A part of the Drugpa sect of Buddhism, Stakna Monastery or Stakna Gompa was founded in the late 16th century by a Bhutanese scholar and saint, Chosje Jamyang Palkar – the renowned scholar and saint. The literal meaning of the term Stakna is tiger's nose, which is also the shape of the hill on which the monastery is located. In the monastery, there's a big assembly hall known as Dukhang, which is adorned with beautiful paintings of Sakyamuni, Tsephakmad, and Amchi. Out of the several idols of the monastery, the most significant one is that of Arya Avalokitesvara from Assam's Kamrup region. Towards the extreme right of courtyard, there's a seven feet tall silver gilded chorten which features a figure of Lord Buddha with some notes. Parallel to the hall, there's a painting of Bodhisattva, Tshong-san-Gompa, and Padma Sambhava. The best part of the monastery is the view of the Indus river that one gets to see from its top. The monastery is home to around 30 monks. Located on the banks of the Indus River at a distance of 25 km. from Leh, the monastery is perched on a hill that resembles the shape of a tiger’s nose. The monastery gets its name from the same hill. Vibrant colours on the inner walls of the monastery immediately catch your attention as you enter the courtyard which also houses a 7 ft. tall silver gilded Chorten with figure of Lord Buddha engraved on it. Paintings of Sakyamuni and Bodhisattva adorn the walls of the prayer hall. What adds to the beauty of this little monastery are the striking views of the Indus valley and Indus River that make you fall in love with the place.