SIGHT SEEING. A miniature version of the Potala in Lhasa,the Leh Palace is one of the major attractions here.the palace was built in 17 th

Transcription

1 SIGHT SEEING A miniature version of e Potala in Lhasa,e Leh Palace is one of e major attractions here.the palace was built in 17 century by Tashi Namgyal and is now dilapidated and deserted.it was e home of e royal family until ey were exiled to Stok in e 1830s.Above e palace,at e top of Namgyal peak,is e Victory Tower, built to commemorate Ladakh s victory over e Balti-Kashmir armies in e early 16 century. The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, built in 1430, contains a ree-storey Buddha image and ancient manuscripts and frescoes.the fort above is gompa is ruined, but e views of Leh from here are breatakingly beautiful. The Sankar Gompa is located a couple of kilometres nor of e town centre.the Gompa belongs to e Gelukpa orderand has an impressive impression of e Buddhist deity Avalokiteshwara Padmahari or Chenresig, wi 1,000 arms and equal number of heads. The Shanti Stupa was built by Japanese order and was opened by Dalai Lama in From e top,one can view e exotic locales nearby.the Stupa is located at a distance of 3km from e Fort road. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb commissioned e Mosque at e head of Leh Bazaar.The Soma Gompa lies near e mosque opposite to Ladakh Book Shop. 1 / 5

2 EXCURSIONS: 67km from Leh, on e banks of river Indus, is e Alchi Gompa dating back to e 11 century. It is one of e largest and a famous monastery wi a widely renowned collection of paintings. At a distance of 49km sou of Leh, Hemis is one of e biggest gompas in Ladakh. Built in 1630, it belongs to e red sect, Brokpa.It is also known as Chang Chub Sam Ling or e lone place of e compassionate person. To commemorate e bir of e renowed Indian sage,padmasambhava,e annual Hemis festival is held in e mon of June/July. Situated on e opposite bank of e Indus across Thikse, e Mao Gompa was established in first half of e 16 century and has valuable collection of old and beautiful angkas,some in e form of Mandalas. Its annual Festiival of oracles in early march is an important event in Ladakhi religious calendar. Until e 16 century, e Shey Gompa was e royal residence. It is located at a distance of 15km sou of Leh.This Palace Monastery has e largest statue of Maitreya Buddha(e Buddha to come)in Ladakh. Erected in e mid-17 century, worked out of gold and gilded copper sheets wi blue hair, it stands 17.5m high. At a distance of 8km from Leh, standing majestically on top of a hillock overlooking e Indus valley, lies e Spituk Gompa. It was in e 15 century and houses a collection of ancient masks,antique arms, icons and angkas. Higher up e hill is e Mahakali Temple, containing e shrine of Vajrabhairava. About 19km sou of Leh, Thikse Gompa is an imposing monastery and one of finest 2 / 5

3 examples of Ladakhi architecture. It belongs to e Gelukpa order. The 12-storey monastery complex contains numerous stupas, statues, angkas, wall paintings, swords and a large pillar engraved wi e Buddha s teachings. 25km upstream from Thikse, Stakna is situated on a 60-metre-high isolated rock.the word Stakna means Tiger s nose.it was built by e step broer of King Sengge Namgyal, as a part of e Brokpa order. Built in 1814,e Stok Gompa (17km)is e site where e last king of Ladakh died in 1974.The museum here has a unique collection of royal ornaments, and traditional cloing, along wi exquisite angkas representing e life of e Sakya Muni Buddha. The Lamayuru Monastery (125km)was founded in e 11 century. It houses a library,ought to be e oldest in e region. The present Monastery dates back to 16 century and has e 11-headed image of e Avalokiteshwara Buddha. Founded in e 11 century, e Likir Monastery (60km) was rededicated to e Gelukpa order in e 15 century. The earlier Gompa was destroyed in fire and e present Gompa dates back to e 18 century. It contains huge clay images of e Buddha and various old manuscripts.it also houses an interesting collection of angkas, old religious and domestic costumes and implements. Belonging to e Brokpa sect, e Phyang Gompa was built in e 16 century.located at a distance of 17km from Leh,it houses hundreds of statues, angkas, old manuscripts and some old weapons. The Bagso Gompa is located 42km downstream from Leh, and was e seat of power of a branch of Namgyal family.it is here in 1680 A.D. at involves Mongol and Tibetan armies were held in check over a ree-year-long siege.original 16 century murals and oer arts of Bagso are wor seeing. 3 / 5

4 About 45 km from Leh,e Chemrey Gompa is situated in a picturesque valley leading to Changia. It was constructed on Sengge Namgyal s dea in A large collection of scriptures wi pages in sterling silver and e text in gold letters is kept here. Precariously perched atop a 200-metre-high crag, e Mulbekh Gompa has an imposing rock carving of e future Buddha.On e oer end of e valley is a phallus-shaped rock wi a monastery at its base. At a distance of 50 km east of Leh,e Thak Thok Gompa is e only monastery belonging to e Nying-ma-pa order.gum Rinpoche (Padma Sambhava) is said to have founded is monastery and e temple where he meditated is still to be seen here. Tu-Phuk houses e images of Guru-Tsan-Gyet (eight forms of Padma Sambhava), Guru TakpoTsahl and e 11-headed Avalokiteshwara. The new monastery is built on ground level and contains e image of Guru Nang Sri Zilon in a central position. To its right is an image of guru Dorje Dolo and on e left is an image of Guru Padma Gyalpo. There are seats for e Dalai Lama and Taklung Rinpoche (e incarnate Lama of e monastery). The Monastery stages two festivals every year. Dak-ok Tse-Chu is held from e nin to e eleven day of e six Tibetan mon. Thak Thog Wangchogis is held from e 26 to e 29 day of e nin Tibetan lunar mon. Nearby, e town Choglamsar (7km) is an important centre for Tibetan Buddhism and study of Tibetan study and culture.one can find here a Tibetan Library, medical centre, handicrafts shops, study centre, bookshops, plenty of restaurants,and e Central Institute of Buddhist studies. The Sikh shrine of Gurudwara Shri Patar Sahib is situated about 25 km short of Leh town on e Leh-Srinagar highway on e confluence of e Indus and Zanskar rivers. Built in e memory of Guru Nanak Dev, e great prophet who sanctified e place by his sacred visit during e year 1517 while on his second missionary tour. The Guru reached here by Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet, Yarkand and Leh after having spiritual discourses wi e Sidhas at Mount Sumer(Central Himalayas). 4 / 5

5 Khardung La is a high mountain pass, 49 km from Leh, e highest motorable road in e world at an altitude of 5359 m. The views from e top of e pass are amazing. Built in 1976, it was opened to motor vehicles in 1988 and has seen many expeditions. Pangong Tso (148 km) is a lake situated at a height of about 4,250 m (13,900 ft). It is 134 km long and extends from India to Tibet. The lake is 5 km wide at its broadest point.i n winter, e lake surface freezes completely despite being salt water. Pangong Tso can be reached in five-hour drive from Leh,most of it on a rough and dramatic mountain road. The road traverses e ird-highest pass in e world, e Changla pass. 5 / 5