Diskit Monastery

About Diskit Monastery Nubra Valley, Ladakh

Diskit Monastery is a major tourist attraction in the Nubra Valley, not just for its incredible location, but for the 106 feet Maitreya Buddha statue which is located just below the monastery.

Diskit Monastery in Nubra Valley is situated at an altitude of 10,308 feet, 15 kilometers northwest off the Khalsar-Panakil route, right at the edge of the desert in the Nubra Valley. It stands atop a hill at the edge of a road, which links Partharpur & Those.

Things to see in the Diskit Monastery

The interiors of the Diskit Monastery are as beautiful as its exteriors, as they are adorned with intricate frescoes & wall paintings. The prayer hall, called Dukhang, is home to enormous drums & beautiful images of the Buddhist guardian deities.

The storehouse of the monastery preserves numerous Mongolian & Tibetan religious texts, besides several shrines.

Just above the monastery stands the Lachung Temple, famous for the large idol of Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect of Buddhism. It is believed to be one of the oldest temples in the Nubra Valley.

The Diskit Monastery also offers lovely views of the Diskit Village and the surrounding landscape.

108 feet Maitreya Buddha Statue

It is however, the 108 feet statue of Maitreya Buddha, a major tourist attraction in Nubra Valley, that surprises & leaves onlookers amazed.The gold and red coloured statue faces the Shyok River towards Pakistan and is situated right below the Diskit Monastery atop a hill.

The statue, besides its aesthetic and spiritual significance, is believed to embody three ideas: protection of the Diskit Village, promotion of world peace & prevention of further war with Pakistan.

Festival Celebrated in Diskit Monastery

The main festival celebrated in Diskit Monastery is Dosmoche, or Desmochhey, which means, “Festival of the Scapegoat.” It attracts large crowds of people from the villages in Nubra Valley.

The highlight of the festival is the Chham Dance, which is more famously known among tourists as masked dances. These are performed by the Lamas of the monastery, who believe that performing them wards of any ill fortune.

Images made of dough are also thrown out to prevent the occurrence of any disaster, and welcome peace and prosperity everywhere. The clothes, which cover the deities, are removed during the course of the festival.