Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

1122 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early medieval · Buddhist · India

Lamayuru Monastery

Lamayuru, Ladakh · 34.2828°, 76.7744°

Drikung Kagyu school (originally Bon)Ladakh kingdom, Rinchen Zangpo eraCliffside gompa; the surviving Seng-ge-sgang temple is the oldest structure
Sacred since
958 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
10th-11th c.; oldest hall from the Rinchen Zangpo period
Ladakh kingdom, Rinchen Zangpo era

History & significance

One of the largest and oldest monasteries in Ladakh, set above the eroded badlands on the Srinagar-Leh highway and home to about 150 monks. It preserves meditation caves, including one associated with the Indian scholar Naropa, and hosts well-known masked dance festivals.

Sthala katha — the legend

Naropa is said to have dried up the lake that once filled this valley and founded the monastery on the bed it left behind.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Ladakh kingdom, Rinchen Zangpo era