Maitreya at Thiksey — Future Buddha of Ladakh

📖 Stories

• Maitreya at Thiksey — The Future Buddha in Ladakh
  **Thiksey Monastery** (Thiksey Gutgo), founded in the 15th century, is one of the largest and most impressive monasteries in Ladakh. Modeled after Lhasa's **Potala Palace**, it sits on a hill overlooking the Indus Valley at approximately 3,600 meters altitude. The monastery is home to over 100 monks and follows the **Gelug tradition** of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery's most famous feature is the **15-meter Maitreya Buddha statue** — the Future Buddha who will appear in the future to teach the dharma again when the current teachings have faded. This statue is the **second-largest Maitreya in Ladakh** and depicts Maitreya in the Dharmachakra mudra (teaching posture). **Ibn Battuta** (14th century), the Moroccan traveler, described similar monasteries in the high Himalayan regions with enormous Buddha statues. **F. W. Hasrat** (1870), a British official, documented the Thiksey Monastery in detail, noting the Maitreya statue and the morning puja at 6 AM with conches and cymbals. The monastery follows the traditional Tibetan Buddhist monastic calendar, with daily prayers and rituals. The **morning puja at 6 AM** has become a famous attraction for visitors, featuring traditional instruments (conches, cymbals, drums) that create a powerful atmosphere. Today Thiksey is both an active monastery and a major tourist destination. The monks welcome visitors to observe the morning prayers, and the monastery's proximity to Leh makes it accessible for day trips. The annual **Losar** (Tibetan New Year) celebrations are particularly spectacular, with masked dances and elaborate rituals.
  — Ladakhi Buddhist tradition + Tibetan Buddhist sources + scholarly sources