Two days later. And it’s an overload!
Overload of gompas (English speak - monasteries), Chortens (Tibetan Buddhist memorials) and Prayer wheels.
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Not to be mistaken. All of them are beautiful and worth every minute of time spent visiting them but I think we did too much in too short a time. Then again, there is no other way to do it. There is just SO much to see around Leh. The good part is that we didn’t just do the ‘touristy’ thing – thanks to Neville (this is his fourth trip here), we got to see a lot of Ladakh that is quite different from the regular stuff.
Since it will take up too much space (read I’m too exhausted to go into all details), will just mention some of my personal highlights..
Thikse Monastery: 20 kms away from Leh, Thikse has a well deserved reputation of being ‘ the most photographed monastery’. While all gompas are primarily situated on cliffs (sometimes precariously), the backdrop of Thikse is particularly breath taking. The gompa itself is 12 storeys high, with aesthetic architecture and a gigantic golden Buddha in the main building.
Very pretty but overall a little too commercialized for my liking. This is THE monastery on everyone’s list along with Hemis Monastery. I guess it can’t be helped but nevertheless, It’s still a place worth your time.
Lamayuru: About 130 kms away from Leh, this monastery is set on a steep mountain overlooking Lamayuru village and the valley. It has some simply gorgeous views all around.
We stayed overnight at the village and spent the day at Monastery and the surrounding areas. I found this place the most peaceful so far – had a really awesome time.
Shey. Alchi, Spituk, Rizok – the other monasteries.
At Rizok, the main gompa was under renovation so we didn’t get to go inside. Instead we spent time at the school attached with the monastery. Brimming as it was with cute little monks running around, it was a lot more personal an experience. Meeting these monklings, proved the adage that kids will be kids :) No matter what the circumstances are and how far removed their life and rigorous schedule seems to be from your average child, there was the still the same amount of mischief and playfulness, that you would encounter anywhere with a bunch of kids. Very refreshing and fun.
Other than the monasteries, the two ‘must see’ places that we did see were Stok Palace (official residence of the Ladakhi Royal Family) and Shey Palace (a summer resort for the Ladakhi royals which is in a state of ruins right now).
Unfortunately we couldn’t make it to Hemis - we were to head there from Thikse but it was so darn hot that day, we were exhausted by the time we were done with huge Thikse. But at the end of two days I can safely say we’ve seen it all, so the fact that we didn’t make it to Hemis is not really a sore point.
I believe I’ve mentioned the word overload already ;)
Next couple of days - we are off to catch a ‘Monastery Festival’.
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Festivals are an annual event and each monastery has their own festival. The festivals - held over two days, fundamentally celebrate the triumph of good over evil and celebrations are marked by mimes/dances by colorfully masked dancers. The performances also a way of depicting Buddhist mythological stories. Majority of the festivals are held in winter but some of them take place in the summer as well.
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We missed the biggest one of them all – Hemis Monastery festival is the most ancient and also the most famous festival in the region. But that was in the beginning of July this year (A calendar listing all the festival dates is available in the tour books – FYI).
So we are heading to the Phyang Monastery for their annual festival called ‘Phyang Tsedup’.
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