June 7, 2014 by anilrajput

Leh – Manali Highway opens from 8th June 2014

The long-awaited opening of Manali – Leh highway is over , it is now announced that the normal traffic on this highway will be allowed from 8th June 2014 , normally it use to open around end of the month of May with the clearing of snow at high passes on the way but this year it got delayed due to heavy snowfall in this region up to 60 ft. at places . The BRO ( Border Road Organisation) arm of Indian army has worked hard to remove the snow and repair the roads and then declare it worthy for the traffic. It is one of the highest motor road , one is take precautions and be aware of the dangers of high altitude sickness

Baralacha – La Pass , Zanskar Range , 16040 ft.

For quite some time the Manali – Leh highway has become the paradise for the Motorbike and Jeep Safaris lovers , equally loved by the professionals and amateur photographers , they egarly wait and then come in groups from down South to East and West of India , it is also famous among the foreigners for Motorbike and Bicycles rides testing their stamina and toughness of human body and machine , the Gata Loops, the part of the highway famous for its 21 hairpin turns.

Taglang – La Pass 17582 ft.

There are no villages or towns the whole stretch of road from Keylong to Leh, only roadside stops for food or overnight stays. These are makeshift temporary seasonal tents that offer cots for travelers to sleep in and a basic menu of dishes such as paranthas, rice , daal and noodles .
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April 2, 2012 by anilrajput

Thikse Gompa, Leh , Ladakh

Thikse Gompa ( Monastery) is 19 km from Leh at an altitude 3600 meters from Sea , it is a Tibetan Buddhist Monastry establised in early 15th Centenary of Gelugpa School . It has a resemblance of Potala Palace in Lahsa . It is a Twelve Story structure , built as a Fort Monastery it is the largest structure in Ladakh , its position is such that is gives excellent East and West view of Indus plains , Matho Gompa in the East, Royal Palace of Stok across the Indus and Shey Palace to the West have excellent views

Thikse Monastery Ladakh

The main attraction is fifteen meter tall Maitreya Buddha statue largest in Ladakh besides Buddhist art stupas, Thangkas, wall paintings and arms. Sherab Sangpo one of the Six disciples of Tsongkhapa founder of Gelugpa school carried bone powder and drop of blood of his Guru Tsongkhpa and a small statue of Amitayus as a gift for king of Ladakh in early 15th Centenary in 1433 with the help from King a small monastery in a village of Stagmo, to the north of the Indus river was shifted to this place , legend is when Sangpo after the prayers, offering kept in a plate were taken away by two crows, later it was found the offerings with plate were lying at a stone in an undisturbed condition , it was taken as a divine directive to build a monastery here . Thikse became prominent second to Hemis Monastery in Ladakh . Around 1770 the Lama of Hanle dictated that the elder son will be the King of Ladakh while the younger brothers will serve as Lamas at Thikse and Spituk Monasteries

Thikse , Beautifull roof

The main attractions are the Bhavachakra the wheal of Life has insignia images of a snake, a bird and a pig that signify ignorance, attachment, and aversion . Next to this is the main assembly hall for prayers , a number of old manuscripts and hand painted collection of books along with 225 volumes of Tangyur warped in silk are kept , it also have a Eleven headed Avalokitesvara with Padmasambhava . There are murals of Mahakal and Dukar In the center of hall is a seat for His Holiness The Dalai Lama and on right is the seat of head of the monastery .

Two stories tall Maitreaya Budhha Statue at Thikse

A temple dedicated to Tara with 21 images , a small shrine of protector deity of Thikse the Cham-spring , an image of the Buddha with two of his disciples and the deity Yamantaka can be seen. In the courtyard murals of Tsong Khapa, the Buddha , the Padmasambhava , Palden Lahmo and Mahakal are there.
Only men are allowed to enter the top floor of the monastery the Lamokhang temple above the temple local boys from the villages near by are students , among them few are chosen as Lamas , there is also an Nunnery located within the precincts of the monastery is managed by the Monastery Administration. In Ladakh, nunneries were held in a grossly inferior status , In the 1990s, awareness was raised on the status of the nuns to ensure a shift in their functional role of servitude and to one of true spiritual practice the Chief Lama, Thiksey Rinpoche of this Monastery was important in the positive developments in the betterment of nuns.
Gustor Ritual is celebrated every year from 17th to 19th day of Ninth month of Tibetan calander which falls in October/November . Scared Mask Dance or Cham Dance is performed as a part of the ritual . Morning prayers are followed by chanting of Buddhist sutras , people from far villages gather and meet the other villagers, a trade fair is also held where locals barter trade items .
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March 29, 2012 by anilrajput

Sankar Gompa , Leh , Ladakh

Sankar Gompa the official residence of the head of Gelukpa Sect of Buddhists in Ladakh The Kushok Bakula Renpoche he died in 2004 , this monastery is branch of Spituk Monastery

Sankar Gompa official residence Head of Gelugpa Sect. in Leh

The main entrance of Courtyard attracts the visitors for its beautiful decorations. The left wall is having a “Wheel of Life”, held by Yama. The other side is the Dukhang, decorated with paintings of Guardian of the Four Directions, a throne reserved for the head monk of monastery. This Buddhist monastery have fabulous collection of exquisite paintings and murals of the Guardian divinities of the Four Quarters of Heaven, the Old Man of Longevity, the Wheel of Life and Sakyamuni Buddha with his sixteen sages and thirty-five benevolent Buddhas. There is also statue of Avalokiteshwara Padmahari with 1,000 heads and arms and Yamantaka (God of Death). Sankar Gompa also treasures Kanshur, 108 volumes of Buddha’s teaching and idols of three Buddhas – Sakyamuni, the Present Buddha and Maitreya (Future Buddha).

