Sankar Monastery sits about two kilometres from the centre of Leh, an easy half-hour walk through narrow lanes and barley fields. It is a daughter establishment of Spituk Monastery and serves as the residence of Kushok Bakula, the senior incarnate lama of Ladakh. Fewer than twenty monks live here permanently, which gives the place a quieter, more intimate feel than the larger gompas on the Indus.
The main assembly hall is richly painted with Tibetan calendar images, mandalas, and monastic rules. The inner sanctuary holds the monastery's remarkable centrepiece: a statue of Avalokiteshvara with 1,000 arms and 1,000 heads, each arm holding a weapon. The effect is overwhelming rather than violent — the sheer proliferation of compassion made physical. Access is limited to early morning and early evening, in keeping with the monastic schedule.