Hemis Gompa has located about 50 km from Leh on the west bank of the Indus River. It is considered the richest and largest monastery in Leh. According to the permanent residents of this place, the monastery was built in the 11th century. However, the monastery was reconstructed in 1672. The monastery belongs to the Dugpa order.
It follows the Tantric Vajrayana teachings and the monks of this monastery practice Tantric worship. Every year in July, a lively festival is held in the gompa complex. The festival is not only attended by the locals, but people come from all over the world. The festival begins on the 9th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar and continues until the 11th. On the first day of the festival, a dance tribute is held to commemorate the birthday of Lord Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche. The festival is the most famous of the Tibetan Buddhist Gompa festivals in Ladakh. Energetic and enchanting dances are accompanied by the cacophonous sounds of cymbals, small trumpets, large wind instruments, and big pan drums.
The lamas dress up as demons and gods and beat the drums. Symbols are smashed together and others spin and jump to fight demons. When you enter the courtyard, you can see two large temples on the right with a small stone staircase. The temple on the left is known as the Tshogs-khang and on the right is the Dukhang. Inside the Dukhang is the throne of the Rimpoche and the sitting areas for the lamas. The pillars of the temple are wooden and tall. A square dome with windows allows light to fall on the wonderful throne. On the walls are paintings of Sakyamuni with blue hair. Some other Buddha idols can be seen here. One can also see the paintings of tantric deities like Hevajra and Sama. The Tshogs-khang temple, on the other hand, houses a large gilded idol of Sakyamuni Buddha with blue hair. The statue is surrounded by numerous silver choerts and decorated with semi-precious stones. In front of the Buddha is a painted throne made of lacquered wood, which was a gift from the former Emperor of Kashmir to the former Lama of Hemis. Pehar Gyalpo is considered the patron deity of Hemis.
