Amidst the Barren Mountains
November 29, 2016
The plane descended on the runway of Leh airport. From the window, I could see the mountain tops. The sharp ridges of the brown mountains. As the flight landed we disembarked at the Kushok Bakula Rimpoche Airport in Leh. It is one of the highest commercial airports in the world at 3,256 meters (10,682 ft) above sea level. The airport was small and was managed by the army. When we came out with our luggage to board the car that would take us to the hotel, we could see helicopters and fighter planes flying past from the runway cordoned off by the army. Once the car was full of tourists like us, it started for the hotel ‘Three Roses’.
When we reached the hotel we were greeted by the representative of the Yatra travels. Who gave us some instructions on how to acclimatize to the altitude and the Leh climate. He told us to buy altitude sickness medicine from the Leh market and some eatables for the journey to the Nubra Valley. He also advised us not to exert ourselves by running or doing any strenuous exercise. So when our guide Sangdup took us to the Leh market we bought the medicine ‘Daimox’ that would help us to get over the altitude sickness while ascending the Khardungla pass. The market had many souvenir shops and restaurants. So we stopped over at a Tibetan restaurant and had some momos. As the sun started to set on the horizon the weather started turning cold. After collecting some dry fruits and biscuits for the journey to Nubra valley, we headed back to the hotel. Dinner happens early at all the mountain destinations, Leh was not an exception. We were tired so after dinner, we fell asleep. The next day was reserved for sightseeing in and around Leh. Remember when you are at Leh eat light as it is easy for digestion and don’t forget to taste the soothing Kashmiri Kahwa at the Leh market.
We first went to Shanti Stupa. Shanti Stupa is a white-domed stupa (Chorten) on a hilltop in Chanspa, Leh district. It was built in 1991 by Japanese Buddhist Bhikshu Gyomyo Nakamura as a part of the peace pagoda mission. Situated at a height of 3,609 meters (11,841 ft), the stupa is located 5 kilometers from Leh — the former capital of Ladakh — on a steep hill facing the Leh Palace. The stupa can be reached by a drivable road or on foot using a series of 500 steep steps to the hilltop. The Shanti stupa holds the relics of the Buddha at its base enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama. The stupa attracts tourists not only for its religious significance but also because the location provides a panoramic view of the landscape. If you are a nature lover and a photographer then you would love to visit the Shanti stupa and enjoy the peaceful silence. The Shanti Stupa was built both by the Japanese and Ladakhi Buddhists. The original idea was started by Nichidatsu Fuji (Fuji Guruji) in 1914. His mission was to built peace pagodas all across the world in an attempt to resurrect Buddhism back in India. The construction of the stupa began in April 1983 under the supervision of Bhikhshu Gyomyo Nakamura and Kushok Bakula a lama of Ladakh. The project was built with the help of the Ladakhi Buddhists who offered voluntary labour and the Japanese Buddhist who consider India as the sacred birthplace of Buddha. The then Prime minister Indira Gandhi sanctioned the construction of the vehicular road up to the stupa in 1984. The state government also provided some financial assistance for the construction of the Shanti Stupa.
The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso inaugurated the Shanti Stupa in August 1991. The Shanti stupa is built as a two-level structure. The first level features the central relief of Dharmachakra with deer on each side. A central golden Buddha image sits on a platform depicting the “turning wheel of dharma” (Dharmachakra). The second level has reliefs that depict the birth of Buddha, the death of Buddha (maha nirvana), and Buddha “defeating the devils” while meditating. Both the levels feature reliefs with smaller meditating Buddha reliefs. The Shanti Stupa was built to commemorate 2500 years of Buddhism and it is the symbol that ties the people of Japan and Ladakh together.
