Ladakh Buddhist Pilgrim

¤ The Land of Polo and Prayer Wheels

Ladakh amidst waves of barren mountains, lofty passes, hostile terrain, shattered slopes and the steep gorges meandering across the indus, once played host to traders in the silk route on their sojourn has not changed much. The fabled town from east to west, today Leh, the capital of Ladakh is a world apart from the ultra modern hustle and verve, the towering glass and steel of many other Asian capitals; and so the inhabitants of this cool table top, possessing a customary insouciance flamboyance, not to be found elsewhere.


¤ Environ Full of Splendor

It is a cool but pleasant morning with the sun slowly flooding the valley from behind. The air is rarefied but not a serious threat at 15,00/- feet, as some of the travel guides make us believe. Prayer flags flutter stop the numerous gomphas (monasteries) scattered in Leh, where red robed monks with girlish faces are chanting the Buddhist mantras.


¤ Attractions of Monastries

Monasteries in Ladakh belong to a distinct Tibetan style, which incorporates defensive role and thus built like forts - strengthening their position on high grounds.
A typical gompha or monastery is a precise museum in itself. Outer walls are replete with manis or stones inscribed with prayers, ‘om mani padme hom’ (O jewel of the lotus) that are supposed to bring good luck but take care while approaching a monastery.

Magnificent Interiors
Make sure that you keep to your right while entering any of the Buddhist pilgrim sites. The interior of most of the monasteries are a storehouse of beautifiul thankas or scroll paintings depicting the Buddhist philosophy of life. Thankas are truly a religious art worked out divinely by a lama artist. A few lamas are said to have spent their entire life in preparing the painting a single thank in a manner prescribed by the Buddhist order.

A child on his way to school heaves on a huge prayer wheel, placed almost everywhere on the roadside in Ladakh. These shiny prayer wheels appear like gas cylinders hung in the air, though they have prayers written on pieces of paper inside and one cyclic turn of the cylinder is considered to be at par with prayers inscribed inside and thus adds to the religious merit of the traveller toying with the wheel. In the nearby field, a heavily yoked yak drags the wooden plough through the rocky soil to the singsong tune of his master. The villagers are sowing the barley seeds, as what does not grow here. However apples and apricots are aplenty while turnips and radish grow to extraordinary height and weight.

Ladakh Closely Associated With Tibet Culture
Ladakh is a trait more often associated with Tibet rather than the Indian culture. It is often referred to as ‘Little Tibet’ and the comparison, through obvious, is appropriate.
It is an area where, despite Chinese occupation in Tibet, the old way of life continues largely undisturbed and a rich artistic heritage has survived relatively intact.
However, the religion of Tibet is a modified form of Indian Buddhism that was introduced by Emperor Asoka during the 4th century B.C. However, religion art and iconography gained ground much later in the 7th century.

Julley - The multi Purpose Greetings of Ladakha
“Julley” is the multi purpose, one word greeting which includes all the varied exchanges of niceties! Greet a Ladakhi in his own way and he will be most pleased to guide your way to any of the legendary gomphas that you may choose to visit.
Ladakhis are genteel and good-humoured people, ideal for the evening gossip. They are warm and welcoming but the humane tolerance gives way when the cosmopolitan camera zooms, unasked, on the local women to steal their brown faces lined with rosy cheeks.
They hail visitors and are glad to pose for pictures when requested for.

¤ Leh At A Glance

Leh is not a large town to explore but most of the gomphas, palaces and museums are located on the Outskirts, perched in between the mountain clefts and on rocky cliffs. An ideal place to begin with is the polo ground overlooking the 17th century Leh Palace.

The projecting balconies of the nine storeyed palace gracefully rises to a mountain height, commanding bird’s view of the town. Adjacent to it   remains of still older fort housing the temple of the guardian of the deities.

Another spectacular view of the town can be had from the shiny Soma Gompha, a recent addition commemorating the 2,500th anniversary of Buddhism. Other sites within the walking range includes the Tsemo Gompha, noted for a colossal three storey high image of Bodhisattva; Sankar Gompha, reputed for its gold icons, serves as the residence of Kaushak Bakula, the head priest. An architectural marvel not to be missed in the cobwebs of the bazaar is the 16th century Leh Mosque.


