Historically, people of Ladakh settled along the banks of rivers so that they had access to water for drinking as well as for irrigating their fields. Therefore, the Indus river (or Singge Sangspo in Ladakhi language) became the backbone of people of Ladakh.
This one-day tour follows the Indus river up to Hemis, which is the largest monastery in Ladakh and also a spiritual centre for the Drukpa Buddhists. Along the way, there are beautiful monasteries and palaces, whitewashed chortens (or stupas), mani walls and Ladakhi farmhouses surrounded by green barley fields.
Tour Highlights
Hemis Monastery
Hemis gompa, the spiritual centre of the Drukpa order (the Red Hat sect), is famous as the largest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh. This 17th-century monastery, located 45 km far from Leh town, was founded by Stag Tsang Raspa under the patronage of King Singge Namgyal in the 1630s. Hemis gompa is home to more than 500 monks. Screened from the rest of the valley by a narrow gorge, it is built on a verdant hill surrounded by spectacular mountains.
The main entrance of the monastery opens to a large rectangular courtyard where public functions take place. This is where cham (sacred mask dances) are performed during the 2-day annual monastery festival known as Hemis Tsechu (“Tsechu” means the 10th day) that is held on the 10th of the 5th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar every year. The festival attracts thousands of Ladakhi people as well as tourists. It is dedicated to Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. An ancient silk thangka of Padmasambhava along with the six-bone ornaments of Naropa called Naro Gyantuk are put on display for the public every 12 years. The bone ornaments said to be offered to Naropa by Dakinis (sky dwellers) are put on by His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa Rinpoche and people from all parts of the world assemble at Hemis to seek blessings of the bone ornaments.
When visiting Hemis monastery, do not miss the impressive 8 metre-high statue of Padmasambhava that is enshrined in one of the many temples of the monastery complex. From the courtyard, one can notice the intricate wooden balconies (known as rabsals) that decorate the imposing whitewashed façade of the main monastery building. The gompa also has an interesting museum that is worth visiting.
Stakna Monastery
If there is any monastery in Ladakh that has a direct connection with Bhutan, then it is Stakna monastery. Crowning a rocky hillock that rises above the Indus river, Stakna gompa is one of the most picturesque monasteries in Ladakh. It is accessed via a bridge crossing the Indus river covered with prayer flags flapping in the wind. The Stakna gompa is located 23 km from Leh, halfway between Thiksey and Hemis.
The monastery was established by Chosje Modzin, a scholar and saint from Bhutan, in the 17th century. The Bhutanese influence on the monastery is quite obvious from the murals inside the gompa. Today, approximately 30 monks reside in this relatively small monastery.
The Drukpa roots were established in Ladakh at Stakna much before the arrival of Lama Stag Tsang Raspa, the founder of Hemis monastery. According to historians, Nawang Namgyal, one of Singge Namgyal’s half-brothers, entered the holy orders and restored an old building with the present impressive one. One of the most impressive features of the monastery is the silver stupa studded with turquoises called the Namgyal Chorten that was made in Chilling, a village in the Hemis National Park that is renowned for its craftsmen. Buddhist devotees also visit the gompa for its highly revered statue of Avalokiteshvara (the lord of compassion) that was brought from Assam in Northeast India. From its roof, the monastery offers stupendous views of the Stok Kangri summit, the Shey, Thiksey and Matho gompas.
Thiksey Monastery
Thiksey monastery is undoubtedly one of the most architecturally impressive and recognisable gompas in Ladakh. Founded in the 15th century, its whitewashed stupas and monks’ quarters rise up the sides of a rocky peak, crowned by a large ochre-and-red-painted temple complex. From the top, there is a striking panorama view of the valley strewn with chortens. Thiksey gompa is located 19 km east of Leh town and a motorable track connects the gompa to the main road.
Due to its architectural style, the Thiksey monastery is often compared with the visually stunning Potala Palace in Lhasa (Tibet), the former official seat to the Dalai Lamas. Due to its resemblance with the Potala Palace, the Thiksey gompa is also called the “Mini Potala”.
Thiksey was established in the middle of the 15th century when the Gelugpa sect (the sect founded by Tsongkhapa, a great Tibetan scholar, which is headed by the Dalai Lama) was on the verge of expansion in Ladakh. It is said that the monastery is standing on the site of an earlier Kadampa foundation (a school of Tibetan Buddhism founded by Dromton, a disciple of Atisha).
The Maitreya temple, above the main courtyard, houses a mesmerising 15m-high statue of the Future Buddha (called Chamba) in a magnificent jewelled headdress. The statue is said to be one of the largest statues in Ladakh and took over four years to complete. The temple housing this giant statue of Buddha was dedicated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1980.
In case you are tired from climbing up and down the stairs at Thiksey gompa, then the restaurant at the monastery is a good place to stop for lunch during the tour. The restaurant serves vegetarian food of Ladakh.
Lamayuru Monastery
The medieval village of Lamayuru, dotted with stupas and mud-brick houses, is dominated by the photogenic Lamayuru monastery also known as Yungdrung monastery. The gompa’s main prayer hall houses a small cave which the Indian scholar-saint Naropa used for meditation in the 11th century. According to legend, Naropa used his powers to dry up the lake and founded the Lamayuru gompa at the site. The monastery is also said to have an affiliation to Bon religion.