Inside the Sankar Gompa

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March 27, 2012 by anilrajput

Hemis Gompa, Leh , Ladakh

Hemis Gompa in Hemis town 40 km from Leh city , it is a famous monastery founded by King Senge Nampar Gyalva in 1672 AD , every year in the month of July a colorful festival is held in the compound attended by not only the locals but people from all over the world. Hemis gompa is also believed to have been established in 1630 by Lama Tagstang Raspa and built by Palden Sara under the patronage of King Sengge Namgyal on a site previously sanctified by the construction of a cave hermitage dating from the 12th century. This monastery is the oldest one in the area belonging to the Kargyu school .

Hemis Gompa main compound

This two-day festival depicts a dance-homage to the birth anniversary of Lord Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche. The festival is the largest and biggest of the Tibetan Buddhist Gompa festivals in Ladakh. It is celebrated across three days from the 9th to the 11th day of the fifth month of the lunar Tibetan calendar, vibrant and endless dances are accompanied by discordant sounds of cymbals, large-pan drums, small trumpets and large size wind instruments . The lamas get transformed into demons and gods , bang on drums and crash symbols together as others gyrate and leap to fight off demons.

Hemis information display at entrance

The predominantly practiced religion in Ladakh is the Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism is based on the eighth tenet of the concept of the eight fold part as propagated by Lord Buddha. This form of Buddhism stresses on meditation and concentration. One of the most innovative concepts introduced by the Mahayanists is that of the bodhisattvas.
As one enters the courtyard, to the right are two large temples up small flight of stone steps. The fronts have a wooden verandah of Kashmiri style, rising two storeys. As one faces them, the temple on the left is the Tshogs-khang and on the right is the Dukhang. The Dukhang contains the throne of the Rimpoche and seating areas for the lamas. Tall wooden pillars rise in the center to a square cupola with windows that supply light to the throne. The walls also have paintings of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) with the blue hair, other Buddha figures and paintings of Tantric deities such as Hevajra and Samvara. In the Tshogs-khang is a large gilded statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha with blue hair surrounded by several silver chortens decorated with semi-precious stones. In front of the Buddha is a throne made of painted and lacquered wood, a present from the former Maharaja of Kashmir to a former Incarnate Lama of Hemis

Pehar Gyalpo the protective Deity of Hemis

Pehar Gyalpo, revered as the protective deity of Hemis. It is said that Pehar was once the lord protector of Sam-Yas monastery and a monk from there by hiding the spirit of this deity inside a cymbal had brought it to Hemis. Each day sacred rituals are performed to evoke Pehar’s blessings.
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March 21, 2012 by anilrajput

Zoji – la, Ladakh

Zoji – La is a high altitude pass 11575 ft from sea level on Indian National Highway NH-1D , connecting Kashmir valley from Sonmarg to Ladakh Valley , it is 9 km long the second highest pass on Srinagar – Leh highway always covered with snow it is closed in winters due to heavy snow fall.

Zoji-la , frozen river and Leh – Srinagar highway

The pass links a Valley of Kashmir with Ladakh. For many centenaries various trade routes took merchants to China, Tibet, and Central Asia. Renchen Shah of Leh moved into Kashmir via this pass and was the ruler of the territory in the 14th century. Mirza Haider Doughlat also marched on through this pass to raid Kashmir. The previous name of the pass was Shurji La, which stands for the mountain of Lord Shiva.

Rock called the India Gate , entrance to Kashmir valley Zoji-la

Zoji-la , at a height of 3,528 meters, which is the lowest drivable pass on the Great Himalayan Mountain Range. It witnesses violent winds because of the conical shape and severe snowfall. Over 60 risky landslide spots have been identified on this route. Every year the young enthusiast motor cyclist from all over India cross this pass with a high adventure spirit to visit the Ladakh from Kashmir side.
Historically this pass till 1815 was in control of Amir of Afghanistan as Punjab Hill States, it came under Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Flag of a Sikh state , in 1846 after the Anglo-Sikh war the East India Company and Sikh Empire had a Treaty of Lahore , as an indemnity the Sikh State could not pay then Rs.1.2 Million , the Dogra King was allowed to take Kashmir by paying Rs. 750 Thousand to East India Company , Gulab Singh became the first Maharaja of a new state of Jamu & Kashmir. After the partition in 1947 India signed the accession document with Maharaja Hari Singh to be part of India.
It was here in 1947 when Pakistani army who had reached till Srinagar had a surprise to see the Indian army’s Battle Tanks and artillery guns , had to withdraw from this area , since then the Zojii-la pass is under the controls of India .
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February 7, 2012 by anilrajput

