Spituk Monastery

Spituk Monastery, also called as Spituk Gompa, comes under the Leh District in Ladakh. This monastery is located at about 8 km from Leh and was established during the 11th century by Od-de, the elder brother of Lha Lama Changchub Od. In 15th century, this monastery was overtaken by the Yellow Hat sect. It was essentially a Red Hat institution, which is known for its unique collection of icons, arms, Thangkas and masks.

There are around 100 monks at this monastery, who conduct the annual Gustor festival. During the Spituk Gustor festival, a giant statue of Goddess Kali is unveiled at the monastery. This festival is celebrated from 27th to 29th of the eleventh month in the ancient Tibetan calendar.