Leh - Ladakh Trip. Spituk Monastery.

 LEH - LADAKH TRIP

Spituk Monastery also

SPITUK GONPA

SPETHUB (EXAMPLARY )

POPULARLY KNOWN AS THE SPITUK GONPA IS ONE OF THE PROMINENT GE-LUG-PA MONASTERIES. IT WAS FOUNDED BY KING GRAS-PA-BUM- LDE IN THE LAST 14th CENTURY.A.D. THE SITE FOR THE MONASTERY WAS GRANTED BY THE KING TO THE TWO EMISARIES SENT BY TSONG KHA PA FOR INSTALLATION OF THE STATUE OF TSE-PAG-MED WHICH IS SAID TO HAVE CRIGINATED FROM THE NOSE BLOOD OF TSONG-KHA-PA. THE STATUE WAS INSTALLED WITHIN THE 10 FEET HIGH STATUE OF BUDDHA IN THE ASSEMBLY HALL OF THE MONASTERY. IN THE MAIN TEMPLE, AT THE UPPER END THERE ARE THE SEAT FOR HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA & BAKULA RINPOCHEY. IT ALSO HOUSE THE STATUES OF SHAKYAMUNI. TSONG-KHA PA & HIS TWO DISCIPILES. YAMANTAKA & AVALOKITESVARA. THERE ARE THE KANGYUR & TANGYUR (THE SCRIPTURES & COMMENTARIES) IN WOODEN SHELVES ON THE LEFT OF THE HALL & PANTINGS OF THE PROTECTOR DEITIES ON THE WALLS. THE CHOW KHANG ON THE UPPER FLOOR HOUSE THE STATUE OF THE CHOW IN THE CENTRAL POSITION BROUGHT FROM TIBET IN 1960. A STATUE OF PADMA SAMBHAVA TO ITS RIGHT & A SILVER PLATED CHANG-CHUB-CHORTEN TO THE LEFT.

TO THE RIGHT OF CHOW-KHANG IS DOLMA LAKHANG WHICH HOUSES TWENTY ONE COPPER GIFT TARAS. EACH TARA HOLD A LONG STEMMED LOTUS & HAS SEVEN EYES (EYES OF KNOWLEDGE) THESE STATUES WERE ALSO BROUGHT FROM TIBET BY THE PRESENT INCARANATE LAMA. THE STATUES OF DOLMA IS WORSHIPPED IN ALL THE MONASTERIES IRRESPECTIVE OF DIFFERENT SECTS & THE HYMNS OF DOLMA ARE RECITED DAILY BY MONKS & LAYMEN ALIKE. THE CHIKHANG BELOW THE MAIN

MONASTERY HOUSES THE STATUES OF LORD BUDDHA, WITH HIS TWO DISCIPLES & YAMANTAKA. THERE ARE PAINTINGS OF THE PROTECTOR DEITIES ON THE WALLS.

THE INNER TEMPLE CONTAIN SEVERAL PRECIOUS STATUES & CHAM SRING, THE PROTECTOR DEITY OF MONASTERY. SPITUK GUSTOR, THE ANNUAL MONASTIC FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE FROM THE 26th TO 28th OF THE 11th TIBETAN MONTH.

BY COURTESY OF TOURISM DEV. AUTHORITY LEH

(This information is taken from the information board installed at the Monastery.)

Spituk Gompa is also known as Pethup Gompa.

Spituk means Exemplary.