Established in the 17th century, Hemis Monastery, 45km south of Leh, is the most important monastic institution in Ladakh. Located just below the famous cave of Gotsangpa and the Gotsang retreat center, it is cradled in a beautiful valley, surrounded by streams and fronted by long mani stone walls. The Second Taktsang Repa took the son of King Delden Namgyal, Prince Mipham Tsewang Thrinley Tenzin Migyur Dorje, popularly known as Gyalsey Rinpoche, under his care and gave him the basic spiritual education. Gyalsey Rinpoche later went to Tibet and received his full ordination vows from Panchen Lobsang Palden Yeshe. He received all the transmissions and empowerments of the Drukpa lineage from the Seventh Gyalwang Drukpa, Thrinley Shingta (1718-1766), from Yongdzin Jampal Pawo and from Thuchen Choegon. On his return to Hemis, Gyalsey Rinpoche constructed main assembly hall and invited the Gyalwang Drukpa and Kathok Rigdzin Tsewang Norbu to consecrate it. He also received many teachings from them. The code of conduct for the monks of Hemis and Chemdrey monasteries, drafted by them and written on yellow brocade, form the basis of monastic discipline to this day. Gyalsey Rinpoche also built a number of statues at Chemdrey Monastery. He introduced the Hemis festival and the ritual mask dances that are performed at Chemdrey Monastery in the ninth Tibetan month every year. In the later part of his life, he built the three-foot gilded copper statue of the Buddha. On the passing away of Gyalwang Drukpa Thrinley Shingta, Gyalsey Rinpoche built a four-foot silver statue and a silver stupa and printed the scriptural text mDo Pema Karpo in gold as a memorial tribute to him. Later, he invited the Eighth Gyalwang Drukpa, Kunzig Chonang (1768-1822), to consecrate these. The Gyalwang Drukpa used all the offerings he received to construct the fifteen-foot silver stupa, adorned with precious stones, which is today still visible in Hemis. Gyalsey Rinpoche commissioned Palha, the most r
Rizong (or Rhizong) gompa, Gelugpa or Yellow Hat Buddhist monastery is also called the Yuma Changchubling in Ladakh, India. It is situated at the top of a rocky side valley on the north side of the Indus, to the west of Alchi on the way to Lamayuru. It was established in 1831 by Lama Tsultim Nima under the Gelukpa order, at Ri-rdzong. There are 40 monks in the monastery. The monastery is also called “the paradise for meditation” and is noted for its extremely strict rules and standards. The nunnery, located about 2 km from the monastery, is called the “Jelichun Nunnery” or Chulichan (Chomoling), where, at present, 20 nuns reside. It is also believed that long ago Guru Padmasambhava meditated in the caves around Rizong years before the monasteries were built. It is also inferred that in the small caves in the vicinity, Lamas used to meditate for years in isolation from the rest of the villages. They subsisted on one meal a day, which was provided to them by local people through a 1 foot (0.30 m) square window opening in the cave.