¤ Main Attractions

Stock Palace
Transport is expensive in Ladakh but the best way to explore the surroundings is a hire a jeep or taxi for the day. You may begin with the Stock Palace, 10kms south of Leh. It is the palace museum where the royal family resides, and possibly you may spot the young prince who prefers jeans to the traditional clothes.

The museum has on display the royal paraphernalia including some extraordinary thankas.

Shey -Royal Residence
5kms further south brings you to Shey, another royal residence of bygone days.
According to tradition, it was the seat of power of the pre-Tibetan kings. Shey is famous for its 7.5mts high statue of Buddha plated in gold.

Thikse Monastery
Another 10kms in the same direction is Thikse, one of the largest monasteries, another pilgrim site of Buddhist, overlooking the desert on the bank of Indus. The 12 storeyed construction is architecturally impressive and no less appealing are the interiors a chain to ten temples, housing numerous statues, thankas, swords and the large pillar with the messages of Buddha engraved on it. (40 feet high statue of Buddha studded with turquoise, coral and lapis lazuli is amazing).

This monastery is an ideal place to wait and watch the daily rituals and ceremonies of the Buddhist monks.

Hemis - The Biggest Gomphas In Ladakh
Still south and a total of 40kms from Leh, you reach Hemis, the best known and the biggest of gomphas in Ladakh, dating back to the 13th century. Visitors should not miss this prized pilgrim, especially if it is June/July, the festival time when sacred dances are performed and pilgrims gather to pay homage. Hemis is otherwise a treasure house of thankas, which  the world’s largestal. (open to public every 12 years. Last displayed in 1992).

¤ Other Attractiions

Other interesting sites include the Lamayuru, the oldest blessed spot in Ladakh. It was a Bon shrine prior to the advent of Buddhism. The complex is worth a visit for its beautiful halls and caves overlooking the valley.

Alchi (70kms west) is another holy site featuring thousands of miniature sized pictures of Buddha. At Mulbek, on the roadside is a temple complex with Buddha Maitreya or the future Buddha, a huge rock cut sculpture with elaborate headdress. The Boddhisttva has survived 12 turbulent centuries without worldly assistance and lets hope its will stand by.
A similar future Buddha in Zanskar, an eighth century work executed in wood, believed to be India’s oldest wooden statue, may not be equally healthy to survive the ravages of time.
The ancient wood is sodden, may shatter in absence of shelter from rain and sun, followed by winter temperatures at -25 degrees. However, The coldest place in Ladakh in Drass where the temperature drops to -50c.

Sports Facilitated In Ladakh
Ladakh is not just the story of monks and monasteries. It is a trekker’s paradise, art lover’s museum and if you are sport maintain your nerves to see the sharp shooters at the archery ground and best of all be a silent spectator to the wild polo, played in its original form.
It is free for all once the ball is hurled in the air. The players mounted on ponies, armed with sticks, display their warlike skill.
Each goal is honoured with the crescendo beat of drums and the noise is increased by the cheers of the successful party.
A number of trekking routes are well established around Zanskar and Darcha.
Mountain climbing to peaks like Nun, (7,135m) Kun (7,077m) and Saser II (7500m) are quite popular and so is river rafting between Spituk and Saspol.

Ladakh Baptize In Dropkas Beauty and Charm
In Ladakh, Miss Universe is a misnomer, for the Snowhites abide in the Dropkas. Their beauty is sheer envy for the supermodels! Imagine supermodels without the beauty aids and compare the Dropkas who are scared of even applying water to their faces for fear of washing their features! Deep in the valley of Ladakh the Dropkas, deemed to be the lost Aryan heritage.

Their origin is a mystrey. Some believe them to be the descendants of the survivor’s of the Greek garrison of Alexander the Great who decided to stay back in the serene wilderness. Another theory claims them to be the lost tribe of Israel.