Tshogs-khang | Explorations with Anil Rajput

Stongdey Gompa , Monastery also called Stongdey Marpaling. One of the most fascinating attractions in Zanskar on a hill-top about 10 km from Padum on Zangla road, established in 1052AD by famous translator Lama Marpa Larsawa desciple of Lama Naropa , four centenary later it was taken over by Gelugpa sect of Buddhism . It belongs to the Tsongkhapa order, which was introduced by Lama Gyaltsanpa Tundup Palzangpo.

Stongdey Gompa, Monastery, Zanskar, Ladakh

One can reach here trekking for three hour from the main road.

Stondey Gompa, monastery , Zanskar, Ladakh

The sprawling whitewashed complex has a number of temples, each a repository of the region’s rich monastic legacy . There are seven temples in all. The Tshogs-khang is decorated with exquisite painting including some with deities on a black background outlined in gold , major attraction of the monastery consists of the gorgeous wall paintings adorning its interiors.

Stupas at Stongdey Gompa Zanskar, Ladakh

The Lamas serving at Stongdey are the successive reincarnations of Nari Tulku over 950 years , around 60 monks who live in the monastery have built a school for the Tibetan children of the area to keep the Tibetan culture and language alive .
Every year the Gustor Festival is held on the 28th and 29th day in the eleventh month of the Tibetan Calender, the monks perform the sacred dance in the monastery.
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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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