Mulbekh Maitreya Rock Sculpture

The Mulbekh Maitreya Rock Sculpture is a 9-metre tall rock-cut statue of Maitreya, the Future Buddha, carved into a limestone cliff beside National Highway 1 at Mulbekh village in Kargil district, Ladakh. Dating to around the 8th century and executed in Gandhara style, it stands at about 3,230 metres elevation, 45 km east of Kargil. Visible directly from the highway, it marks the cultural transition between the Suru Valley and Ladakh's Buddhist heartland and is a prominent pilgrimage and sightseeing stop.

Visitors can expect a large open-air rock carving of the standing Maitreya Buddha set on a crag beside the highway, with a small shrine and prayer flags at its base. The sculpture is viewed from road level after a short walk on rocky ground. The surrounding landscape is stark, arid Himalayan terrain with the Mulbekh Monastery perched on the hill above. There is no enclosed complex; viewing, photography and circumambulation are the main activities.

The sculpture is dated to around the 7th-8th century CE and is attributed to the Kushan period or early Buddhist missionary activity in the western Himalayas. Carved in Gandhara artistic style, the 9-metre figure of Maitreya (Chamba in Ladakhi) represents the Future Buddha and is one of the earliest Buddhist rock carvings in Ladakh, reflecting the spread of Buddhism along ancient trade routes.

Revered by Buddhists as an image of Maitreya, the Future Buddha, the sculpture is an important pilgrimage stop and a symbol of Ladakh's Buddhist heritage. It stands at the traditional cultural divide between the Suru Valley and central Ladakh and is venerated with offerings, prayer flags and butter lamps by local communities and visitors.