Alchi monastery, in Alchi village, is the Buddhist monastery situated on the bank of river Indus on the altitude of 3100 mtrs. Alchi is said to be the oldest and most famous monastery in Ladakh. This monastery is maintained and takes cared by the Likir monastery. Alchi village is located on lower Ladakh region. This village has four settlements with monuments dated on the walls. These monuments are said to be “Unique style and workmanship” but Alchi monastery complex is said to best.
About Alchi Monastery :
Situated on the banks of River Indus Alchoi Gompa is situated at a distance of 67 km west of Ladakh. Dated back about 1000 AD the monastery was founded by Rinchen Zangpa a great translator. Built in Indian style of architecture the Alchi Gompa is one of the most impressive monasteries of Ladakh. The main temple of Alchi is comparatively small with the central pavilion which is 3 m long, 3 m wide and 6 m high. On one of its walls thousand of small pictures of Buddha have been painted. Wooden statues have been placed at the gate. On the right side stands the statue of Avalokiteshwar which has thousand arms. Thirty two sculptors and wood carvers of Kashmir have made a great contribution in erecting this magnificent holy shrine and the evidence of their artistic flavors is quite evident in its architectural style. Inside the monastery there are three holy shrines and some small shines of Samstsag, Lhakhang, Jamyang, Lhakhang also fascinate the visitors. The main image inside the Alchi Monastery is that of Viarocana long with five Buddha families with their attendant deities. The best time to visit Ladakh is from June to September. Its pristine beauty attracts travelers from across the world.
History :
Traditionally, the creation of the Alchi complex is attributed to the famous scholar-translator Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055) in the 10th century, along with theLamayuru Monastery, the Wanla, the Mang-gyu and the Sumda. During the tenth century, the Tibetan King Yeshe Od of Guge, in order to spread Buddhism in the Trans Himalayan region, took the initiative by allocating 21 scholars to the region. However, due to harsh climatic and topographic conditions, only two survived, one of them the esteemed scholar and translator Rinchen Zangpo who established Buddhist activity in the Ladakh region and other areas of India including Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. During his sojourn there, he also went to the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet.
Zangpo became known by the epithet “Lohtsawa” or the “Great Translator”; he is credited with building 108 monasteries in the trans-Himalayan region in his quest to disseminate Buddhism. He institutionalized Buddhism in the region; these monasteries are considered the mainstay of Vajrayana of Tibetan Buddhism (also known as Lamaism). Zangpo engaged Kashmiri artists to create wall paintings and sculptures in the legendary 108 monasteries; only a few of these have survived, with the Alchi Monastery complex in Ladakh having pride of place among all monasteries that he built.
Since the monasteries of this period did not belong to any of the established Tibetan schools, they were initially brought under the control of the Kadampa order. When the condition of the monasteries deteriorated, they were mostly taken over by the Gelukpa order, with the exception of Lamayuru which was placed under the Drigunkpa sect. After worship at Alchi monastery ceased for some reason in the fifteenth century, it also became under the Gelugpa sect controlled from Likir.
Geography :
Alchi is located on the south bank of the Indus River at an altitude of 3,100 metres (10,200 ft) and 65 kilometres (40 mi) outside of Leh (to its west). Leh is connected by air from Delhi. The road approach to Leh starts at Manali, a route that is accessible from May or June to October, depending on the snow fall conditions in the valley.[3][10] The village is in the high altitude rain shadow area of Ladakh. It is laid out in four settlements on the banks of a tributary of the Indus River. The monastic complex is separate from the other village settlements
Highlights of Alchi Gompa :
Alchi Gompa is built in Indian style of architecture. Beautiful paintings adorning the Gompa are highly influenced by the artistic flavor of India. There are three main temples inside the monastery complex and some small holy shrines namely Sumstsag Lhakhang, Jamyang Lhakhang and many more.
Location: Approximately 67 km to the west of Leh
Founded By: Rinchen Zangpo
Founded In: 1000 AD