Basgo monastery or Basgo gompa is situated near to Ladakh district, Jammu & Kashmir state,India. This Buddhist monastery is situated on the Himalayas. This monastery was established by Namgyal dynasty rulers in 1680.
Basgo Buddhist Monastery or Basgo Gompa
Basgo gompa was the cultural and political center of the Namgyals. This place is rich in culture and heritage. It is one of the unexplored gems of Ladakh. The monastery overlooks the ruins of an ancient city. View of sunset from the monastery is stunning. You can see the basking Himalayan mountains.
Basgo Buddhist monastery is famous for the Buddha statue and murals paintings. There are three Temples Chamchung, Chamba Lakhang and Serzang; dedicated to Maitreya Buddha inside the monastery. These temples were built during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, using mud bricks. 14 meter tall Maitreya Buddha statue is the tallest one among the statues here. The interior walls of these temples have mural paintings, depicting the life of Lord Buddha and others helped in building these temples.
These temples are the oldest surviving religious structures dedicated to Maitreya Buddha (Buddha of the future).
The monastery and the temples were damaged due to old age. The mural paintings, statues and the floors were damaged. Repair works were carried out in the last decade. These temples are now almost back to its original state. Boundary walls were also constructed for the temples.
Hemis National Park and Hemis monastery are situated close to the the Basgo Monastery. The nearby monasteries like Hemis Monastery and local people are also dedicated to the cause of preservation of the temples inside Basgo gompa.
How Do I Go to the Buddhist Monastery, Basgo Gompa?
Jammu, the winter capital of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, is at around 650 kilometers away. The nearest railway station is at Jammu.
Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, is at around 380 kilometers away. This road passes through Kargil, the site of the conflict between India and Pakistan in 1999, known as Kargil war or Operation Vijay.
Basgo gompa is at around 42 kilometers from Leh, the largest city and administrative headquarters of Ladakh district.
Manali is at around 500 kilometers away from the monastery.