The Dhankar Monastery, also known as Dankhar, Drangkhar or Dhangkar Gompa, is situated in the Lahaul and Spiti districts in Himachal Pradesh, India. The monastery is situated beautifully on the edge of a cliff at an altitude of 12,774 feet, and provides a panoramic view of the Spiti valley. Established on a 1000 feet high mountain a thousand years ago and overlooking the heart-stirring sight of the confluence of the Spiti and Pin rivers, Dhankar Monastery is listed as one of the 100 most endangered monuments in the world.
The monastery has become a popular tourist destination, being one of the key centers of Buddhist art and culture. In addition to enchanting views, the Dhankar Hompa has Dhayan Buddha statue and a small museum that stores scripts and murals. Below the monastery is Shichilling village, where you can find a new monastery that houses about 150 monks belonging to the Tibetan Buddhist Gelug community. A 2 km monastery hike leads to pristine lake Dhankar.
