Hemis Monastery

INDIA, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh

Hemis is a town approximately 47 km from Leh, and the monastery is situated on a mountain at an altitude of 3,700 m. It is the largest monastery in Ladakh, with over 200 branches in the Himalayas. It was founded by the First Taktsang Repa in 1630 with the support of King Sengge Namgyal (reigned 1616–1645) of Ladakh. The monastery was expanded and renovated by subsequent Taktsang Repas.
The monastery consists of the assembly hall, main hall, a large courtyard, and living quarters. The layout of the monastery resembles a three-dimensional mandala. The buildings enclosing the courtyard have flat roofs with a red ocher band at the top of the walls. The main hall houses a gilded statue of Sakyamuni Buddha with a large stupa at the back. The assembly hall contains an image of Taktsang Repa, beside which there is a gilt silver stupa with his relics.
The monastery is famous for its annual Hemis festival, which commemorates the birth of Padmasambhava. Around the courtyard there are galleries and balconies, from which the festival can be viewed. The monastery holds one of the largest collections of thangkas, which are displayed once every 12 years. In addition, the monastery has a rare 17th century mural and painted stone reliefs along the courtyard gallery.