SANI MONASTERY

Based in SANI village, 6 kms before Padum on the Kargil – Padum road, SANI monastery is believed to be the oldest Ka-ni-ka monastery in ZANSKAR.  Unlike all other Monasteries in the Ladakh & Zanskar regions which are perched on a hilltop overlooking the valleys, SANI Monastery is built like a castle on a flat ground.

Just adjacent to the road at Sani village is a sacred lake with a huge statue of Padmasambhava. The crystal clear fresh-water lake has fish in abundance (Himalayan trout). Fishing is not allowed due to the sacred nature attributed to the lake by the Buddhist community.

HISTORY

Like the Dzongkhul Monastery, SANI too belongs to the Drukpa Kargyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and is the only one of this order in Zanskar which has nuns. Sani Monastery was built in parts with each part dating to a different century. The chorten or the reliquary is the oldest past of the monastery which is believed to have been constructed in the 2nd century. The Dukhang or the assembly hall was built in the early 17th century. The prayer room is impressive, with plenty of Buddhist statues and thangkas. The walls are adorned with stucco murals (wall paintings), based on the life of Padmasambhava. There is also a large sculpted image of Maitreya Buddha on a rock near the gompa.

Resembling a castle like structure, the SANI monastery has a STUPA at the back of the walled complex. It is believed that due to this Stupa, the monastery was linked to Kanishka (Kushan ruler of the 2nd century).  There is a crematorium outside the monastery complex which is considered to be one of the eight most important cremation grounds for Tibetan Buddhists. The crematorium has a ring of ancient rock paintings on its perimeter.

FESTIVALS

The famous Naro Nasjal festival is celebrated at the Sani monastery every year in the month of July. People from all over the Zanskar valley visit the monastery to participate in this two day long festival. The lamas of the Bardan monastery can be seen here performing mask dance as a part of the ritual offering. This is the time when the bronze statue of Naropa is unveiled for the common people