Enigmatic land of Sand and Snow

In the first part, I gave an overview of Leh and Ladakh.
And I took the readers on a journey east of Leh – past Shey, Thiksey, Hemis and Chemrey, over Changla Pass and on to the beautiful Pangong Lake.
In this second part, I will write about some wonderful places West of Leh.We will visit some of the oldest monasteries; the sangam (confluence) of Indus and Zanskar Rivers; the unique Magnetic Hill; and meet our furry friends – the Yak and Pashmina sheep.

Original Religion of Ladakh

I was curious to know what was the religion of Ladhak before Buddhism.
The original religion of Ladakh (and also Tibet) was Bon founded by Tönpa Shenrab or gShen-rab mi-bo (also known as Buddha Shenrab, Guru Shenrab, Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche, Lord Shenrab Miwo and other titles). gShenrab mi-bo is the founder of the Bön religion and occupies a position very similar to that of Śākyamuni in Buddhism.
Like the Buddha Shakyamuni, Tönpa Shenrab was of royal birth.
Tönpa Shenrab left his royal inheritance at the age of 31, to follow the path of enlightenment.
Tönpa Shenrab embraced the life of a renunciate and commenced austerities, spreading the dharma in the land of Zhangzhung near what is believed to be Mount Kailash. But we have no reliable sources to establish his historicity, his dates, his racial origin, his activities, and the authenticity of the enormous number of books attributed either directly to him or believed to be his word.
The latter, the Bonpo say, were written down after his death in much the same way as the Buddhist scriptures were assembled.
No pre-10th century materials are available which could throw light on activities such as his visit to Tibet.

A new wave of Buddhism entered Ladakh when the reformist sect of the Gelugpa created by Tsongkhapa led to the reestablishment of monasteries in the 15th century.
Most of the old shrines of the earlier Bon religion were converted into Buddhist monasteries.

 
Lamayuru Monastery (125 Kms west of Leh)

This is the oldest and most spectacularly set monastery built in the 10th century by Rinchen Zangpo at the request of the King of Ladakh.But Lamayuru has a more historic pre-Buddhist, Bon history, and is one of the oldest religious sites in Ladakh.
Its real name is Yungdrung, signifying swastika.

Also known as Tharpa Ling or “Place of Freedom”, the Lamayuru Monastery is considered a sanctuary, even for criminals; and is guarded by an 11-headed, 1000-eyed image of Chenrezi, the Buddha of Compassion.

The Yak and the Pashmina Sheep
In the village below Lamayuru Monastery, we found some Pashmina sheep who give the finest wool.

We also saw the Yak.
Today, no Yak survive in the wild in Ladakh.
All the existing ones are domesticated ones.
I asked the driver how much milk the Yak gives.
He answered the Yak does not give milk.
The reason is the word Yak is used for the male of the species.

Hills of Different ColoursWhen you drive from Leh towards Lamayuru, you cross barren hills.
The colours of the hills are remarkably different.
Snow White. Blues. Pinks and Mauves.

You pass through Orchards of Apricots.

You also travel along the crystal clear Indus River gurgling on its long journey.
 

Nimu – Confluence of Indus and Zanskar rivers (17 Kms from Leh)

The Zanskar river merges into the Indus at this beautiful and scenic spot.

Magnetic Hill (30 kms from Leh)This is a unique place.
It defies the law of gravity.
A vehicle parked in neutral gear on the metallic road here actually slides up the hill.
The locals told me that some scientists wanted to do some testing but permission was refused.

Lekir Monastery (52 Kms from Leh)

Likir was built more than 500 years ago during the reign of Lachen Gyalpo and in those days, it housed more than 600 monks.
The monks of Likir were the caretakers of Alchi.
The head Lama today is the younger brother of H.H. the Dalai Lama, although he is not in residence.Likir used to house images and Thankas that surpassed those at Alchi.
Many of the old treasures and much of the old structure was destroyed in a fire.
Most of the present buildings date from the 18th century.
The Monastery has a small, but interesting, museum.