Our next destination was Spituk Gompa or monastery. Another important landmark at Leh. Let’s delve into its history. Spituk Monastery also better known as Spituk Gompa or Pethup Gompa is 8 kilometers away from Leh. The site of Spituk was blessed by the Arhat Nyimagung. It was founded by Od-de, the elder brother of Lha Lama Changchub Od when he came to Maryul in the 11th century. He introduced the monastic community. When Lotsewa Rinchen Zangpo (translator) came to this place he prophesized that an exemplary religious community would arise here so the monastery was called Spituk (exemplary). During the time of Dharma raja Gragspa Bum-Ide the monastery was restored by Lama Lhawang Lodos and the order of Tsongkhapa was introduced and has remained intact. The monastery was founded as a Red Hat institution but was taken over by the Yellow hat sect in the 15th century. The monastery houses 100 monks and a giant statue of Kali is unveiled every year during the Spituk festival.
This monastery has a rich history. It has rare Buddhist artifacts like antique Thangkas. Five ancient thangkas attract tourists worldwide. Spituk monastery is built in a non-traditional manner to emphasize the exceptionality of the location. There are widely spaced tier-like structures attached to spacious courtyards and steps. The 15th-century monastery has many icons and images found of Buddha and the monastery reflects the religious sentiments of that period. There are assembly or Dukhang Halls with parallel rows of running seats with a majestic throne at the end. There are a lot of chortens and scriptures depicting Buddhist iconography in the hall. Spituk festival is a two-day spiritual extravaganza that is organized on the 17th and 19th day of the 11th month of the Buddhist calendar. This festival is propagated by monks of the Gelugpa order. Spituk festival is also known as Gustor, here elaborate dance rituals are performed by the monks, students staying in the monastery, and the local townspeople.
The remarkable factor of this festival is the custom of wearing gorgeous masks and enacting episodes of mythology and Buddhist religion through dance and drama. Such stories revolve around the defeat of evil by the good. Though we couldn’t watch this festival, we saw the masks kept behind glass enclosures. To reach Spituk monastery you have to travel 18 kilometers from Leh on tough Himalayan terrain. You can take a jeep or car to travel which might take you one hour. This monastery is located on an elevation with the mighty Indus river flowing beside it. While traveling keep your eyes on the road as you may be rewarded with spectacular views. After your monastery visit doesn’t forget to warm up yourself with some Tibetan butter tea.
Our next stop was the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers. On the way to the confluence, we stopped at the Gurudwara Pathar Sahib. It is built on the memory of the first Sikh guru Guru Nanak. There is an interesting story behind this gurudwara-
Guru Nanak reached the location where the Gurudwara stands in 1517AD after his sermon in the Sumer hills. On the opposite hill lived a cruel demon who used to terrify the people and eat them after each killing. Guru Nanak heard the plight of the people and reached here. This made the demon very angry and he planned to kill Guru Ji. One day while Guruji was immersed in prayer the demon planned to throw a stone or pathar at Guruji so that he will die under the impact of the huge stone. An unusual incident happened, the stone became like wax as it touched Guru Ji and the impression of his body got stuck on it. However, Guruji still kept praying. Seeing Guruji alive the demon was angry and he tried to kick the stone with his right leg and it also became struck in wax. The demon realized his mistake and fell at Guruji’s feet. The Guruji opened his eyes and summoned the demon to live peacefully and serve mankind. This holy stone is worshipped in this Gurudwara.
You have to wash your feet before you enter the gurudwara. Humble army men took our shoes for safekeeping. We went inside and saw this stone covered in ornamental cloth. We came out and were offered prasad of tea and jalebis. There was a big hall where we could see the pictures of all the Sikh gurus hanging on the wall. On the walls, we could see the plates dedicated by the army battalions to ask for blessings before going to war.
The magnet hill is located en route to the confluence of the two big rivers. Magnet Hill is a gravity hill located near Leh. The layout of the area and the surrounding slopes creates an optical illusion that the downhill road is actually uphill. Cars may appear to roll ‘uphill” in defiance of gravity when they are actually rolling downhill. Our driver and guide gave us a demonstration. They kept the gear to neutral and we could actually see the car rolling on its own. This is nature’s own magic!
