About Thiksey Maitreya Buddha Statue
The Thiksey Maitreya Buddha Statue is a 15-metre (49 ft) statue of Maitreya, the Future Buddha, housed in the Maitreya Temple within Thiksey Monastery near Leh, Ladakh. Located about 19 km southeast of Leh, it is the largest such statue in Ladakh. Commissioned to commemorate the 1980 visit of the 14th Dalai Lama, it occupies two floors of the monastery complex.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect to enter the Maitreya Temple inside Thiksey Monastery and view a large 15-metre seated Maitreya Buddha statue spanning two storeys. The statue is richly decorated and set within a prayer hall with murals and offerings. The monastery complex is built on a hilltop with whitewashed buildings, offering views of the Indus Valley. Access involves climbing steps and narrow staircases within the temple building.
Key highlights
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15-metre (49 ft) seated Maitreya Buddha statue spanning two floors of the Maitreya Temple
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Largest Maitreya statue in Ladakh, located inside Thiksey Monastery
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Built between 1980 and 1983 to commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama
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Intricately crafted with traditional Tibetan Buddhist artistry and adornments
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Panoramic views of Indus Valley and surrounding Himalayan landscape from the monastery hilltop
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Part of the 15th-century Thiksey Gompa, affiliated with the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism
History of Thiksey Maitreya Buddha Statue
The statue is housed in Thiksey Monastery, founded in the mid-15th century by Palden Zangpo, disciple of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school. The Maitreya Temple and its 15-metre statue were constructed between 1980 and 1983 over four years by artisans from the region to commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to Thiksey in 1980.
Culture & Context
The statue represents Maitreya, the Future Buddha in Buddhist tradition, symbolizing loving-kindness and the future coming of enlightenment. It is a central object of veneration for the Gelugpa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Thiksey Monastery is one of the largest and most important Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh, often compared architecturally to the Potala Palace in Lhasa.
Route
| By air |
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