Alchi Monastery (70 Kms from Leh)

Alchi Monastery is the only monastery in Ladakh built on flat ground.
The Monastery contains three 3-story high statues of the Bodhisatvas.
One of the largest and most famous of all monasteries, Alchi was built by the great translator Ringchem Zangpo in the 11th century which accounts for the Kashmiri-Hindu influence in the wooden carvings on the doors, ceiling designs and murals..

In the next part – Leh III, I will write about some more interesting places.
 

 Ladakh is unique.
It is unlike any other place in the world.
It really belongs to a bye gone era forgotten by time itself. Ladakh is the enigmatic land of sand and snow.
You can see snow covered mountains and sand dunes in the same place – at heights exceeding 11,500 feet (3,520 metres).
You can ride on long haired two humped camels or watch highly endangered birds and animals.
You can amble through ancient monasteries dramatically perched on high mountains and join the monks in their daily prayers or explore the mysterious corridors of old palaces.
You can indulge yourself in white water rafting or trek through the enchanting wilderness for a couple of days or more.  

Location                                                                                       

Ladakh is part of Jammu and Kashmir State in north India.
It consists of two districts – Leh and Kargil.
Leh district, with an area of 45,110 Sq kms, covers more than half the state and is the largest district in India.
Leh district comprises of Leh town, 112 inhabited villages and one un-inhabited village.
The total population of Leh district is a mere 1.17 lacs.
It is the least populated district in India.

Ladakh lies in the rain shadow of the Great Himalayas.
Therefore, it does not receive any rain during the monsoons and is extremely dry.
Even when you are asleep, the lips become parched and the throat begs for water.
But Ladakh receives heavy snowfall throughout the long winter months (November to late May).The region is watered by the Indus and Zanskar rivers.
The Indus originates in a spring called Singikahad near Mansarovar Lake on the northern side of the Himalayan range in Mount Kailash in Tibet and enters India near Leh.The Zanskar originates in the glaciers of the Zanskar range and merges with the Indus seventeen kms from Leh.
The landscape resembles that of neighbouring Tibet; and therefore, the area is also called “Little Tibet”.
The Buddhist people here show the same outward appearance as their Tibetan counterparts.
But the culture of the Ladhaki Buddhists is more similar to that of Bhutan.

Religion

81.18 % of the people are Buddhists. 15.32 % are Muslims.  2.99 % are Hindus.

Leh

Leh, the capital of Ladakh, is located at an altitude of 11,552 ft. (3,521 metres).
The sun is very bright, and it is pleasantly warm in the sun, but the temperature sharply drops at night, even in summer.
Leh is an archaic town, with a mosque and missionary schools.
You can see the Leh Palace from any place in the town.
If you are interested in exploring local life, walk through the narrow lanes behind the Mosque in the main market area.

History

Ladakh was an important Buddhist centre, in the 3rd century BC, much before the saint Padmasambhava converted Tibet to Buddhism.
But we do not know much about the early history of Ladakh.After the demise of the first Tibetan empire in 1020, Tibet was divided amongst the three princes.
One of them moved over to Ladakh and founded the first royal dynasty there.
They had their capital at Shey and built many forts.
In the following centuries, the Ladakhi kings extended their territory.
Lhachen Utpala (1080 to 1110) expanded his kingdom to the boundaries of the related dynasties of Purang and Mustang (in present-day Nepal).Lhachen Bhagan unified Ladakh in 1470 and founded a new dynasty, Namgyal.
In 1533, the Great King Soyang Namgyal united the whole region into one large kingdom and built his capital at Leh.
After him, Kings Sengge Namgyal (1570 to 1620) and Deldan Namgyal (1620-1660) extended their empire.
Even today, the descendents of the Namgyal dynasty are regarded as the rulers of Ladakh by the local people, and the Queen of Stok has been a member of the Indian Parliament.
The great fifth Dalai Lama of Tibet (Nawang Lobsang Gyatso 1617-82) convinced the Mongolians, whom he had converted to Lamaism, to wage war against West Tibet and Ladakh. The Ladhaki King Delegs Namgyal requested Ibrahim Khan, the Mughal governor of Kashmir, for help. The Governor sent troops and the Mongols were defeated.
But in return, Ladakh was forced to pay a regular tribute to the Mughals and had to allow construction of a mosque in Leh. In 1834, the Dogra power was at its peak in Jammu and Kashmir. They sent their General Zorawar Singh to capture Leh.
Thus, Ladakh and the adjoining Baltistan came under Dogra suzerainty.
You can see the remains of the small Zorawar Fort just outside Leh.
The royal family of Ladakh shifted to the palace at Stok, where they continue to live even today.
Jammu and Kashmir was created following the Treaty of Amritsar signed on March 16, 1846 between the British Government and Gulab Singh, the Dogra ruler. It included Ladakh and Baltistan.

