The
Chemrey Gompa of Ladakh is situated at a distance of approximately 40 km
to the east of the town of Leh. Founded by Lama Tagsang Raschen, this
monastery dates back to the 17th century. It was built to serve as a
memorial to King Sengge Namgyal. Today, the Ladakh Chemrey Gompa houses
around 20 monks of the diminishing Drugpa community, along with their
young novices. One of the highlights of the monastery is a one-story
high image of Padmasambhava. There are a number of shrines inside the
entire complex.The Chemrey Monastery of Leh Ladakh also boasts of a rich collection of scriptures, with title pages in sterling silver and the text in gold letters. Another major attraction of the Chemrey Monastery of Ladakh is the festival of sacred dances that takes place every year on the 28th and 29th day of the 9th Tibetan month. The dances are performed in association with the festival of an initiatory ritual. The successive reincarnations of Lama Tagsang Raschen serve as the incumbents of the Chemrey Gompa.
