Alchi Monastery

Alchi Monastery is the oldest surviving monastic complex in Ladakh, established in the 11th century by the translator Rinchen Zangpo. Unlike most Ladakhi monasteries which sit dramatically on hilltops, Alchi is built on flat ground in a village on the banks of the Indus River, about 70 km west of Leh. The complex consists of several temples including the Dukhang, Sumstek, and the Temple of Manjushri. The interiors contain extraordinarily well-preserved murals and stucco sculptures in the Kashmir style, a distinct artistic tradition from the dominant Tibetan Buddhist art found elsewhere in Ladakh. Art historians consider Alchi one of the most significant repositories of early Himalayan Buddhist art in existence.