On your tour to Ladakh you will come across numerous monasteries in the quaint little Himalayan towns. At hilltops providing panoramic views of the valley below ,and surrounded by the rugged snow peaks, monasteries in Ladakh form places of major tourist attraction. Of all the important monasteries in Ladakh,Spituk Monastery which dates back to the 11th century, overlooks the Indus River and is about 8 kilometers from Leh.
About Spituk Monastery :
Spituk Gompa of Ladakh dates back to the 11th century. It owes its inception to Od-de, the elder brother of Lha Lama Changchub Od. Od-de led to the establishment of a monastic community at this place. A three-chapel monastery, Spituk is located at a distance of approximately 8 km from the town of Leh. The name “Spituk”, meaning exemplary, has been derived from a statement of a translator, Rinchen Zangpo, about the monastery. He said that an exemplary religious community would develop there, providing the name Spituk for the monastery.
At that point of time, the Spitok Monastery of Leh Ladakh was under the Kadampa School. Slowly and gradually, as time passed, the monastery started functioning under Dharmaraja Takspa Bum – Lde Lama Lhawang Lotus. He brought about the restoration of Spituk and introduced the stainless order of Tsongkhapa (Gelukpa). Even today, the monastery functions under the Gelukpa order only. Three other monasteries of Ladakh, namely Stok, Sankar and Saboo, are considered to be the branches of Spituk Gompa.
The incumbents serving in all these monasteries are the successive reincarnations of Skyabsje Bakula Rinpoche. The main image inside the Spitok Monastery is that of Lord Buddha. Along with that is a sacred image of Amitayus, about a finger high in length. Tsongkhapa, himself, presented this image, to Takspa Bum-Lde. It also boasts of a rich collection of thankas, ancient masks, antique arms, etc. And not to be missed is an impressive image of Mahakaal.
The Dukhang (main temple) also has a high throne at its far end, reserved for the Dalai Lama. The door beside this central throne leads to dark old chapel. The central images inside the chapel are those of Tsong-kha-pa, his two chief disciples and of the Buddha. Spituk Gompa also plays the host to the Gustor Festival, held every year. The festival takes place from the 27th to 29th day in the eleventh month of the Tibetan calendar. A sacred dance also forms a part of the celebrations.
Spituk festival :
The Spituk festival is held every year from 17th to 19th days of the 11th month. Sacred dances associated with the festivals of Gustor are held. The Monastery houses a collection of ancient masks, antique arms, icons and numerous thankas. Higher up the hill is the Mahakal Temple, containing the shrine of Vajrabhairava.
The image of Vajrabhairava is opened for the public once every year, at the annual festival held on the 17th and 19th days of the 11th month of the Buddhist calendar. The annual festival held at the monastery is the Gustor Festival in January.
Location: Approximately 8 km from Leh
Belongs To: Gelukpa Order
Founded By : Od-de, the elder brother of Lha Lama Changchub Od
Founded In: 11th Century
