Stakna Monastery

Stakna Gompa, famous for the splendid architecture on a 60 m high isolated rock and one of the most accessible monasteries, is another eye-catching monastery located 25 km from Leh. This monastery is a visual display of the religious and cultural heritage of India and Buddhism.

The monastery, built by a great scholar and Buddhist follower Chosje Jamyang Palkar in the year 1580, is a treasure of Buddhist scholarly teachings, artifacts and paintings. The Gompa is constructed by Drukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Monastery is renowned as ‘Tiger’s Nose Monastery' as the rock on which the gompa located is shaped like a tiger leaping up to the sky and with the building itself is placed on the nose of this rock tiger.

The main attraction of the monastery lies in its enchanting marble statue of Avalokitesvara believed to be brought from Assam. A museum displaying interesting collections of arms and armory is also preserved here. Regular buses pass by the shrine and by road it is a 30 mins walk-up a sharp hill.