But due to the partition of India, Baltistan became part of Pakistan, while Ladakh remained in India as part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Travelling to Leh                                                                                         For the past three years, I had been planning to visit Leh.
But for one reason or another, the trip had to be postponed.
I finally made it in April 2008.We left Mumbai for Delhi by a night flight and reached Delhi airport around midnight.
Since the flight to Leh was scheduled to leave Delhi early next morning, we decided to spend the night in the airport.

The airport was under renovation. All the retiring rooms had been demolished.
Chairs were limited which left passengers clustering on the floors or sitting on their baggage trolleys.
Fortunately, there were several food counters offering a variety of eatables.We left Delhi early next morning.
The flight took us over the plains, then over brown and black hills.
Suddenly, the Himalayan range appeared in the distance.
The tops were covered with white snow. The aeroplane flew above and over the Himalayas at a height of 36,000 feet, far above the highest peaks.
We could see snow-capped peaks down below.
We could see large glaciers ending into trickling tongues of glistening water which joined each other  to form small and then large rivers.Suddenly, the aeroplane entered Leh aerospace.
We could see the small town surrounded by towering snow covered peaks.
Finally, we landed at Leh. There had been heavy snowfall the previous night.
All around was only snow, snow and more snow.
The temperature was around – 5 degree celsius.

Places to see

There are a number of interesting places and monasteries to see in and around Leh.
Some of the important places are:
Shey, Leh and Stok Palaces;
the monasteries of Shey, Hemis, Alchi, Thikse and Lamayuru;
Magnetic hill;
Confluence of Indus and Zanskar rivers;Changla Pass and the Khardungla Pass.

First Day

The altitude of Leh is about 11,500 feet. The oxygen content is quite low.
All tourists are advised to spend the first day in the hotel itself to get acclimatized to the high altitude.
We took breakfast and lunch in the hotel and spent the greater part of the day doing nothing.
In the evening, we leisurely walked around the market and explored the surroundings.
Too much exertion can induce mountain sickness.

Second and Third Day

You can see Leh and the nearby places.

Gompa Soma (Jokhang) (Gompa means Monastery)

The Ladakh Buddhist Association built this small Monastery in 1957 – opposite the State Bank of India, in the main bazaar or market place.
This Monastery contains a statue of Joyo Rinpochey (crowned Buddha).
Leh Palace                                                                   

The historic nine storeyed palace built by King Sengge Namgyal in 1533 is situated on a hill overlooking Leh and commands a grand view of the entire town.
The Leh Palace was built in the grand Tibetan style of architecture.
It inspired the design of the famous Potala of Lhasa, built half a century later.

You can climb up to the Leh Palace, constructed for the Ladakhi royal family before it was exiled to Stok in 1830 by the Dogra armies and explore the interiors.
Leh Palace is maintained by the Archaelogical Survey of India. There is a small entrance fee to enter the palace.
But when we reached there, there were no guards or watchman.
The small Archaelogical Survey office was locked. 
Se we entered the Palace and walked up and down several storeys.

