24/12/2019
HEMIS GOMPA
Also known as Chang-Chub-Sam-Ling ( or the lone place of the compassionate person), Hemis Gompa, 45 km of south of Leh, belongs to the Brokpa order and was founded in the early 17th Century. Now it is one of the most accessible, famous and therefore most visited gompas. The gompa has an excellent library, well preserved frescoes showing some Kashmiri influence and good Buddha figures. The largest thangka ( Tibetan religious cloth paintings) in Ladakh, over 12m long, is at Hemis, but is only exhibited every 12 years. It’s next on display in 2028. To commemorate the birth of the renowned Indian sage, Padmasambhava, the famous annual Hemis Festival is held on the ninth to 11th days of the fifth Tibetan month, usually June/July.