Kardang
town · 1.5 km away
temple2 min from Keylong
Shashur Monastery
Shashur Monastery sits a short drive from Keylong's bazaar, founded by a Ladakhi lama in the 17th century, known for its Tseshe festival in July.
What it is
A Drukpa Kagyu monastery on a pine-covered slope above Keylong, founded by Dawa Gyatsho, a lama from Ladakh, in the 17th century. The name comes from the local dialect for "amidst blue pines," describing exactly where it sits.
Photos: Navneet Sharma (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
A short drive from Keylong's own bazaar, climbing through pine forest — close enough that a taxi covers it in well under fifteen minutes each way.
The visit
The monastery's prayer hall and the walk around its grounds are the visit itself — Shashur is quieter and smaller than Kardang across the river, without the crowds a festival day brings. The Tseshe festival, held between June and July, is the exception: masked dances and music fill the courtyard, and the valley's own villagers turn out alongside visitors.
> stop before Kardang and Tayul, both busier later in the day.
When to go
April to June and September to October, in line with the rest of the valley. The Tseshe festival (June–July) is worth timing a visit around if the dates line up with your trip.
Around it
Keylong and its bazaar are a short drive back down. Kardang and Tayul Monastery, across the Bhaga river, round out the one-day monastery loop, which also opens both the two-day and three-day plans.
Plans that include this
All 3 plans that stop here →
Day plan · First visitClassic
One day around Keylong — Shashur, Tayul and Kardang
A single-day Keylong loop: Shashur, Tayul and Kardang monasteries, all within half an hour's drive of the bazaar. Free itinerary on HimLocal.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
See the plan →
1 night · 2 days · First visitClassic
Two days in Keylong — monasteries on both sides of the valley
A two-day Keylong plan: Shashur, Tayul and Kardang on day one, Guru Ghantal Monastery and Gondhla Fort on day two. Free, copyable plan on HimLocal.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
See the plan →
2 nights · 3 days · First visitClassic
Three days in Lahaul — Keylong's monasteries and the highway villages
A three-day Lahaul plan from Keylong: monasteries and Gondhla Fort on days one and two, Sissu, Jispa and Darcha on day three. Free on HimLocal.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
See the plan →Nearby places
Questions people ask
How far is Shashur Monastery from Keylong?
A short drive up a pine-covered slope — about 15 minutes by road, close enough that some visitors walk part of the way and take a taxi back down, or the other way round, depending on energy and weather that day.
What does the name Shashur mean?
"Amidst blue pines" in the local dialect, describing the pine forest the monastery sits within. It's also known locally as Shashur gonpa, and the two names are used interchangeably by most people who live in the valley day to day.
When is the best time to visit for the festival?
The monastery's annual Tseshe festival runs between June and July, with masked dances and music that draw visitors from across the valley — check the exact dates locally, since they shift with the lunar calendar each year rather than falling on a fixed date.