When we reached the river confluence we were given options like- kayaking, white water rafting, and steamboat ride. I chose the third one since I am not a very adventurous kind. Adventure junkies will have a good time here! We got inside an inflated steamboat and held on to the ropes at the side. We wore the safety jackets as a precaution. As the boat gathered speed we admired the colors of the river- the Indus was laden with silt so it was brown while the Zanskar had a greenish hue. The two rivers meandered through the stark barren mountains had the beauty of their own. The current was rapid and in some places, I could spot whirlpools.;
We also visited The Hall of Fame which is located near the Leh airfield. It is a museum constructed and maintained by the army in the memory of the soldiers who lost their lives in the Indo-Pak wars. There is a memorial for the war heroes where you can offer wreaths kept on a rack. A documentary was shown to us regarding the Kargil war and how the brave Indian soldiers overcome the odds of this rough terrain and fought the Kargil war. There was a room where we could see the weapons used in the Kargil war and documents. Another room was dedicated to the soldiers of the Siachen glacier. We could witness how difficult is their life, what they wear and what they eat. The film shown to us left a deep impact and every time we looked at the barren mountains we thought about those brave soldiers who gave up their lives to save their motherland. We bought a smart steel hip flask with Hall of Fame written on it and some pure saffron from the souvenir shop.
The city tour is not complete without another trip to the Leh market. We took a taxi from the hotel and reached the market. Here we had roadside kebabs served on a rumali roti and a kind of coleslaw. We experimented with one or two kebab shops to find out which was the best. We found the one near the taxi stand as the best kebab seller as his hot chutney was simply mouthwatering. Other than that we had Kashmiri Rishta. We roamed and went around the souvenir shops to look for mementos to take home. We came back to the hotel by seven as the sky was getting cloudy and we feared it would rain heavily. The dark clouds in the sky made us a little worried about the Nubra Valley trip. We didn’t want it to get canceled.
After the Leh tour was over we headed towards the Nubra Valley. The scenic beauty was mesmerizing, there were places where we stopped to take photographs. We reached the Khardungla after a lot of delays since a stone had fallen on the road which had to be removed, it had created a huge traffic jam. Once we reached there we took numerous selfies and photographs. Khardung La (La in Tibetan means pass) is spelled differently and it is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra Valley. Built-in 1976 it was opened to motor vehicles in 1988. Since then it has seen many automobile and bike expeditions. This pass is maintained by the Border Roads Organization as it is strategically important for India as it used to carry supplies to the Siachen glacier. The elevation of Khardungla is 5,359m (17,582ft.). Khardung La has a historic value as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Central Asia. About 10,00 horses and some Bactrian camels used to take the route annually, this route is popularly called the silk route. During the second world war, this route was used to send war supplies to China.
On the way to Nubra, we stopped at a very picturesque location at Hunder. There was a small brook that danced on the little rocks as it floated by. The clouds kissed the mountain tops and the scenery was surreal. Just like you see in postcards or films maybe. Hunder is the home of Bactrian camels however we didn’t see any as it was cloudy that day. We stood on top of dunes and clicked photographs and had a great time. From Hunder we reached straight to Nubra Valley around late afternoon. We put up at Nubra Serai. These were permanent tents provided with proper western toilets and a comfortable bed with warm blankets. The food was served in the central hall.
