About Stok Monastery
Stok Monastery, also known as Stok Gompa, is a 14th-century Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in Stok village, about 15 km south of Leh in Ladakh, India. Affiliated with the Gelug sect and a subsidiary of Spituk Monastery, it is noted for its library, sacred thangkas, and annual festival. Situated on a hillside overlooking the Indus Valley, it also served as associated residence for Ladakhi royalty after the 19th century.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a hillside monastery complex with whitewashed walls, prayer halls, chortens, and shrines decorated with thangkas, statues of the Buddha and Avalokiteshvara, and ritual objects. The site offers views of the Indus Valley and Stok Kangri range, a small library with 108 volumes of the Kangyur, and a courtyard used for religious dances. The adjacent Stok Palace and Museum can be visited nearby.
Key highlights
- 01
14th-century Gelugpa monastery founded by Lama Lhawang Lotus
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Library housing 108 volumes of the Kangyur
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Annual Stok Guru Tsechu festival with cham masked dances
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Collection of thangkas, statues and ritual artefacts
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Panoramic views of Indus Valley and Stok mountain range
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Proximity to Stok Palace, former residence of Ladakhi royalty
History of Stok Monastery
Founded in the 14th century by Lama Lhawang Lotus, Stok Monastery is a subsidiary of Spituk Monastery. After the Dogra annexation of Ladakh in 1846 and the abandonment of Leh Palace, the Ladakhi royal family moved to Stok Palace adjacent to the monastery, increasing its historical importance as a royal-associated gompa.
Culture & Context
An important centre of Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelug school, the monastery preserves sacred texts, thangkas and statues. It hosts the annual Stok Guru Tsechu festival, featuring cham dances and rituals dedicated to Guru Rinpoche, attracting pilgrims and visitors and maintaining living Buddhist traditions of Ladakh.
Route
| By air |
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