Spituk Monastery or Pethup Gompa, which is located near Leh, is known for its huge statue of Kali. This monastery is a short distance away from Leh and one of the top places to visit in Ladakh.
The monastery now comes under the Tsongkhapa order (Gelug or Yellow Hat) of Tibetan Buddhism and is home to 100 monks. It's also an important attraction here, with a collection of ancient masks, antique arms, and other icons among many thangkas that depict Buddhist teachings.
Spituk Monastery dates back to the 11th century when it was founded by Od-de, the elder brother of Lha Lama Changchub Od. It is said when Lotsewa Rinchen Zangpo visited the place, he predicted that an exemplary religious community would arise there and so the monastery was called Spituk (exemplary). Founded as a Red Hat institution, Spituk Gompa was taken over by the Yellow Hat sect (Gelug/Tsongkhapa) in the 15th century.
Here are things to see and do:
If you're visiting the Spituk Monastery and would like to learn more about this historic site, you should make plans to attend the annual festival of Gustor in November.
To reach Spituk Gompa, we recommend either riding your bike or hiring a car to drive there. It's only around 8 km away.
A Popular activity at Spituk Monastery is hiking through its idyllic landscape. visitors can explore the monastery's scenic surroundings or take a short hike to one of its many holy lakes.
Spituk Gompa is situated on the hilltop; it was established in the 11th Century by Od-De. The word 'Spitok' means exemplary.
