Dhankar Monastery

Name: Dhankar Monastery
Rating: 4.1

Spiti Himachal Pradesh

#11 Among Things To Do in Spiti Valley

4.1 /5 (58 Votes)

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Label : Top Attraction

Tags : Buddhist Temple

Time Required : 1-2 hrs

Address : 36Q7+R29, Sichling-Dhankhar Gompa, Dhankhar, Himachal Pradesh 172113

Also Refered As:

Dhankar Gompa

Dhankar Monastery, Spiti Valley Overview

Dhankar Monastery, also referred to as Dankhar, Drangkhar or Dhangkar Gompa, sits at an altitude of 12,774 feet, perched on the edge of a cliff with a panoramic view of the Spiti Valley below. Built a thousand years ago on a 1,000 foot high mountain overlooking the confluence of the Spiti and Pin rivers, it is listed as one of the world's 100 most endangered monuments. Besides the views, the monastery holds a statue of Dhyana Buddha and a small museum with scriptures and murals.

Being one of the main centres of Buddhist art and culture, the monastery has become a famous tourist destination. Besides enchanting views, the Dhankar Hompa has the statue of Dhayan Buddha and a small museum which stores scriptures and murals. Below the monastery is the village of Shichilling where you will find a new monastery which houses about 150 monks belonging to the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. A 2 km hike from the monastery leads to pristine Dhankar lake.

1. Collections in Dhankar Gompa

The prime attraction at the Dhankar Monastery is the statue of Vairochana or Dhayan Buddha which consists of four figures seated back to back. There is also a wide collection of centuries-old Buddhist (Read More) thangkas. You will find Buddhist scriptures in Bhoti language, murals of Medicine Buddha and protector deities. After trekking for about 2 km uphill on a steep route, you will come across the scenic Dhankar Lake which offers spectacular views of crystal clear waters and surrounding mountains.

Read More on Dhankar Monastery

History of Dhankar Monastery

The Dhankar monastery, perched on a cliff, overlooks the confluence of Spiti and Pin rivers and thus makes for an awe-inspiring setting for a gompa. Dhankar was the traditional capital of the Spiti Valley Kingdom during the 17th century and has some features of the 12th century. The monastery is around one thousand years old and belongs to the Gelugpa School of order since the 1450s. Prior to this, Dhankar Monastery has been known as Nyingma-pa, Sakya-pa and Kagyu-pa as per the religious allegiance of the King’s family. The monastery is also known as Lha-od Gompa. Lha-od is the local pronunciation of Zia-od, who was a renowned lama born in 1211 and was believed to be the founder or renovator of the monastery.

Presently, certain parts of the monastery have been replaced due to deterioration and a new gompa has been built. Also, the Dhankar fort lies in ruins because it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1975.