Located at a distance of 40km from Leh, Hemis is the most affluent, most noted, and biggest gompa of Ladakh. The yearly festival of Hemis is held in the summer in honour of Guru Padma Sambhav`s birth anniversary. It also houses the largest `thanka` (scroll painting on silk and brocade) in Ladakh that is unfolded once every 12 years. The last unfurling took place in 2004. The Hemis monastery was built in 1630 A.D. during the reign of Sengge Namgyal and flourished under the Namgyal dynasty.

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