page_title: Diskit Monastery
section_title: Structures
hierarchical_section_title: Diskit Monastery / Structures
caption_attribution_description: Català: Gompa de Diskit, Ladakh, Índia English: Diskit gompa, Ladakh, India
context_page_description: Diskit Monastery also known as Deskit Gompa or Diskit Gompa is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh, northern India.
  It belongs to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, founder of Gelugpa, in the 14th century. It is a sub-gompa of the Thikse gompa.
  Lachung Temple and Hundur Monastery are also located nearby, the latter is below the main road near a bridge.
  The monastery has statue of Cho Rinpoche in the prayer hall, a huge drum and several images of fierce guardian deities. An elevated cupola of the moanstery depicts a fresco of the Tashilhunpo Monastery of Tibet.
  The Monastery administration runs a school, with support from a Non-Government Organization known as the "Tibet Support Group", which has computer facilities and teaches science subjects, in English, to Tibetan children of the region.
context_section_description: Diskit Monastery has been built at the edge of the approach road. This road links with Parthapur and Those. Approach to the monastery is through a flight of steps made of stones, which lead to the prayer hall of the monastery. A statue of Maitreya Buddha is enshrined in the hall. There is a huge drum located within the hall. In the chamber on the second floor, there are many images of fierce guardian deities.
  Diskit Monastery also has an elevated cupola, with a fresco depicting the Tashilhunpo Monastery of Tibet. It also has a number of shrines and Mongolian and Tibetan texts in the storehouse. Diskit Monastery is connected to Mongol mythology in that the monastery is believed to be the place where an evil anti-Buddhist Mongol demon once lived and was killed near the monastery grounds but is said to have been resurrected several times. Today, the wrinkled head and hand of the demon are believed to lie inside a temple in the monastery. The Lonely Planet India guide describes that the gompa roof offers "glorious" views of the Nubra Valley.
  Recent extensions to the monastery building are in good shape but the Dukhang ("main prayer hall") and Zimcchungh are not in good condition. Paintings have been covered with soot and images are kept in total disorder. The older part of the monastery is said to be in certain degree of decay, as cracks have been observed, and they remain untended.
caption: Approach to the Monastery
exif: {}