Nubra is a tri-armed valley located at the northeast of Ladakh valley. Diskit is the capital of Nubra is about 150 kilometers north of Leh town. Local scholars say that the original name was Ldumra(the valley of flowers). The Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachen river to form a large valley that separates Ladakh from the Karakoram ranges. The Shyok is the tributary of the Indus river. The average altitude of the value is about 10,000feet (3048 meters above sea level). Like the rest of the Tibetan plateau, Nubra is a high-altitude cold desert with rare precipitation and scant vegetation. The valley is inhabited by Nubra dialect or Nubra Skat speakers. The majority are Buddhists. In the western and lowest altitude end of Nubra Valley near the LOC (Indo Pak border along the Shyok river) the inhabitants are of Balti of Gilgit-Baltistan descent. The people of Baltistan also used the Nubra Valley for passage to Tibet. Diskit is the headquarters of the Nubra Valley and has all the basic facilities and government offices. It is connected by a road with Leh. The 32meter Maitreya Buddha statue is the landmark of the Nubra Valley and is maintained by the Diskit monastery.
When we reached Nubra Valley the sky had turned dark with rain clouds. Rain was inevitable and the entire night we could hear the rain battering our tent. However, we didn’t know it was a cloudburst. We couldn’t return to Leh and were stranded. Nearly, 300 tourists were stranded. In one area the road was completely washed away and the ground was full of slush. We returned to the place we stayed last night. The next day when we went back to the area the road was ready. We found out that the army worked all night to repair this road. We went ahead and visited the Diskit monastery.
The Diskit monastery or Deskit Gompa is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery in the Nubra Valley. It belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, founder of Gelugpa in the 14th century. It is the sub-gompa of the Thikse Gompa. The monastery has the statue of Cho Rinpoche (crowned Buddha) in the prayer hall, a huge drum, and several images of the fierce guardian deities. An elevated cupola of the monastery depicts a fresco of the Tashilhunpo monastery of Tibet. A popular festival known as Dosmoche or the “Festival of the Scapegoat” is held at the monastery premises in the winter that is attended by villagers of the Nubra valley. This monastery is like the guardian angel of the valley.
We went ahead and found that 6 kilometers of the road to the village Khalsar have been completely damaged due to a landslide. There was no way it could be repaired in such a short time. An army general came and took stock of the situation and promised to bring back food for the stranded tourists.
Meanwhile, some tourists went back to Diskit, we stayed back and planned to spend the night in the car. The next day we would trek our way back to Khalsar. We parked our car in front of a small Dhaba run by Gyaltsen. He cooked dinner for us. At around nine the army truck came with food and we had a hearty dinner again. Sangdup and few others brought blankets and mattresses from a hotel nearby at Turtuk (Turtuk the base camp of Siachen was only 3 kilometers from where we were stranded.) The sky was pitch dark and the wind was very cold. We slept in the car for the night.
The next day early morning after a cup of tea we got ready to trek back to Khalsar. I took a big stick to support myself. Sangdup, our guide, and a friend who is more used to the mountain roads took our luggage so that we could walk safely. With the help of the stick, we crossed the slush that was slowly drying, a pile of rocks and silt. The river Shyok was flowing past furiously by the roadside. We reached the village and found the road washed away by the river. The brave soldiers came to our rescue. They placed steel ladders and held both sides helping people to cross the gushing streams. Then we climbed the terrace of a broken building to get to another side of the road. We climbed down from the rubbles from the other side and walked ahead to climb to the main road. Walking uphill from that road we found the spot where all the tourists were waiting for the cars to come. We also waited for our car. After a long wait, we got into the car in the afternoon and drove straight to Leh. The adventure and the wait were over.
Since we had missed our visit to the Pangong Lake our tour representative Anurag gave us two options- we could either go to Pangong lake and come back on the same day or go to the Lamayuru and Alchi monastery. We thought we should go to Lamayuru instead of Pangong because it takes an entire day to watch the lake change colours. It is best to stay over at Pangong then to come back.
