Ladakh’s most iconic Buddhist monastery, Thiksey Gompa, is spectacular whether viewed from a distance, rising up, as it does from a rocky outcrop at the side of the valley floor, whether admiring the views over the valley that it provides, or whether exploring the monastery itself. It houses a two storey high statue of the Maitreya Buddha seated on a lotus, contains a beautiful prayer room which has many handwritten and painted books as well as having a temple dedicated to goddess Tara with her 21 images placed in glass-covered wooden shelves. But, it is also so much more than a simple monastery as it also houses many Tibetan-style buildings, shops, a school, museum, restaurant and guesthouse. At dawn, dozens of monks gather for morning chanted prayers, a fascinating ceremony to witness.