Bardan Gonpa

From afar, Bardan Gonpa resembles a fortress, situated high on a steep rocky outcrop above the fast-flowing Tsarup River. The Monastery is now accessible by a vehicle road that follows the river, but this was once merely a walking path described as steep and foreboding by western travel records. Bardan’s location is said to have been chosen based on the Tibetan Lama Barawa’s decision to meditate in that auspicious location during the 13th or 14th century. Bardan is thus named after Lama Barawa. But the monastery as it is today can be more closely linked with Dewa Gyatso’s developments and expansions which are estimated to have taken place between the 15th-17th centuries. Many of its currently standing structures date back to these years, with limited renovations, and multiple sources even believe the murals in its Dukhang to be original. Because Barden belongs to the Drukpa Kagyu sect, it is closely associated with Stakna Monastery in Ladakh. It also runs many of the operation of Sani Monastery, where its monks regularly visit for rituals and ceremonies. The monks also have close ties to the Monastery’s many supporting villages.