Likir Monastery gets its name from the word Lukhgil which means ‘coiled snake’. Buddhists believe that the Snake King Jokpo slept at Likir Monastery once and that the monastery is encircled and guarded by the spirits of two great snakes—Nanda and Taksako.

The monastery houses around 120 Buddhist monks and a school that accommodates approximately 30 students. The school is run by the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies and imparts education in three languages, Hindi, English, and Sanskrit.

There are two prayer halls called Dukhang; the one on the right side is the older one, which has a seating arrangement for the monks and also a throne for the Head Lama of Likir. There are various statues of Maitreya Buddha, Boddhisattva, Amitabha, Sakyamuni, and Tsong Khapa in the prayer hall.

Brightly coloured Thangka paintings hang in the verandah of the monastery depicting the Guardians of the Four Directions. The courtyard of the monastery houses a rare Jupiter tree. The monastery has innumerable manuscripts, thangka paintings and a collection of earthen pots.

Would you like a customised Itinerary?