Thiksey Monastery, Ladakh
The Thiksey Monastery is located about 20 kilometers south-east of Leh. It is a prominent monastery in Ladakh and a favorite with tourists. It covers an entire hillside, and the buildings are designed on the downward slope in the descending order of size and importance. A 15-meter statue of the Maitreya Buddha at the Maitreya Temple is one of the main attractions of the monastery. People from all around the globe visit the monastery to see the statue. Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim
Of the many monasteries in Sikkim, the largest and the most visited one is the Rumtek Monastery near Gangtok. It was established in Sikkim in the 1960s from an earlier structure in ruins. Some of this structure is very ancient, dating back to the 9th century. Sacred items and relics have been relocated from the Karmapa’s seat in Tibet. The monastery sees a lot of visitors during the Khecheopalri Mela, which is one of the most celebrated festivals of Sikkim.
Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh
Sitting at about 3,300 meters, the Tawang Monastery is India’s largest monastery along with being the most popular tourist destination of the state. It is a three-storey high, fort-like structure which has ravines on both sides and a river that flows around the base of the mountain. The monastery is under a high landslide risk due to the erosion caused by the river. It is accessible through a cable car which starts from the town and ends at the monastery. There is a huge number of tourists visiting this place, despite the risk and the difficulty in accessing it.
Tsuglagkhang Complex, Dharamsala
The Tsuglagkhang Complex is the place where Dalai Lama resides. The entire complex attracts thousands of visitors. The complex consists of the Tibet Museum, Namgyal Gompa, Kalachakra temple, and the very sacred Tsuglagkhang temple. However, except for Dalai Lama’s residence, every other part of the complex is open for tourists. If lucky, one can even get to meet his Holiness. There is a three-meter high statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha, at the Tsuglagkhang Temple. The statue is one of the prime attractions of the complex.
Tabo Monastery, Spiti
The Tabo Monastery was founded in 996 CE in the Tibetan year of the Fire Ape by the Tibetan Buddhist Rinchen Zangpo (Mahauru Ramabhadra), on behalf of the king of western Himalayan Kingdom of Guge, Yeshe-O. It is known for its exceptional meditation caves, which are dug into the mountain by hand! People visit the monasteries to see the caves and experience the splendor of it. The monastery is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India as a national historic treasure of India.
Golden Temple, Bylakuppe – Karnataka
The Golden Temple, also known as the Namdroling Nyingmapa Tibetan Monastery is one of South India’s biggest and the most beautiful monasteries. There is an immense amount of gold in the prayer hall and the temple. Additionally, there are huge gold statues of the Buddha. This area is restricted, so visitors are required to keep some sort of identification proofs, in order to visit the monastery. This, however, hasn’t stopped visitors from visiting the temple. A huge number of people visit the place to experience the serenity and calm that is present in its aura.
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