Thiksey Monastery
ཁྲིག་སེ་དགོན་པ
A Gelug monastery built into the hillside, resembling a “mini Potala Palace,” famous for its 15-metre Maitreya statue and dawn prayer ceremonies.
Thiksey Monastery sits in the Indus Valley about 19 km southeast of Leh. It belongs to the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its whitewashed monastic quarters, stacked up the ridge in twelve tiers, have earned it the nickname “Little Potala,” and it is the most photogenic monastery in Ladakh. The Maitreya Temple houses a seated statue of Maitreya Buddha about 15 metres tall, completed in the 1970s and taller than two storeys. The complex also includes a library, a protector shrine and a small museum.
The best time to visit is the early-morning prayer service, which begins around 6:00. Monks blow long horns from the rooftop, then chant in the main hall. Visitors can sit quietly and listen, and are often offered butter tea. For a day trip, combine Thiksey with Shey Palace and Hemis Monastery in a half- or full-day hired car tour of the Indus Valley monasteries. Entry costs a few dozen rupees. Follow the monastery's rules on photography and dress inside the halls.
Opening hours
About 7:00 am–6:00 pm (morning service begins around 6:00 am)
Nearby sights
- Druk White Lotus School
- Shey Palace
- Stakna Monastery
- Stok Palace
- Leh Main Bazaar
- Namgyal Tsemo Gompa
- Leh Palace
- Central Asian Museum