Window and Ladder, Shey, Photo by Hitendra Sinkar
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Photo No.
:
17222
Photographer
:
Hitendra Sinkar
Themes
:
Windows, Ladakh, Monastery, History, Heritage
Title
:
Window and Ladder, Shey
Other details
:
Year of Photograph : 2005
Details
Shey was the old capital of the upper Ladakh region. The Shey Monastery or Gompa and the Shey Palace complex are structures located on a hillock in Shey.
The palace, mostly in ruins now, was built first in 1655, near Shey village, by the king of Ladakh, Deldan Namgyal, also known as Lhachen Palgyigon. It was used as a summer retreat by the kings of Ladakh.
The Shey Monastery was also built in 1655 on the instructions of Deldon Namgyal, in the memory of his late father, Singay Namgyal, within the palace complex. The monastery is noted for its giant copper with gilded gold statue of a seated Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha is so named since Buddha was the sage (muni) of the Sakya people who resided in the Himalayan foothills and their capital was Kapilvastu.