Namgyal Tsemo Gompa

The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa of Ladakh was founded by King Tashi Namgyal Namgyal around the year 1430. It stands on a crag just behind Leh palace, providing a full view of the town of Leh. Namgyal Tsemo Gompa has a rich collection of ancient manuscripts and wall paintings.
It also houses statues of Avaloketesvara and Manjushri, approximately one storey high.
One of the most treasured possessions of the monastery is a three-storey high solid gold statue of Maitriya Buddha (future Buddha, also known as the laughing Buddha).Nearby, on Namgyal Tsemo, the peak overlooking the town, are the ruins of the fort built, by the King Tashi Namgyal.

Sankar Gompa (3 Kms from Leh)

Sankar Gompa is unique because it is one of the rare monasteries built in a valley (almost all monasteries are built on tops of hills).This monastery is a subsidiary of the Spituk Gompa and belongs to the Gelukpa or the Yellow Hat Sect.
The monastery also serves as the official residence of the Ladakh’s head of Gelukpa Sect, known as the Kushok Bakul. To the right of the front yard of the monastery is the Dukhang (assembly hall). Both sides of its entrance are adorned with paintings of the Guardian of the Four Directions. On the left wall of the entrance verandah is a “Wheel of Life”, held by Yama.As you enter the Dukhang, you come across some relatively new paintings of various Buddhas, along with guardian deities. There is also a throne inside the Dukhang, reserved for the head lama of the monastery.
On the right-hand side of the throne is an image of Avalokitesvara (Lord of All He Surveys) with 1000 arms and 11 heads.

Sankar Gompa has a complete set of Kandshur – 108 volumes of Buddha’s teachings.

Shanti Stupa (Japanese Peace Pagoda) (4 Kms from Leh)

Shanti Stupa, located on a hill outside Leh, was built by a Japanese religious organization headed by Head Monk Nakamura with help from the organization and from the local people.
It was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 1985. Architecturally, it has a distinct Japanese touch with small clean rooms on the side for meditation and the main Japanese shrine at the entrance.
You get a bird’s eye view of Leh town and the surrounding mountain peaks.

Hall of Fame (11 Kms from Leh)                     

The Hall of Fame – a glorious museum built by the military to display war memorabilia is worth visiting.
It will give you some idea of the extreme conditions in which our military live to defend the Indian borders.
It will also give you information about the brave soldiers who fought in the various wars in and around Ladakh, the weapons used and seized, and the equipments they use.

Spituk Monastery (18 Kms from Leh)

Spituk monastery is perched high on a hill top near the Indus river overlooking the Leh airport.
It was founded in 11th century.It is a Gelugpa or Yellow Hat monastery with about 125 monks.
The Gelugpas are the sect to which the Dalai Lama belongs.
The head lama is also the head of Shankar Gompa in Leh, and also represents Ladakh in the Indian Parliament.

Stok Palace and Gompa (15 kms to the south of Leh)

The four storeys high Stok Palace was the official residence of the royal family of Ladakh and was constructed in 1814 by Ladakh’s last ruler. The present successors of the king live here. Stok Monastery is a subsidiary of the Spituk Gompa and belongs to the yellow-hat sect of Buddhism.
As you enter the verandah of the monastery, you will come across bright friezes, depicting the Guardians of the Four Directions. The Dukhang of the monastery was repainted, not a long time back, and displays a rich collection of banners and thankas. There are two thrones inside the Dukhang. The central one has been reserved for the Dalai Lama, while the one on its right is for the head lama of Stok Monastery.One of the major attractions of the Stok Monastery is its library which has a complete set of the Kandshur, the 108 volumes of the Buddha’s teachings.

Dalai Lama’s Summer Palace                                

You can visit the lovely, two-story, golden-roofed summer palace of the Dalai Lama at Choklamsar, a village outside Leh.
You can also visit the school, clinic, and gift shop at the Tibetan Refugee Center. Fourth and Fifth DaysYou can visit the beautiful Pangong Lake (140 Kms from Leh) visiting Shey, Thiksey, Hemis, Chemrey  monasteries and Changla Pass on the way.
You should plan to make a night halt at Pangong Lake.

