Chulichan Nunnery

Chulichan Nunnery is a Buddhist nunnery located at Chulichan village near Rizong Monastery in Leh District, Ladakh. Affiliated with the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism and administered under Rizong Monastery, it serves as a residence and religious training centre for Buddhist nuns (Anis). Situated in an isolated rocky valley northwest of Leh, it is notable for its secluded setting, traditional Ladakhi architecture and close association with Rizong Monastery.

Visitors can expect a small, secluded nunnery complex set in a rugged, arid valley below Rizong Monastery. The site comprises whitewashed Ladakhi structures, prayer halls, small shrines and residential quarters for nuns. Surroundings are quiet and mountainous with sparse vegetation. Visitors can observe daily monastic life, prayer ceremonies, traditional architecture and views of the surrounding hills. Access involves a short walk on uneven paths from the road near Rizong.

Chulichan Nunnery is associated with Rizong Monastery, which was founded in 1831 by Lama Tsultim Nima of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The nunnery was established to provide a dedicated religious institution for nuns under the administration of Rizong Monastery, following the same Gelugpa tradition and monastic discipline.

The nunnery holds cultural and religious significance as one of the few nunneries in Ladakh providing religious education and monastic life for Buddhist nuns (Anis) within the Gelugpa tradition. It plays a role in preserving Buddhist teachings, prayer practices and community life for nuns in the region and is visited as part of the Rizong religious complex.