Spituk Monastery
དཔེ་ཐུབ་དགོན་པ
A Gelug monastery on a hill beside the Indus River, right next to Leh Airport. The Mahakala temple at the top overlooks the runway and the Indus valley.
Spituk Monastery was first founded in the 11th century and converted to the Gelug school in the 15th century. Its assembly halls and shrines are arranged from the foot of the hill to the summit. The Mahakala temple at the top houses a protector deity with a covered face, which is revealed only during festivals. The newly built giant statue of Tara beside the monastery is also worth seeing. It is about 8 km from the city centre, a 15-minute taxi ride, and entry costs about INR 50. Watching planes take off and land from the top of the monastery is quite spectacular.
Opening hours
About 07:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Hall of Fame, Leh
- Stok Palace
- Shanti Stupa
- Leh Main Bazaar
- Central Asian Museum
- Phyang Monastery
- Leh Palace
- Namgyal Tsemo Gompa