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Dzongkhul Monastery
Dzongkhul Monastery

Dzongkhul Monastery or Zongkhul Gompa is situated in the Stod Valley of Zanskar in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India., It belongs to the Drukpa school of Tibetan Buddhism like the Sani Monastery. It lies at a distance of 190 kms from the capital city of Srinagar. The Zongkhul Monastery is a significant shrine for Buddhists and is located like a nest on the rock facing the Ating Gorge.

The monastery is directly built on a rock wall with two caves behind it and according to legend is associated with the famous Indian Yogi, "Naropa'', who lectured in the Nalanda and Vikramsila Universities and used it for solitary meditation. The site also contains some majestically built temples and shrines of many Buddhist monks.

Dzongkhul has traditionally been home to prominent yogins. It is positioned near the foot of a wide valley which leads to the pass known as the Umasi-la which joins Zanskar and Kishtwar.

Dzongkhul is in a south-western side valley of the Bardur River. It is constructed directly on a rock wall with two caves behind. In front are about 10 stone houses which tend to combine in with the surrounding rocks from a distance. About 10 minutes' walk from the gompa is a high viewing spot similar to the one at Hemis Monastery with a stunning view from the terrace.

 
History of Dzongkhul Monastery

Its establishment is attributed to Naropa (956-1041 CE), who was a celebrated Indian Buddhist yogi, spiritualist and monk from the famous Vikramshila University in Bihar. He is said to have meditated in one of the two caves around which the gompa is constructed and the monastery is devoted to him. His footprint can be seen in the rock near the entrance to the lower cave.The gompa contains images and thankas of well-known Drukpa lamas. Zhadpa Dorje, a well-known painter and scholar created some of the frescoes on the cave walls almost 300 years ago.

Impressions of Naropa's ritual dagger and staff are also said to be in the rocks in his meditation cave which draws attention of many pilgrims. Until about the 1960s there were some 20 resident monks, but the numbers have fall sharply in more recent times.

It also contains a rich collection of valuable exhibits, such as an ivory image of Samvara, a crystal stupa, and texts which contains religious songs and biographies.
Dzongkhul became a prosperous Kagyu meditation centre under the Zanskari yogi Ngawang Tsering (1717-1794).

 
Main Attractions of Dzongkhul Monastery

The major attraction of Zongkhul Monastery is the existence of the good-looking frescoes on the cave walls. These are said to be the original murals painted by Zhadpa Dorje, the well-known scholar-painter of Zanskar who visited the monastery some 300 years ago. Another attraction is the existence of a footprint near the ingress of the stone cave supposed to be of the Yogi Naropa himself.

Zongkhul Monastery also boasts of magnificent collection of valuable exhibits from ancient times and it contains invaluable images of Samvara a fierce protective Buddhist deity, Buddhist texts consisting of spiritual songs and biographies composed by great Mahasiddha.

Festivals

The Zongkhul Huchot festival takes place on the 16th and 17th days of the fourth Tibetan month but there are no masked dances.The Zanskar (Karsha Gustor) Festival, a popular Buddhist festival is held during January and has a special dance known as Black Hat Dance is performed.

Best time to visit and Timings

Zanskar has a surprisingly pleasurable, dry and warm climate in the summers. Winter months extend from September to February and are very harsh with heavy snowfalls and therefore should be avoided as snowfall can cause a delay of up to many days. The best time to visit Zanskar is during the months from July to early November.The monastery is open on all days.

 

 


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