Location: Sani monastery is located at an approximate distance of 6 km to the northwest of Padum, Kargil.
Description: Unlike other monasteries, the Sani monastery is not situated on the top of a hill but it is a citadel built on a horizontal terrain. Sani monastery is also famous by another name “Turtot Gyat”. This Gompa or monastery belongs to the Drukpa Kargyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. This is the only monastery which has monks as well as votaries. The Sani Gompa houses an ancient chorten, also known as Stupa, which is the tomb of a Buddhist saint. The name of chorten is Kanika chorten and it is 6 m in height. It is believed that this chorten was built during the time of Kanishka, an emperor of Kushan dynasty. There are ten stones next to the Kanika chorten with sculptures of Tibetan deities. The walls of the monasteries are inscribed with the Buddhist incantation “Om Mani Padme Hum”. Another part of the Gompa is the assembly hall, known as Du-Khang, which has sixteen columns and represents the pictures of Chamba, Chenren and Padmasambhava.
Activities: Tourists can become a part ofthe famous festivals, Nungnes and Sani Naro-Nasjal, celebrated in Kargil nearby the months of July and August. During the Sani Naro-Nasjal festival, the statue of Naropa is unveiled annually.
