Likir Monastery

Home to 120 monks, Likir is the spiritual seat of the Head Lama of Likir village. The village itself is an attractive destination for tourists looking for calm and peace. The beautiful landscape of Likir embellished by the red and white monastery makes Likir monastery and Likir village a recommended destination in Leh Ladakh. If you are planning to visit Likir, Cliffhangers India will guide you on your trip and give you all the relevant information.

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About Likir Monastery

Situated at an altitude of over 3700 metres, Likir Monastery was constructed in the 11th century and then reconstructed in the 18th century after the original structure suffered damage in a fire. The red and white monastery is built in a fort-like way surrounded by agricultural fields and a 75 ft gold-covered statue of Lord Buddha.

The monastery showcases numerous murals, wall paintings, Buddhist relics and a library containing numerous Buddhist texts open for visitors. The Gompa also houses 120 monks and 30 students in its school run by the Central Institute of Buddhist studies.

The monastery houses two prayer halls, one of which contains a seating arrangement for monks and a throne for the head Lama. The prayer hall also contains numerous statues of Bodhisattvas including Amitabh, Shakya Muni and Maitreya Buddha.

How to Reach

Likir monastery is situated in the Likir village at a distance of around 55-60 km from Leh town. The roads are well-constructed and motorable. You can either travel to Likir village by air, train or road.

• By air

The nearest airport to Likir village is the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee airport in Leh. Likir village is at a distance of around 56 km from the airport. If you take National Highway 1, it will take around 2-3 hours to reach Likir from the airport.

• By train

The nearest railway station to Likir is the Jammu Tawi railway station at a distance of around 800 km. You can take either a taxi from the railway station or take buses that frequent the area.

• By road

If you are travelling by your own vehicle or a taxi or a bike, the road trip would be the easiest way to travel to Likir. You would travel by the Leh-Kargil-Srinagar highway and witness the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers on the way.

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Timings for Likir monastery

The monastery has different opening times for tourists in Summer and Winter. In summer, the monastery opens at 8 AM and closes at 1 PM and then opens at 2 PM and closes finally at 6 PM.

In winter, however, the monastery opens at 10 AM in the morning and closes at 1 PM to open again at 2 PM and closes finally at 4 PM. The monastery is open all days of the week for tourist visits.

Best Time to Visit

If you are planning to travel to Ladakh, then April to September is the best time to visit Likir Monastery.

However, if you are planning to get the best part of Likir Monastery, the month of February when the Dosmochey festival is celebrated would be the best time to visit this place. Though, the roads from Manali and Srinagar to Ladakh would be closed in the winter months of November to April due to heavy snowfall.

However, after you travel to Leh by air, the road from Leh to Likir is open throughout the year and can be travelled by road only.

Dosmoche Festival

Celebrated to exterminate the evil spirits, the Dosbmochey festival is a two-day festival celebrated in the Likir, Diksit and Leh monasteries. Sacred mask dance also called the Cham Dance is performed at the festival. Monks and people dress up in colourful dresses, beautiful music is played and numerous games light up the marketplace.

Entry fee

The entry fee for Likir monastery is not charged by the authorities. The monastery is freely accessible to its tourists. However, the monastery contains a glorious museum. For those planning to visit the museum, the entry fee would be 20 Rs. per person.

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