Buddhist Gompa

The Buddhist way of life is part of Himalayan culture. There are several monasteries (Gompa) near and around Manali. Lamas are trained meditation techniques and preaching’s of Buddha. The monastery in Manali also runs a Thanka painting school and a carpet-weaving centre.

Gompas support arts & crafts of ancient Tibetan culture along with the teachings of Buddha. Articles of handicraft are pretty famous and also kept for sale to tourists and outsiders. The paintings inside depict events from Lord Buddha’s life. The Kalchakra i.e. the wheel of life painted on the wall of the monastery shows the circle of life. There are Charkas (wheels) with Om-Mani-Padme-Hum written on them. The Buddhists believe that rotating it provides you salvation.