Ladakh Best dates to travel in year 2012

Ladakh the beautiful landscape is one of the best places on earth unspoilt , nature at its best , crystal clear water lakes , snow-covered peaks of the great Himalayas the clear blue sky , the highest roads in the world , over one thousand-year old monasteries , snow desert , the double hump camel, the Indus river who has given birth to Indian civilization , age-old customs and the ever warm welcoming Ladakhi people who brave through the harsh weather throughout the year .

Ladhaki Shepherd Lady

Ladakh is the cold desert of India is accessible to the world through out the year by air , the land route is open from May to October when it is comparatively warm and the high passes from Kashmir the Zozi – la ( 3528 mtrs) and Fotu – la ( 4108 mtrs) are open and from Himachal little late and closes little early as the road passes through Rotang – la ( 3978 mtrs) , Baralacha – la ( 4892 mtrs.), Lachulung – la ( 5059 mtrs.) and Tanglang – la ( 5325 mtrs) .
One can visit Ladakh in Summers May to October to enjoy its beauty but if it is the festival period then the Ladakh is the best to visit following are the dates and festivals in the year 2012

Names of the Festival	Venue	2012
Spitok Gustor	Spituk	JAN 21,22
Dosmoche	Leh ,Likir & Deskit Monasteries	FEB 19,20
Stok Guru Tse-Cue	Stok Monastery	Mar 2,3
Matho Nagrang	Matho Monastery	Mar 7,8
Buddha Purnima	Leh	MAY 4
Hemis TSE-CHU	Hemis Monastery	JUN 29,30
Yuru Kabgyat (Lamayuru)	Lamayuru Monastery	JUNE 16,17
Zanskar Karsha Gustor	Karsha Monastery	JUL 16,17
Ph-Yang Tsedup (Phyang)	Phyang Monastery	JUL 16,17
Korzok Gustor (Tsomoriri Lake)	Korzok Monastery	JUL 22,23
Dak-Thok Tse-Chu	Dakthok Monastery	JUL 28,29
Sant Naro Nasjal (Zangskar)	Sani Monastery, Zanskar	AUG 1,2
Shachukul Gustor	Shachukul Monastery	JUL 5,6

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September 16, 2011 by anilrajput

‘Leh’ Jayenge ‘Leh’ Jayenge – Let’s go to Leh!

Frozen lake along Chang La [pass]

Pangong Tso Panorama

When friend Anil Rajput knew that I was planning on two options for this summer holiday, Conoor in Tamil Nadu and Leh, his shocking expression was ….”What comparison! You must go only to Leh!”.
I was desperate for a date with Leh for the last four years, but my travel team was giving me the most impossible rates and dates. Anil came to my rescue and made our dream-plan, a reality!
Our Delhi friend Anjali quickly decided to join us and more the merrier it was!
With a lot of anticipation spiced up, wife Jayashree, daughter Nishkamya and I set off from Chennai by the evening SpiceJet to Delhi. Night halt was at Anjali’s place and catching up with years and years of talk, we then hit the Delhi airport at 4am for the Go Air check-in. Prompt to take off, we had a very comfortable touchdown at the Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport at Leh, on the dot at 8.15 am. I am sure you are aware that it is the highest altitude commercial airport in India at some 3500 metres. Jayashree rightly quipped, “There is no great height for the plane to descend here at Leh!” … →

May 10, 2011 by anilrajput

Shanti Stupa, A Beautiful White Buddhist Chorten in Leh, India

History

A white dome Stupa (Chorten) built on a Changspa, a steep hill, opposite the Leh Palace different in architecture from the Ladhakhi style gives a magnificent view at sunrise and sunset, it looks more beautiful at night illuminated in the white light. It was built by the Ladakh and Japanese Buddhists, Ladakhis offered voluntary labor, construction started in 1983 and it was inaugurated in August 1991 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. It was built to promote world peace and prosperty and to commemorate the 2500 years of Buddhism.

[quote]The Bright Shanti Stupa at Leh[/quote]

Structure

It is built as a two level structure, a flight of stairs leads to the first level where a Dharmchakra (as in white strip of Indian national flag) with two deer on each side, features a central image of Lord Buddha in golden colour sitting on a platform turning the Dharmchakra wheel, the second level depicting the birth of Buddha, defeating of devils in meditation and death of Buddha along with many small images of meditating Buddha, all embossed in vibrant colours.

[quote]Various depictions of Lord Buddha’s life[/quote]

Location

Shanti Stupa is situated at a height of 4267 meters overlooking the Leh city, it gives a panaoromic view of surrounding snow capped mountains and the Leh city.

[quote]Shanti Stupa under the BIG bright cloudy Sky[/quote]