Mulbekh Monastery sits above Mulbekh village in Kargil district and comprises two gompas: the Drukpa Serdung and the Gelug Rgaldan Se. It stands on the Srinagar to Leh road, the first substantial Buddhist site travellers meet coming from Kashmir. Its oldest part, Nyima Lhakhang, is attributed to students of the translator Rinchen Zangpo some eight hundred years ago.
Duke Kashmir Travels has driven the Srinagar to Leh road since 2011, under J&K Department of Tourism registration JKTA00003978. Ladakh packages start near ₹6,350 per person, two sharing.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- In Kargil district on the Srinagar-Leh highway, above Mulbekh village.
- Two gompas: Serdung of the Drukpa order and Rgaldan Se of the Gelug.
- Nyima Lhakhang is the oldest section, roughly eight hundred years old.
- A tall rock-cut Maitreya stands beside the road below the monastery.
- The usual second-day stop between Kargil and Leh.
- Open May to September, with the highway.
What are the two gompas?
Serdung Gompa, of the Drukpa order, and Rgaldan Se Gompa, of the Gelug order, sharing the same hill above the village.
Two orders on one hill is unusual and worth noticing. The older Nyima Lhakhang within the complex is attributed to disciples of Rinchen Zangpo, which places the foundation in the same wave that produced Alchi.
What is the Maitreya carving?
A large standing Maitreya cut into a rock face beside the road below the monastery, one of the best known images in Ladakh.
It is thought to be very old, and it stands at eye level from the roadside, so it costs nothing to stop. Most vehicles on the Leh run pause here for exactly that reason.
How does it fit the drive?
Between Kargil and Leh on day two of the Srinagar to Leh road, a natural break of half an hour.
The Kargil War Memorial at Drass falls on day one of the same drive. See tour ideas for the full two-day route.
Booking this with us
Behind the itineraries: Duke Kashmir Travels, a Srinagar agency carrying tourism registration JKTA00003978 from March 2011, IATO membership ALD150928 and a seat in the JK Tourism Council. Details on About Us.
Give us the dates and the number of travellers; the itinerary and the quote come back the same day. +91 9018 44 0000, info@dukekashmirtravels.com, or the contact page.
About the founder
Duke Kashmir Travels is owned and run by its founder, Rayies Ahmad Zargar, who set it up in Srinagar in 2011 and checks these destination pages himself. LinkedIn.