The Tibetan Children's village and Thikse Gompa Buddhist monastery, Ladakh
12-13 October 1979
The SOS Tibetan Children’s Village in Choglamsar, near Leh, is a haven for Tibetan refugee children, founded to preserve their culture while providing modern education. Established after the 1959 Tibetan exodus, it offers not only schooling but also a family-like environment, where children grow up with Tibetan language, values, and traditions. The campus includes classrooms, hostels, and cultural centres, with prayer flags fluttering against the stark Himalayan backdrop, symbolising resilience and hope.
Not far away, Thikse Gompa rises majestically on a hilltop overlooking the Indus Valley. Resembling the Potala Palace of Lhasa, this 15th-century Gelugpa monastery is one of Ladakh’s most striking landmarks. Its multi-tiered structure houses assembly halls, shrines, and a grand 15-metre statue of Maitreya Buddha, one of the largest in Ladakh. Monks’ chants, butter lamps, and intricate murals fill its chambers. Thikse embodies Ladakh’s living Buddhist tradition, while Choglamsar reflects continuity of Tibetan identity in exile.
Not far away, Thikse Gompa rises majestically on a hilltop overlooking the Indus Valley. Resembling the Potala Palace of Lhasa, this 15th-century Gelugpa monastery is one of Ladakh’s most striking landmarks. Its multi-tiered structure houses assembly halls, shrines, and a grand 15-metre statue of Maitreya Buddha, one of the largest in Ladakh. Monks’ chants, butter lamps, and intricate murals fill its chambers. Thikse embodies Ladakh’s living Buddhist tradition, while Choglamsar reflects continuity of Tibetan identity in exile.
