Lamayuru – One of the most beautiful gompas in Ladakh

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Lamayuru is another village suggested to us by another traveller we met in Kibber.

Legend has it that the village used to be part of a lake which dried up. Legend aside, this is definitely one of the most breathtaking gompas I’ve ever seen in my life.

Lamayuru is easily accessible from Leh via a shared tourist taxi or via the bus that goes to Kargil. Alternatively, you could also hitchhike from Alchi to Lamayuru (take necessary precaution)  as well, I’ve noticed a lot of locals hitchhiking from one village to another in this part of Ladakh.

Lamayuru gompa is still actively used by the monks living here. We wlso met one American guy studying meditation in Lamayuru under the guidance of a monk.

There are cheap guesthouses and a few restaurants for those who are intending to stay here for a couple of days.

Here are some pictures of Lamayuru:

View from the road (To Kargil side)

Other views of Lamayuru

View from the road below the gompa

View from the river

Pictures from the short climb to the top of Lamayuru Gompa:

Stupas

Artwork in some stupas

Very old prayer wheel and stones with carvings

Stairway to the monastery and some ruins

Inside the temple complex:

Stupas and Buddhist paintings

More paintings

Inside the temple

Wax offerings

Inside the rooms upstairs:

Awesome murals!

Aside from the gompa, walking around this small town and along the almost dry river is also a plesant experience. The landscape is stunning and there are lots of local birds that can be seen. We even saw a small flock of Himalayan partridges nesting on some of the crevices in the rocky mountains surrounding Lamayuru.

Here are some pictures of the beautiful natural landscape of Lamayuru:

View from the Lamayuru Temple

 A small “village” near the monastery

Moonlane

Safe Travels!

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