Shrine’s History
The Gompa Soma shrine was built in 1840 by Lama Tashi Tenpel above the old royal stables. Since a new monastery was built on the main bazaar in the late 1950s, Gompa Soma lost importance and patronage and fell into disrepair. The owner, Hemis monastery, requested THF for help in restoring the building, with funding being provided by Ladakh government, Hemis, private donations and THF.
The shrine is small, with a central image of Sakyamuni flanked by a marble Avalokiteswara on the left, and Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava) on the right. Guru Rimpoche was an Indian tantric missionary who helped spread Buddhism in Tibet.
Shrine’s Map Location and How to Go There
By Road
It is in the old fort road in Ladakh and is 218km away from Kargil by road.
BY RAIL
You cannot reach Ladakh directly by train as there is no train station in Ladakh. The nearest railway station is Jammu Jammu Tawi (700 km from Ladakh) which is well connected with Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. You can hire a cab or board a JKSRTC bus to reach Ladakh from Jammu.
BY AIR
The nearest airport is Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport located in Leh.
Shrine Timings
The shrine is open every day between 8am to 6pm.
