Shey Monastery

Mostly in ruins now, Shey Palace and Monastery was once the summer capital of Ladakh. The Namgyals, who were the rulers of Ladakh, abandoned Shey in 1842 and fled to Stok when Ladakh was invaded by the Dogras of Jammu and Kashmir. Located 15 km from Leh, Shey comes on the way to Thiksey Monastery, and can also be reached by trekking from Thiksey (4 km) through a stunning landscape filled with whitewashed chortens. The monastery is famous for its 39 ft tall Shakyamuni Buddha statue made of gold and copper and covering three storeys of the monastery.

Shey is also known for its festivals. Unlike most monasteries that have an annual festival, Shey hosts two seasonal festivals every year—Shey Doo Lhoo and Shey Rupla. The former marks the commencement of the sowing season while the other marks the harvesting season. Shey Doo Lhoo is celebrated on the 26th and 27th days of the first month of Tibetan calendar (generally falling in the month of July/August). It is said that during this festival an oracle reader visits the monastery to give out prophesies. During Shey Rupla, farmers offer the first harvest of corn to the gods at the monastery. The highlight of the festival is a special dance, known as Rhupla dance, performed by two men wearing tiger costumes. Also during this festival, the monastery is visited by two oracles who give oracular predictions. Due to the exclusivity of Shey Monastery, a special permission from the head lama is needed to enter the premises.