Ladakh
Hill Station
Ladakh
Land of the Gompa and the Lama
Beyond the valley of Kashmir, on top of insurmountable
mountains, lies Ladakh, the Shan-gri-la of the adventurous
travellers. It is a land of barren rocks, a wasteland,
with gompas or monasteries carved into the hillside.
Magnificent statues of the Buddha, art treasures and
tankhas (painted scrolls) are there in plenty for the
lover of art to see and enjoy.Leh, the capital, is an
oasis surrounded by mountains in horse-shoe formation
and is part of the remote Karakoram ranges of the Himalayas.
WHAT TO SEE
» Leh Khar Palace, built in the 16th century.
There are wall paintings of the life of the Buddha.
It has a collection of 100-year old tankhas, statues
etc.
» The Leh monastery which houses a solid
gold statue of the Buddha.
» The Leh Mosque, of Turko-Iranian architecture,
built in 1594.
» Tsemo Gompa, one of the royal monasteries.
EXCURSIONS
» Shankar Gompa (3 km.), has an outstanding
collection of small statues of pure gold and paintings.
» Spituk Monastery (8 km.), has a collection
of tankhas and face masks.
» Shey Palace and Monastery (15 km.), the
summer palace of the former Raja of Leh. The monastery
has a 2-storeyed statue of the sitting Buddha, (Visit
to be arranged through the Lama beforehand).
» Thiksey Monastery (19 km.) en route to
Hemis, presents a panoramic view of the Indus Valley
and a collection of art in its chambers.
» Fiang Gompa (20 km.), the monastery of
the red sect of Buddhists, has an exquisite collection
of statues and tankhas.
» Hemis Gompa (49 km.), has an impressive
collection of tankhas, gold statues and stupas embedded
with precious stones.
» Lamayuru (125 km.), Ladakh’s oldest
monastery. There are caves carved into the mountains.
» Alchi and Likir Gompas (135 km.), have
1000-year old wall paintings.
» Mulbekh Monastery (190 km.), has a huge
standing Buddha carved out of rock.
FESTIVALS OF SPECIAL LOCAL INTEREST
» Hemis Festival (June) commemorates the
birth of Guru Padmasambhava, who fought with demons
to protect his people. For 3 days there is gaiety, joy
and worship. Masked dances are a part of the celebrations.
» Losar. Dating back to the 15th century,
it is celebrated in the 11th month of the Buddhist year.
There are several more festivals.
SHOPPING
Hand-woven carpets with dragon designs, copper and silver
trinkets set with turquoise, tankhas or scrolls. (Buying
and selling of antique is forbidden by low.)
SPORTING PASTIMES/TREKS
Archery contests are held in the seasons.Trekking in
Ladakh is spectacular as it goes through high mountains.
However it is advisable to be fully equipped before
setting out, and to take a porter and ponies from Leh,
Lamayuru or Padam, from where the treks commences. Some
famous treks are -- Leh - Kargil, Kargil - Suru - Zanskar
- Kishtwar - Manali and Kargil - Suru - Wardwan - Kishtwar
- Pahalgam. There are also many short treks.
