Hemis Monastery in Ladakh
· Summer: June-September (5°C - 40°C)
· Winter: October-May (-14°C - 24°C)
· Monsoon: N/A
Best time to visit:
May-September
Opening Time: 06:00 a.m.
Closing Time: 08:00 p.m.
Weekly Holiday:
Entry Fees for Indians
Adults: INR 50
Children:
N/A
Cameras: N/A
Video Camera: N/A
Entry Fees for Foreign Nationals
Adults:
INR 50
Children:
N/A
Cameras:
N/A
Video Camera:
N/A
Designated as the largest monastic complex of North India, Hemis Monastery is the wealthiest Buddhist monastery of the country. Located in the village of Hemis near Leh in Ladakh, the monastery was established in the 17th century, though many believe that it existed even before the 11th century. Many theories suggest that Jesus spend few of his lost years at the monastery. Nestled in a gorge on the bank of River Indus, the monastery enjoys heart-warming beauty of the mountains surrounding it. The location was intentionally chosen to offer seclusion to the monks for meditation.
Apart from a huge courtyard and an assembly hall called Dukhang, the monastery has a beautiful temple called Tshogkhang which houses the eye-pleasing image of Sakyamuni Buddha. A secret hermitage or meditation cave is located close to the monastery complex. Hemis Monastery Museum within the complex houses rich collections of copper statues of Lord Buddha, stupas made of gold and silver, holy thangkas and much more. Beautiful murals on the walls are other notable feature of the complex.
Hemis Monastery hosts the grand Hemis Festival called Tsechu every year in the month of June or July. Sacred mask dances are the must-attend performances during the festival. The monastery has extremely pleasing environment where every visitor gets detached from the hectic lifestyles. The nearby Hemis National Park can add extended worth to your trip.
Connectivites
Road:
The Manali-Leh Highway is connected to the monastery by a local road. Travelling on these crowd-free roads with unusual natural beauty on both sides is an experience of the lifetime. If you are not travelling in a private vehicle, you can board a bus or hire a cab at the town of Leh (about 41 km. away).
Railway:
For its location in the mountainous terrain, there is no nearby railway station to the monastery. The one at Srinagar is about 470 km. away, while other at Jammu is more than 750 km. away. If you board a train to any of these stations, the subsequent road trips can be covered in taxis.
Airway:
Tourists travelling by air can have an easy access to the monastery from Leh Airport (about 44 km. away). Board a flight from Jammu, Delhi, Chandigarh or Srinagar to reach the airport and hire a cab for the further road journey.