Basgo Gompa

Basgo Gompa (Temple), is located in Basgo Village in Leh District, Ladakh, northern India approximately 40 km west of Leh. The Basgo Gompa was built by Namgyal rulers in 1680, Basgo itself was embedded in the early days of Ladakh and is frequently mentioned in the Ladakhi Chronicles when it was a political and cultural center In the 15th century, a palace was built in Basgo Village. The temple is situated on top of the hill towering over the ruins of the ancient town and is noted for its Buddha statue and murals. The complex comprises the Chamchung, Chamba Lhakhang, and Serzang temples, dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha Another small shrine is located off a courtyard one level below the Serzang temple. This shrine was built in 1642 and dedicated by a wife of Singya Namgyal, a Balti princess named Zeze Khatun, whose Muslim background caused the Buddhist monks in Ladakh to declare her an incarnation of Tara. This shrine contains a large image of Maitreya (the Future Buddha) while the wall murals depict various guardian divinities. Rising above the Basgo village on a surreal collection of eroded earthen pinnacles are the photogenic stubs of a once-great Basgo palace dating from when Basgo was a capital of lower Ladakh. It's worth coming just for the views, but within the complex you can also visit three splendid temples: the Chamba Lhakhang, Chamchung and Serzang, the former housing a fine two-storey Maitreya statue.