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Isen Majennt on Flickr

Hemis Monastery, about a 2 hours drive from Leh, is the site of the head lama's palace. A kora (a long, covered sedan) awaits visitors inside the courtyard. Inside the palace is the statue of the Panchen Lama, the reincarnation of Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The statue is flanked by two red thangkas and Buddhist wall-paintings.