Phugtal Gompa is a Buddhist monastery located in the remote Lungnak Valley in the Himalayan region of Zanskar, Northern India. The monastery was built around 2,550 years ago and it’s remote location was ideal for monks looking for peace and solitude to meditate. It is built into the mountainside and around a cave and the earliest residents were the 16 Arhats, the legendary followers of Buddha. Eminent scholars imparted their teachings at Phugtal over the centuries, and the monastery has grown over the years and is currently home to about 70 monks. It houses a main temple, prayer rooms, a library with rare sacred texts, apartments and living quarters as well as teaching facilities and a kitchen.