Thikse

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Thikse Gompa (also transliterated from Ladakhi as 'Tikse', 'Tiksey' or 'Thiksey') is a Yellow Hat (Gelugpa) Buddhist monastery in the Indus Valley, 25 km east of Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, the main point of interest is the the Maitreya (Future Buddha) Temple inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 1980 (containing a 15m metre high statue of the Maitreya). It is also noted for its collection of thangkas and other Buddhist wall paintings.

Founded in the 15th century, this 12 storey gompa painted in red, ocre and white has 60 lamas in residence, plus a nunnery and a total of 10 temples. There are excellent views across the Indus Valley flood plain both east and westbound from it, from which the gompa at Matho (to the east), the royal palace at Stok (across the valley to the south) and the former royal palace at Shey (to the west) are clearly visible.

Thikse's reputation suffered locally during the 1990s and after, due to the local Rinpoche's involvement in Kashmiri politics.

[edit] References

• Buddhist Monasteries. Thikse.