Lamayuru is a small village in Ladakh, midway between Kargil and Leh on NH1-D, the Srinagar-Leh highway. Moonlike landscapes carved into the greater Himalayas are its claim to fame. Lamayuru is roughly 100kilometers before Leh, right after Fotu La, the highest pass on the Srinagar Leh highway. The roads are in great condition here so it is a pleasure to drive through this pass. The mountains here are lighter in colour and the landscape looks like the rugged surface of the moon. The best place from where you can see this moonscape is the meditation hill. The monks of the Lamayuru monastery stay at the meditation hills. You will find ornamental chortens or stupas here with prayer flags fluttering in the wind in the background. The prayer rocks carved with beautiful Tibetian script were strewn on the way up the meditation hill. These stones are pieces of art and a symbol of Buddhist culture. Other than the absurd yet magnificent landscape Lamayuru is famous for its monastery known by the same name.
The Lamayuru monastery is currently affiliated with the Drikung Kagyu school of Buddhism. The Drikung history states that the Indian scholar Naropa (956–1041 CE) dried up a lake that filled the valley and founded this monastery. The oldest surviving building at Lamayuru is a temple called Seng- ge-Sgang at the southern end of the Lamayuru rock, which is attributed to the famous builder monk Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055CE). Rinchen Zangpo was ordered by the king of Ladakh to build 108 gompas. Lamayuru is the largest and oldest gompas in Ladakh with a population of about 150 resident monks. In the past, it housed up to 400 monks. This monastery or gompa comprises originally of five-building, the remains of the four corner buildings can still be seen. A.H. Francke states that “According to the popular tradition” it was originally the foremost Bon monastery in Ladakh, its name means sauwastika and is a popular symbol in Bon for “eternity”. Yungdrung is the name of the most popular school of Bon (Bon or Bön is a Tibetan religion which self identifies as being distinct from Tibetan Buddhism, although it shares the same overall teachings and terminology. It arose in the 11th century and established scriptures mainly from terms and visions by tertöns such as Loden Nyingpo. Though Bon terma contain myths of Bon existing before the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet, “in truth the ‘old religion’ was a new religion.”) Lamayuru monastery is the host to two annual masked dance festivals in the second and fifth months of the Tibetan lunar calendar when all the monks from the surrounding gompas gather together to pray.
After visiting the peaceful and beautiful Lamayuru monastery we visited the Alchi monastery. Alchi Monastery or Alchi Gompa is a Buddhist monastery, known more as a monastic complex (chos-‘khor) of temples in Alchi village in the Leh District. The complex has huge statues of Buddha and elaborate wood carvings and artwork comparable to the Baroque style. The wood carvings are so intricate and beautiful that you will keep admiring its workmanship. Alchi is also part of the three villages (all in the lower Ladakh region) which constitute the ‘Alchi group of monuments’; the other two villages adjoining Alchi are the Mangyu and Sumda Chun. The monuments in these three villages are stated to be of unique style and workmanship, but the Alchi monastic complex is the best known. The monastery complex was built according to the local tradition by the great translator Guru Rinchen Zangpo between 958 and 1055. However, the inscriptions in the preserved monuments ascribe it to a Tibetan noble Kal-dan Shes-rab later in the 11th century. Dukhang or assembly hall and the Main temple(gTsug-lag -Khang) which is a three-storied temple called the Sumtseg(gSum-brtsegs) are built in Kashmiri style and the third temple called the Manjushri temple (Jam-dpal-IHa-Khang). Chortens are also an important part of the complex. The artistic and spiritual details of both Buddhism and the Hindu kings of the time in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are reflected in the wall paintings in the monastery. These are some oldest surviving paintings in Ladakh. So this monastery is important for both its artistic and religious significance.
Though the landslide was unexpected it added a little bit of adventure to the trip. It made it more memorable. We were at our wit’s end at that point. It was a great story to tell once we were safely back home. There are many souvenirs that you can bring home for your family, however, the best gift that will stay with you forever are the memories of the trip. The barren mountains, the furious rivers, the turning prayer wheels, and the silent reverence inside the monasteries adds up to the bigger picture of what I call the complete Leh experience.
Most of the Images are taken by Ratul Chakraborty, a talented photographer, and author. You can browse through his work at https://www.flickr.com/photos/maxratul
and the link to his book is below-
