Treat your mind and soul with visit to the Buddhist Monasteries of India

Descending for Buddhist monastery tour of India, mean a quality break from your dull life and rejuvenation of your mind, body and soul. The amazing natural beauty, peace and pious environment of these monasteries give a soul satisfaction and a glimpse to the region’s rich culture and history of India.

Buddhist culture is one of the simplest cultures that have been ruling since the last twenty five centuries. It has greatly influenced the lives of many people in every corner of the world. Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh dominates religion of Buddhism. It also boasts numerous monasteries and gorges.

The northern or eastern parts of India have many beautiful monasteries which are always crowded by Buddhist monks and Buddhist believers. It treasures rich heritage of murals which are evident to the vibrant culture. Buddhist monasteries also contain a good collection of sacred texts, frescoes, idols and religious paraphernalia. Here are fairs and festivals of colors with great pomp and greatness to commemorate an event and a religious person.

This region has soothing climatic conditions all-year-round. By taking a Buddhist tour of India one can also enjoy numerous other tourists’ attractions and travelers can relish each and every moment of their trip in the lap of ‘Mother Nature’. Have a look at some of the most popular Buddhist monuments of the region.

1 Hemis Monastery, Ladakh

Located at the distance of 45 km from Leh town, Hemis Monastery is one of the biggest and the richest monasteries in Ladakh. Some incredible things to see at the site during Ladakh tours are sacred thangkas or scroll paintings, religious artefacts, stupas made of gold and copper statues of Lord Buddha.

Mural painting inside the gompa is also beautiful. The Gompa is mainly popular among tourists because of annually held festival Hemis Festival celebrated in the honor or Padmasambhava. During this festival you will have a great opportunity to witness the Buddhist tradition and Mask Dance of Ladakh.

2 Thiksey Monastery, Ladakh

Thikshi Monastery is one of the most popular Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh. It is located at a distance of 19 km from Leh. The structure of this magnificent rubber looks like the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Thiksey Gompa Complex has 12 storeys and houses many Buddhist art items such as Stupa, wall paintings, swords, statues and thangka. The mushroom is said to be the largest gompa in central Ladakh. The Maitreya Temple (Future Buddha) is one of the main points of interest here.

3 Diskit Monastery, Nubra Valley, Ladakh

Diskit Gompa – the oldest, and the largest monastery in the Nubra Valley. Nubra Valley is located about 150 km north of Leh, it is one such destination that is synonymous with peaks and landscapes wrapped with thick layers of snow.

This 350 year old monastery is located amidst apricot plantations. This is a nice place to spend a few days in solitude with your family, friends or partner. You can also enjoy a wonderful ride on the double-humped camels here.

4 Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh

Tawang Monastery is one of the most important religious institutes of the faith. Tawang monastery built as per the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama is the largest monastery after the Lhasa monastery, Tibet. Other attractions are the Tipi Orchid sanctuary and Sela top pass that is the major route to get to Tawang is covered with snow most of the year.

5 Alchi Monastery, Leh

Situated on the banks of the Indus River, it is believed to have been built one thousand years ago. It is different from other monastic sites in a way that unlike others that are built on hilltops, it is based on flat ground. There are five shrines in the complex, and one of the walls here has a thousand miniature paintings of Lord Buddha.

6 Tabo Monastery, Himachal Pradesh

This popular monastery spans an area of 6,300 square meters and includes 9 temples, 23 chortens and residences for Buddhist monks. By visiting the monastery, you will enjoy the Himachal Pradesh tour to take a look at the large collection of scrolls, manuscripts, statues, antique murals, etc.

7 Namgyal Monastery –Dharamsala

The ancient Gompa was built in the year 1430. Namgyal Tsemo Gompa treasures a three-storey high image of Lord Buddha and a fine collection of Buddhist manuscripts and art antiques. Namgyal Monastery is the Dalai Lama’s dwelling in banishment and helps the Buddhist monks in their spiritual Endeavour as well as opens activities for Tibet’s wellbeing. After seeking the blessings of Lord Buddha, visit an architectural wonder, a ruined fort from where you have a panoramic views of Leh.

8 Sankar Monastery, Ladakh

Sankar Gompa is a big attraction to see in Ladakh. It is a subsidiary of Spituk Gompa. It is known for its stunning architecture which is a pretty modern, attractive cluster of beautiful buildings. It also houses a huge statue of Avalokiteshvara (The Buddhist deity of compassion). The image of deity is very impressive, depicting with 1,000 arms and 1,000 heads.

9 Ghum Monastery, Darjeeling

Situated nearly 8Kms from the Darjeeling city centre, Ghoom Monastery is a great place for India tours. There is a 15 ft high statue of ‘Maitreya Buddha’ at the entrance, which grab the attentions of visitors to a large extent. Ghoom Monastery is the largest amongst three other monasteries at Ghum area. This Monastery was built way back in 1875 by Lama Sherab Gyatso. In the monastery complex, you will also come to notice a blend of religious bells, drums and ornate thanka.

10 Shey Monastery, Ladakh

Shey Monastery is located at 15 km from Leh. Shey is also famous for Shey Palace Complex and beautiful valleys. This monastery served as the residence of the royal family of the king of Ladakh. The gompa is known for the 12 meter Shakyamuni Buddha image. It is said to be the second largest such statue in the whole Ladakh region.

Engage your mind and soul in the spiritual atmosphere of Indian monasteries full of rhythmic pits of monks.

For Buddhist Tour Inquiry Visit: http://www.stateexpressindia.com/query-form

Read Other Article for Buddhist: 

A move toward spirituality by taking an enchanting Buddhist tour of India