Shey Palace and Monastery (15 Kms from Leh)

Shey is the former palace of the kings of Ladakh.
It was built over 550 years ago by Lhachen Palgyigon, the first king of Ladakh.
The foundation of the monastery dates back to the earliest history of Ladakh, and there is an inscription on the rocks below the palace dating from the time Buddhism first arrived in the Himalayas.The monastery contains a 12 meters high golden Buddha statue with blue hair.
King Dalden Namgyal had the statue constructed in the 17th century.
You may watch the monks during their prayers.

Thiksey Monastery (20 Kms from Leh)

This is one of the most photographed monasteries in Ladakh.Built some 600 years ago, Thiksey monastery consists of 12 levels ascending a hillside, culminating in the lama’s private abode at the top.
About 100 monks of the yellow- hat sect of Buddhism live here.
After entering the main courtyard to the immediate right and up several steps is a new temple containing a large Buddha statue.
The H.H. Dalai Lama constructed this Buddha, 15 meters tall, in 1980 to commemorate a visit to Thiksey.
The statue was made under the guidance, supervision and direction of Kushok Nawang Chamba Stanzin, the present head Lama of Thiksey monastery.The statue is the largest Buddha figure in Ladakh which took four years to construct and is made of clay and covered with gold paint. The monastery houses the sacred Kangyur and Stangyur texts. Located directly above this temple is a small narrow room used as school room for the local boys. Here the Lamas instruct the children and some are later selected to become lamas.Traditionally, Ladakhi families donated one son to become lamas, although this practice is gradually disappearing.In a small room behind the main prayer room is large image of Sakyamuni (the historical Buddha) flanked by two smaller Bodhisattava images.
On the left is the eleven-headed Avalokitashwara, a form of the Buddha.
On the rooftop is Lamokhang temple where only men may enter.
On the top is Thiksey library, containing numerous volumes, including Kangyur and Stangyur.

Hemis Monastery (40 Kms south of Leh)

Hemis monastery is one of the most famous and largest of all monasteries in Ladakh,.
It was founded in 17th century by Stagsang Raschegn who was invited to Ladakh by King Singee Namgyal.
The king offered him religious estates and attended him as his principal guru.The monastery has well preserved Thankas and copper gilt statue of the lord Buddha, various stupas made of gold and silver and many auspicious objects.
Hempis also has the largest Thanka in Ladakh – over 12 mtrs. long. It belongs to the Drukpa order

Chemrey Monastery (40 Kms south of Leh)

This monastery situated on a rocky outcrop in the valley resembles a medieval European castle when viewed from the rear.
This monastery was also founded by Stagsang Raschegn, who founded Hemis Monastery.
Even today, Hemis and Chemrey monasteries have the same head lama.  

Changla Pass (17,350 feet)                                    

This is the third highest motorable pass in the world.              
You can expect to find a lot of ice and snow.
Wear woollens and a jacket if you plan to play in the ice.
We even built a Santa Claus and had tea with the military personnel there.

Pangong Lake (150 Kms south of Leh)

This beautiful lake is the most beautiful brackish water lake in the country.
It has become a favourite of Bollywood film makers.The international boundary between China and India passes through the 6 kms long and 130 kms wide Lake.
Nomadic people living in the tiny villages around Pangong Lake are mostly of Chang-Pa tribe of Tibet and southeast Ladakh.
It is possible to visit the Lake and return to Leh the same day, but I strongly recommend a night stay there.

Recommendation                                                           

This is only the first part. Read on……
Leh is a beautiful place. There is so much to see….
The hotel and taxi owners have effective associations which fix the rates they can charge.
No hotel or taxi can charge more than the prescribed amount.
The people are nice and simple.
The two rosy apples their cheeks really are, are enough to make any one happy. The simplest way to travel to Leh is to fly from Delhi to Leh.
There are three flights every day.Many tourists experience mountain sickness at Leh.
Starting from the previous night, take Diamox® (acetazolamide) 125 mg. tablets twice a day.
This will help you breath deeper and faster and help you get more oxygen.

You can see the status of the roads leading into Ladakh and the temperatures at Leh at the following site:
http://leh.nic.in