From Padum, a journey of 18 km on the road to Zangla, leads up to the Stongdey monastery. Perched on a rocky outcrop, the monastery towers over the village below. Stongdey holds the distinction of being the second largest monastery in the Zanskar valley with around 60 residing monks of the Gelukpa order. The significance of the monastery also lies in it being associated with the Tibetan yogi Marpa.

The complex of the monastery consists of a number of temples, each of which throws open a wealth of Buddhist relics for you to see and admire. Of special mention in this monastery is the Gon-khang, a temple dedicated to the guardian divinities of Buddhism.

Reaching the Stongdey monastery can be bit tiring since you need to walk uphill on foot for about four hours. However, once atop, you will completely enjoy the spectacular scenery of the valley around.


Padum
Located at a distance of 234 km south of Kargil, Padum is Zanskar regions administrative headquarters. The location of Padum at the southermost tip of a broad fertile river basin, amidst huge mass of detritus (small disintegrated particles of rocks) and snow capped mountains, is awe inspiring. Padum does not offer much in terms of sightseeing, however, what it does offer is an excellent opportunity for trekking. Also, Padum is the place where transportation and accommodation option is satisfactory despite the fact that it is limited and nothing when compared to Leh or even Kargil.


Other Attractions

• Karsha Monastery : Karsha monastery is around 10 km away from Padum and happens to be the biggest as well as richest monastery in the Zanskar region. The monks of the monastery are associated with the Gelukpa order of the Tibetan Buddhism. The highlight of this monastery is the three century old frescoes in the temple of Lhabrang.
  
  
• Sani Monastery : Sani monastery is considered the oldest and the only one constructed on the valley floor in the entire Zanskar region. The highlight of the monastery complex is the Kanishka stupa behind the main temple. Also below the stupa, a room is dedicated to Naropa. It is believed that at this spot, Naropa meditated some nine hundred years back.
  
  
• Zongkhul Monastery : The Zongkhul Monastery, too, is associated with Naropa, a renowned Indian yogi. It is believed that the two caves in and around which the monastery has come up was chosen by Naropa for meditating in isolation. The highlights of the monastery are its old frescoes which indicate towards the excellent art of the earlier times.