Sankar gompa is a subsidiary of Spitok, having the same head
lama. Sankar is easily visited on foot from Leh, lying as it does
in Leh's suburbs. The gompa is 90 years old but is located on
the site of a small temple that was built some 500 years ago.
About 25 lamas of the yellow-hat sect are attached to Sankar gompa
but only a few live here permanently. Thus it is only
open to the public from 7 to 10 am and from 5 to 7 pm. From the
street one enters the gompa's front yard. To the right are a few
steps climbing up to the double doors that open onto the Dukhang.
The entrance porch has paintings of the Guardian of the Four Directions
on either side of the entry door. On the left wall of the verandah
is a "Wheel of Life" held by Yama, the deity that determines
a person's future fate after death. The right verandah wall depicts
the Old Man of Long Life. The Dukhang's side walls have new paintings
of various Buddhas, while guardian divinities appear on either
side of the entrance hall. In the Dukhang opposite the entrance
is a throne reserved for the gompa's head lama. To the left of
the throne are colorful butter sculptures made by mixing butter
and barley flour. Further to the left is a glass-fronted case
containing the image of Yamadhaka, a fierce guardian divinity.
To the right of the throne is an image of Avalokitesvara with
1000 arms and 11 heads. Avalokitesvara is also known as the "Lord
of All He Surveys" and is believed to be reincarnated in
the Dalai Lama. On either side of the throne seat are doors to
a small chapel. The central image is of Tsong-kha-pa, founder
of the yellow-hat sect of Buddhism and his two chief disciples.
Below the disciples are images of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha)
on either side of Tsong-kha-pa. To the left is an image of Avalokitesvara,
again with 1,000 arms and 11 heads (nine Bodhisattva heads, one
head angry at the suffering in the world and a Buddha head on
top). To the right is a case containing Tibetan bronzes. Against
the right wall is a White Guardian and a mandala of Amchi (the
Buddha of Medicine). Exiting the Dukhang, turn left, go through
a door and up one flight of steps. Immediately on the left is
a door leading into a small inner courtyard. The walls of this
courtyard are painted with the Tibetan calendar (which resembles
a large chessboard) and murals depicting the proper way for lamas
to live. A long mural across the top of one side of the courtyard
shows Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) in the middle flanked
by his two chief disciples. On the far right of this mural is
Tsong-kha-pa and on the far left is Atisa, an Indian Buddhist
and teacher of Buddhism in Tibet. Diagonally opposite the door
entering into this courtyard is the entrance to the Dukar Lokhang,
a small temple devoted to the deity Dukar. The main image is a
very imposing statue of Dukar, inset with turquoise and shown
with 1,000 arms, 1,000feet, 1,000heads, and 100,000 eyes. Numerous
bangle bracelets have been left as offerings by women devotees
at the feet of this deity. To the left of the Dukar is a case
containing various bronze images. On the right is a statue of
Maitreya (the Buddha of the Future) and another case of bronze
statues. Directly over the front porch of the gompa is the Kandshur,
the 108 vloumes of Buddha's teachings and images of the Three
Buddhas - Sakyamuni (the Post Buddha), the Present Buddha and
Maitreya (the Future Buddha).