Gue Monastery is located near a small village around 35 Kms from Tabo Monastery and is famous for 500 year old mummy of Sangha Tenzin, a Buddhist monk who is believed to have started his mummification process while he was still alive. The monastery is located very near the Indo Tibetan border and is surrounded on all side by mountains. This is a very rare example of natural mummification as most mummies we read about are mummified by embalming and then being wrapped in linen cloth. The natural process of mummification is used by monks by slow process of starvation in a seated position. The dead body is then placed in underground chamber for 3 years to continue the drying process. Only 30 such mummies have been found till date and most on them in Japan. The mummy of Sangha Tenzin is remarkably well preserved with skin and hair intact.
There was a huge earthquake in this area in the year 1975 which opened an old tomb that contained the mummy of monk Sangha Tenzin. The mummy is now kept in Gur monastery. The mummy is remarkably preserved with shin and hair still intact. The locals here believe that the monk requested his followers to mummify him during a scorpion infestation of the village and when his spirit left the body, a rainbow appeared and the scorpions disappeared. Best time to visit the monastery is from June to end of September.
