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Stongdey Monastery, often written Stongde, Stongday, Tonday or Thonde, is a flourishing
Stongdey Monastery, often written Stongde, Stongday, Tonday or Thonde, is a flourishing Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
monastery in Zanskar, Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...
, northern India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, approximately northeast of Padum, on the road to Nimmu. The monastery is located on a hillock overlooking the village of Stongdey.
The gompa was founded in 1052 by Naropa
Nāropā (Prakrit; , Naḍapāda or Abhayakirti) was an Indian Buddhism, Buddhist Mahasiddha. He was the disciple of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner and pupil, of Niguma. As an Indian Mahasiddha, Naropa's instructions inform ...
's disciple, the famous translator Lama Marpa Lotsawa (1012-1097). It was taken over by the Gelugpa about four centuries later and became dedicated to Je Tsongkhapa.Rizvi (1996), p. 255.
It is the second largest monastic institution in Zanskar, with a community of about 60 Gelukpa monks. Every year the Gustor Festival is held on the 28th and 29th day in the eleventh month of the Tibetan calendar
The Tibetan calendar (), or the Phukpa calendar, known as the ''Tibetan lunar calendar'', is a lunisolar calendar composed of either 12 or 13 lunar months, each beginning and ending with a new moon. A thirteenth month is added every two or three y ...
.
There are seven temples in all. The Tshogs-khang is decorated with exquisite painting including some with deities on a black background outlined in gold.
See also
* List of buddhist monasteries in Ladakh * Geography of Ladakh * Tourism in Ladakh * World Monuments FundFootnotes
References
* Janet Rizvi. (1996). ''Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia''. Second Edition. Oxford University Press, Delhi. . * Schettler, Margaret & Rolf (1981). ''Kashmir, Ladakh & Zanskar.'' Lonely Planet Publications. South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. .External links
Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and temples in India Gelug monasteries and temples 1052 establishments in Asia 11th-century establishments in India {{Ladakh-stub