DZONGKHUL MONASTERY

DZONGKHUL GOMPA is located about 32 kms from PADUM on the PADUM – KARGIL road in the south-western side valley of the Bardur River.  The Monastery structure is partly embedded in the cave against the rock wall. It is built directly on a rock wall with two caves behind. It appears as if the monastery structure has emerged from the rock cave itself.

From PADUM, once you reach the bridge at TUNGRI (16 kms from PADUM), instead of taking a right turn to cross the bridge & proceed to KARGIL, take the straight road which proceeds for another 10-11 kms parallel to the Kargil road. You will come across a road converging on the left side entering a narrow valley.  Offlate the roads have been tarred, but earlier it was a complete offbeat stretch which goes another 7 kms to the DZONGKUL Monastery. It is based near the foot of a wide valley which leads to the pass known as the Umasi-la which joins Zanskar and Kishtwar

HISTORY

DZongkhul Gompa is said to have been founded by the great saint Naropa, who is believed to have meditated in one of the two caves around which the monastery is built.

There is a footprint near the entrance of one cave which is said to be of Naropa. Dzongkhul monastery was originally established around a thousand years ago (956-1041 CE) and also contains some fresco paintings that are from the 17th century. 

 The gompa contains images and thankas of famous Drukpa lamas. Zhadpa Dorje, a famous painter and scholar created some of the frescoes on the cave walls almost 300 years ago.

Impressions of Naropa’s ceremonial dagger and staff are also said to be in the rocks in his meditation cave^[6] which attracts many pilgrims. Until about the 1960s there were some 20 resident monks, but the numbers have dropped sharply in more recent times.

It also contains a rich collection of precious artifacts, such as an ivory image of Samvara, a crystal stupa, and texts containing spiritual songs and biographies.^[8]

Dzongkhul became a flourishing Kagyu meditation centre under the Zanskari yogi Ngawang Tsering (1717-1794).

FESTIVALS

The Dzongkhul Huchot festival is held on the 16th and 17th days of the fourth Tibetan month but there are no masked dances.