Sankar
Gompa is a subsidiary of Spitok, having the same head
lama. Sankar is easily visited on foot from Leh, lying
as it does in Leh's suburbs. The gompa is 90 years
old but is located on the site of a small temple that
was built some 500 years ago. About 25 lamas of the
yellow-hat sect are attached to Sankar gompa but only
a few live here permanently. Thus it is only open
to the public from 7 to 10 am and from 5 to 7 pm.
From the street one enters the gompa's front yard.
To the right are a few steps climbing up to the double
doors that open onto the Dukhang. The entrance porch
has paintings of the Guardian of the Four Directions
on either side of the entry door. On the left wall
of the verandah is a "Wheel of Life" held
by Yama, the deity that determines a person's future
fate after death. The right verandah wall depicts
the Old Man of Long Life. The Dukhang's side walls
have new paintings of various Buddhas, while guardian
divinities appear on either side of the entrance hall.
In the Dukhang opposite the entrance is a throne reserved
for the gompa's head lama. To the left of the throne
are colorful butter sculptures made by mixing butter
and barley flour. Further to the left is a glass-fronted
case containing the image of Yamadhaka, a fierce guardian
divinity.
To
the right of the throne is an image of Avalokitesvara
with 1000 arms and 11 heads. Avalokitesvara is also
known as the "Lord of All He Surveys"
and is believed to be reincarnated in the Dalai
Lama. On either side of the throne seat are doors
to a small chapel. The central image is of Tsong-kha-pa,
founder of the yellow-hat sect of Buddhism and his
two chief disciples. Below the disciples are images
of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) on either side
of Tsong-kha-pa. To the left is an image of Avalokitesvara,
again with 1,000 arms and 11 heads (nine Bodhisattva
heads, one head angry at the suffering in the world
and a Buddha head on top). To the right is a case
containing Tibetan bronzes. Against the right wall
is a White Guardian and a mandala of Amchi (the
Buddha of Medicine). Exiting the Dukhang, turn left,
go through a door and up one flight of steps. Immediately
on the left is a door leading into a small inner
courtyard. The walls of this courtyard are painted
with the Tibetan calendar (which resembles a large
chessboard) and murals depicting the proper way
for lamas to live. A long mural across the top of
one side of the courtyard shows Sakyamuni (the Historical
Buddha) in the middle flanked by his two chief disciples.
On the far right of this mural is Tsong-kha-pa and
on the far left is Atisa, an Indian Buddhist and
teacher of Buddhism in Tibet. Diagonally opposite
the door entering into this courtyard is the entrance
to the Dukar Lokhang, a small temple devoted to
the deity Dukar. The main image is a very imposing
statue of Dukar, inset with turquoise and shown
with 1,000 arms, 1,000feet, 1,000heads, and 100,000
eyes. Numerous bangle bracelets have been left as
offerings by women devotees at the feet of this
deity. To the left of the Dukar is a case containing
various bronze images. On the right is a statue
of Maitreya (the Buddha of the Future) and another
case of bronze statues. Directly over the front
porch of the gompa is the Kandshur, the 108 vloumes
of Buddha's teachings and images of the Three Buddhas
- Sakyamuni (the Post Buddha), the Present Buddha
and Maitreya (the Future Buddha).
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