Here's why Thikse Monastery's Maitreya Temple, Ladakh Shanti Stupa are famous

Sara Ali Khan, Radhika Madan and Jasleen Royal recently flooded our social media feeds with breathtaking pictures and videos from Thikse Monastery and Shanti Stupa. Here’s why these picturesque places in Ladakh are major tourist attractions ...read more

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Updated on Aug 28, 2021 07:55 PM IST

Brushing aside our mid-week blues this week are the travel pictures of Bollywood actors Sara Ali Khan and Radhika Madan and singer Jasleen Royal who were seen exploring and bonding over their Ladakh trip which set fans speculating whether they are the new BFFs in Tinsel Town.(Instagram/saraalikhan95/radhikamadan)

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Adding to fans excitement was a picture where Radhika and best friend, Jasleen Royal were seen cuddling Sara for a picture in Thikse Monastery’s courtyard with the crystal blue sky above them, barren brown hills in the backdrop and a patch of greenery below.(Instagram/radhikamadan)

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Their pictures from Thikse Gompa or Thikse Monastery have certainly landed the tourist attraction into our travel bucket list and we can’t wait to check out the place with our girl gang.(Instagram/saraalikhan95/radhikamadan)

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Located at an altitude of 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) in the Indus Valley, Thikse Monastery is a twelve-storey complex that houses several Buddhist art pieces including stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings and swords.(Instagram/saraalikhan95)

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Both Sara and Radhika shared pictures of its main attraction - the Maitreya Temple which was installed to commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to Thikse Monastery in 1970.(Instagram/radhikamadan)

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The temple contains a 15 metres or 49 ft high statue of Maitreya Buddha which covers two stories of the building and is the largest Buddha statue in Ladakh.(Instagram/saraalikhan95)

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Made of clay, gold paint and copper, the statue of Maitreya Buddha was built in four years by the local artists under the master Shilp Guru Nawang Tsering of Leh’s Central Institute of Buddhist Studies.(Instagram/radhikamadan)

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The assembly hall or main prayer hall with its murals of the Tibetan calendar on the entrance wall is another major attraction at Thikse Monastery. It depicts the Bhavacakra or the Wheel of Life with images of a snake, a bird and a pig that signify ignorance, attachment and aversion. It represents the cycle of death and rebirth in Tibetan culture and as per Tibetan beliefs, the images are meant to remind that these earthly ties need to be overcome in order to get enlightenment in life.(Instagram/saraalikhan95)

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As for the Shanti Stupa, it provides panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and holds the relics of the Buddha at its base that were enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama.(Instagram/saraalikhan95)