Located just half an hour’s walk out of central Leh, the Sankar Gompa is one of the most significant monasteries in the Ladakh region. In a sense, it is the ‘daughter’ monastery of the larger Spituk Gompa, and both are governed by the Abbot of Ladakh. Apart from the head Lama, who visits occasionally, Sankar Gompa currently serves as the permanent residence of the monks subscribing to the yellow-hat sect.
Walking along the Gompa courtyard, one comes across the monastery gates with the imposing painting of the Guardians of the Four Directions. To the right is another captivating painting of the Wheel of Life, guarded by “Yamraj”, or the God of Death. The architectural and artistic labor that contributed to the monastery’s formation is made further evident through the statue of the Alokiteshvara and the Shakyamani Buddha on the Gompa premises.
The Dukar Lha Kang, or the Temple of Dukar, is the main shrine at the Sankar Gompa. The hall at the temple is dominated by the imposing figure of the eponymous deity, with his thousand arms, thousand heads, and a hundred thousand eyes. The temple leads back to the porch that flanks the temple, where one comes across the ‘Kandshur’ or the 108 volumes of Buddha’s teachings, preserved in writing.
Suggested Read: Ladakh in November