The monastery at Lamayuru has five buildings and is considered as one of the largest and oldest gompas in the region. The monastery, belonging to the Red Hat sect, contains wall paintings, thangkas, scriptures, statues of Buddha and other deities. Around 150 monks reside in the monastery.
The pretty village of Lamayuru on the Leh-Srinagar road is another attraction for tourists. The village is located halfway between Leh (115 km) and Kargil (105 km). During the tour to Lamayuru, tourists spend the night at hotels and homestays in the village so that they can attend the morning prayers the following day.
Tourists and Ladakhi people visit Lamayuru to witness cham (masked dances) during Yuru Kabgyat – the annual festival held at the monastery on 18th and 19th of the fifth month of Tibetan lunar calendar.
Alchi Monastery
Alchi gompa, built in the 11th century, is one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh. It is famous for its interior murals and ancient wood sculptures, which are some of the best examples of Ladakh’s Indo-Tibetan art. In fact, the monasteries at Alchi, Mang Gyu and Sumda Choon have a unique style and are said to have been established by the great translator from Tibet, Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo.
According to the legend, Rinchen Zangpo thrust his walking stick into the ground and the stick turned into a living tree. This auspicious sign made Rinchen Zangpo build the monastery at this location. The huge poplar tree near the entrance of the gompa is said to be Rinchen Zangpo’s walking stick.
The wall paintings at Alchi gompa are some of the oldest surviving murals in Ladakh. The paintings reflect influences of both the Buddhist and Hindu kings from Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. For instance, Mahakala is adapted from the Hindu god Shiva.
The Choskhor (monastery complex) consists of five temples. The Dukhang (main assembly hall) is built in Kashmiri style. It is said to have been founded by Kalden Sherab, a patron from an influential Ladakhi clan at that time. Tsultim, a member of the same clan, built the Sumtseg(three-storey shrine). Other buildings are the Vairocana temple (containing impressive mandalas), the Lotsawa temple and the Manjushri temple (enshrining a colourful four-sided statue of Buddha of Wisdom).
Likir Monastery
Likir gompa, situated at a distance of 60 km from Leh, belongs to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery was founded in 1065 by Lama Duwang Chosje who constructed the gompa following an order issued by Lhachen Gyalpo, the fifth king of Ladakh.
Likir is considered to be one of the most picturesque monasteries in Ladakh and is a major attraction for tourists who visit the Sham valley. The monastery, surrounded by old chortens and barley fields, is well-known for the 23m-high Maitreya Buddha statue completed in 1999 and located just outside the gompa complex. Likir monastery is the seat of Ngari Rinpoche, who is the younger brother of the Dalai Lama.
The monastery has two assembly halls and houses statues of Shakyamuni Buddha, Maitreya and Tsongkhapa (the founder of the Gelugpa order). Likir gompa is home to more than 100 monks. Around 30 students learn Buddhism and other subjects at the school run by the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies. Likir attracts thousands of visitors during the annual Dosmochey festival that is celebrated in the 12th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar.
Basgo Monastery and Castle
The monastery at Basgo is situated at a distance of around 40km from Leh. Historians claim the monastery was built for the rulers from the Namgyal dynasty in the 1680s, but the castle itself was constructed in the 15th century. Basgo served as the capital of lower Ladakh for around two centuries, until the Ladakhi kingdoms united in 1470.
The hilltop fortress consists of several temples connected to a ruined castle. The monastery at Basgo is renowned for its statues and fantastic murals of guardian deities. The structure houses the temples of Chamchung, Chamba Lakhang and Serzang, all dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha (Future Buddha). Among them is the two-storey-high gilded statue of Maitreya Buddha. At the edge of the terrace, the Chamchung is an unusual temple belonging to Queen Gyal Khatoon, having a striking resemblance to a Balti or Central Asian mosque. The mosque-like structure is located on a wooden platform hanging over the edge, with a wooden balcony running all around the building. Devotees use the balcony for circumambulation.
Basgo gompa was included on the 2000 World Monuments Watch by the World Monuments Fund so that the necessary steps could be taken for the conservation of the monastery.
Spituk Monastery
Spituk gompa, also known as Pethub, is the first monastery visible to the naked eyes after touchdown at the Leh airport. The gompa is located on hill near the Indus river, a few kilometres south of Leh. This majestic monastery was founded in the 11th century in the erstwhile Maryul kingdom (now called Ladakh) by Od-de, the elder brother of Lama Changbhub Od.
According to historians, Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo, the great translator from Tibet, declared that an exemplary religious community would arise at this place and, therefore, the place was called Spituk or Pethub (which means “exemplary”). The monastery was initially founded as a Red Hat institution but was later taken over by the Gelugpa sect (Yellow Hat sect). The gompa is famous for the statue of protector deity Palden Lhamo.
The monastery festival, Spituk Gustor, is held every year in the month of January. People from across Ladakh flock in large numbers to attend the festival as the protector deities, including Palden Lhamo, are unveiled on this occasion. A huge number of Hindus also flock the monastery as they worship Palden Lhamo, the protector deity, as Hindu goddess Kali Mata.
