Nubra Valley
Diskit Monastery, perched on a cliff above Nubra Valley, is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery in the valley and one of the most dramatically situated gompas in Ladakh. The 32-metre Maitreya Buddha statue installed here in 2010 gazes serenely across the Shyok River towards the Siachen Glacier direction — a deeply moving sight. The monastery's prayer hall contains stunning medieval thangkas and a 500-year-old mummified demon head said to have threatened the region, kept as a protective relic.
The monastery is most atmospheric at morning prayer time (6–7 AM) and during the Dosmoche Festival in February–March when monks perform Cham dances in elaborate masks and robes.