Lamayuru Monastery and Moonland,Lamayuru is famous for its ancient monastery perched above a village and a surreal eroded landscape often called “Moonland” because of its soft, crumpled, moon-like hills. The monastery complex has old prayer halls, cave-like meditation rooms and terraces with grand views. Travellers on the Srinagar–Leh highway often stop here to explore the gompa, photograph the strange yellow-brown formations and enjoy tea in small cafés overlooking the valley.
About this place
History & highlights
Tradition says Lamayuru is one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh, founded around the 10th–11th century, associated with the Drikung Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Legends claim that the valley was once a lake, which a holy man dried up to create a place for monastery and settlement—possibly echoing ancient geological changes that created the eroded “Moonland” formations. Over centuries, Lamayuru served as a key religious centre and a landmark for caravans and pilgrims travelling between Kashmir and Ladakh. Today it is a must-see stop linking natural geology with deep monastic history.
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