thankhas and contains images of various lamas. Of particular interest are the images of the 21 Manifestations of the White Tara (the Saviouress and consort of Avalokitesvara). Each image is decorated with lovely brocaded fabric and the entire effect of these 21 images arranged around the room is very striking.

Leave the courtyard outside the head lama's room, turn left and go down a few steps. On the left is a new Gonkhang, a temple devoted to guardian divinities. Work on this temple began in 1983 and was completed a year later. The artistry of this new temple vividly demonstrates the continuing vitality of Buddhism in this region of India. The left side wall depicts guardian divinities while the right side wall shows Sakyamuni, his disciples and various lamas. The right front wall depicts Tsong-kha-pa.

The glass fronted room at the front of the Gonkhang contains images of the gompa's guardian divinities. These images are covered by cloth all year, being displayed only during Likir's annual festival. Women are not permitted in this room. MORE..>>

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