At an altitude of 12000 feet, Hemis Monastery is the largest Tibetan monastery in the Ladakh region. It is one of the most visited monasteries by tourists on a trip to Leh Ladakh. It sits on a mountain on the west side of the Indus River, only 45 km away from the town of Leh, and is one of the prime attractions of the Ladakh trip.

The history of Hemis Monastery is contained as a transcript of a biography of the pupil of yogi Tilopa – Naropa. This biography was found in the Hemis Monastery and was translated later in various languages. It talks about how Naropa met Tilopa, a tantric master, and the tasks that Tilopa assigned to Naropa to achieve enlightenment. Hemis, also spelled Hamis, is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Kharu tehsil, 40 km southeast of Leh town. Hemis is well known for the Hemis monastery that was established in 1672 AD by king Sengge Namgyal. The village hosts a colorful festival held in July.