Around 18 km from Leh, on a hill overlooking the Indus river stand the Spituk (exemplary) monastery. The monastery was named by Rinchen Zangpo, the Great Translator whose efforts spread Buddhism in Ladakh. The Spituk monastery stores a collection of Buddhist artifacts and is quiet famous for the Spituk festival. The festival is celebrated from the 17th to 19th days of the 11th month of the Buddhist calendar.