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Karsha Monastery

Overview

•Karsha Monastery or Karsha Gompa is a Buddhist monastery in the Padum Village of the Zanskar region of the union territory of Ladakh in northern India.
•The Doda River flows past the monastery from its source at the Drang Drung Glacier of the Pensi La (14,500 feet (4,400 m)).

Highlights

Karsha Monastery or Karsha Gompa is a Buddhist monastery in the Padum Village of the Zanskar region of the union territory of Ladakh in northern India.
The Doda River flows past the monastery from its source at the Drang Drung Glacier of the Pensi La (14,500 feet (4,400 m)).
It was founded by the translator Phagspa Shesrab.
The monastery, also known by the name Karsha Chamspaling, was founded by Phagspa Shesrab, under the Gelugpa Order or Yellow Hats.
It is 11 km north of Padum in Zanskar River valley.

Dress Code

Modest, respectful clothing is expected at this site.

History

•Karsha is the largest and most important monastery in Zanskar.
•It is attributed to Padmasambhava, and there are ancient rock-carvings at the site.
•The oldest remaining structure, an Avalokiteshvara temple, Chuk-shik-jal, contains wall paintings which seem to associate it with the era of Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055).
•The monastery is under the control of the younger brother of the Dalai Lama.

Architecture

•The monastery, the largest monastery of Zanskar, has a number of shrines and has been embellished with exquisite paintings by the Lama Dzadpa Dorje.
•It also houses the relics of Dorje Rinchen.
•100 monks reside in this monastery.
•The popular festival held in the monastery precincts is called the Gustor festival, celebrated between the 26th and 29th day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar, when events such as the sacred masked cham dance take place.

Temple Layout

•The monastery, the largest monastery of Zanskar, has a number of shrines and has been embellished with exquisite paintings by the Lama Dzadpa Dorje.
•It also houses the relics of Dorje Rinchen.
•100 monks reside in this monastery.
•The popular festival held in the monastery precincts is called the Gustor festival, celebrated between the 26th and 29th day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar, when events such as the sacred masked cham dance take place.

Things to Do

Visit Karsha Monastery

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Karsha Monastery or Karsha Gompa is a Buddhist monastery in the Padum Village of the Zanskar region of the union territory of Ladakh in northern India.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Karsha Monastery or Karsha Gompa is a Buddhist monastery in the Padum Village of the Zanskar region of the union territory of Ladakh in northern India. The Doda River flows past the monastery from its source at the Drang Drung Glacier of the Pensi La (14,500 feet (4,400 m)).

It is about 7.8 km from central Zanskar.

The most comfortable months are January, February, March, April and May; August is the hottest, with highs around 23°C.