Alchi Monastery

INDIA, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh

The monastery is situated in the Himalayas, about 65 km west of Leh, and about 3,100 m above sea level. It contains a wide variety of exquisite murals and painted sculptures, representing some of the finest Tibetan Buddhist art. It is said that the monastery was built by the great translator Rinchen Zangpo in the 11th century. However, according to inscriptions in the halls, its founders were Kalden Sherab and Tsultrim O, also from the 11th century. When the monastery was taken over by the Gelug school in the 16th century, the buildings were expanded and the murals were restored. The monastery was renovated again in the late 20th century.
Due to geographical limitations, the monastery was built in a horizontal line. It is surrounded by low walls and consists of several major buildings, the oldest of which is the assembly hall, and the most important the Three Story Hall. Other significant buildings include the Manjusri Shrine and the Translator Shrine, as well as the New Shrine. There are also about 50 large and small Tibetan stupas within the complex.
The Three Story Hall was built in the 13th century. It measures 14.4 m by 10.5 m, with a height of 12.9 m. Three Bodhisattva statues depicting Four-Armed Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, and Maitreya are enshrined on the first story, each measuring 4 m in height. The walls are painted with 2,000 Buddhist images arranged in 25 rows. The second and the third stories are mostly decorated with murals, which fill the walls. The theme of the murals is mostly Tara, with the addition of paintings of the daily life of ordinary people, stories of the royal family, and architecture. There are also murals of large and small mandalas. These murals can be considered among the most beautiful masterpieces of the Himalayas. There are few works of Tibetan art before the 13th century still extant in the Himalayan region, thus the art from the 11th to the 13th century preserved at Alchi Monastery is most precious.