Mulbekh Monastery, the 30 feet long limestone sculpture of Maitreya Buddha, Kargil, in Jammu

From the archive record

Mulbekh Monastery situated 45 km from Kargil and 260 km from Leh in Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir. The Mulbekh Monastery is famous for its two gompas and the nine-meter tall statue of Maitreya Buddha. Another reason for Mulbekh Monastery’s fame is the 30 ft long limestone sculpture of Maitreya Buddha. Carved onto the rock face, the sculpture of standing Maitreya Buddha overlooks the National Highway 1D between Leh and Kargil. The sculpture measures nine meters from base to its top. Maitreyas is also known as Chamba so Mulbekh Monastery is popularly known as Mulbekh Chamba. Near the Maitreya rock idol, there are ancient edicts inscribed on the mountain in Kharoshti script, an ancient Indic script used by the Gandhara culture. The Mulbekh Monastery is ornamented with wall paintings and