Matho monastery situated in Ladakh was founded in 1410 century by Lama Dugpa Dorje. Sadly,Most of the buildings are decaying but there is a new assembly hall or du-khang which was built in 2005 and which has very colourful paintings and a main statue of Sakyamuni Buddha . There is a small chapel on the top of the building containing images of Sakya Pandita and other Sakya lamas.There is a ‘Museum’ which contains Number of old Thangkas which are brought from Tibet in 15th century.Masks and robes which are dressed by lamas in festival can be seen here.
Matho Monastery is about 26 km south of Leh in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. Matho is the only monastery which follows Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism. Matho monastery is modeled on the Saskya monastery in Tibet. It is famous for its 600 years old thangkas and Matho Nag rang Festival.
The Matho Nagrang Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar. It is held in the Matho Monastery and is indeed a colorful festival of the monasteries. On the first two days of the celebrations for the Matho Nagrang, the monks give a splendid performance of mask dances. To make the dance look more realistic, monks wear vibrant robes and God and Goddess mask.
The important aspect of this festival is two Rongtsan oracles. The Rongstan monk purify themselves by keeping fast and meditation for two whole months in complete isolation in order to have suitable receptacles for receiving the oracles spirits.
While in this trance state they answer questions about the prospects for Matho and Ladakh for the coming year as well as personal questions put to them by individuals.These oracles predict the future events. There are people who come from near and far to seek some advice from the oracles and perform certain rituals to handle disasters and other unpleasant happenings.
When possessed they are said to be able to perform many astounding feats such as cutting themselves with knives and walking around the ramparts of the top storey blindfolded with no fear of falling down the precipice below.
Where to Stay
Leh offers several accommodation options from budget to luxury. There are no hotels in Matho. There are few small stalls which sell snacks and soft drinks. It would be advisable to carry food/snacks while visiting Matho.
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