Ladakh--- The Land of Gompas, Stupas and Prayer Wheels.

Ladakh- The Land of Gompas, Stupas and Prayer Wheels.

The “Gompas” refer to large  monasteries and there are many of them in Ladakh. “Stupas” are structures that are strewn all over the place. They could be just a pile of stones put together to have a vague shape, or it could be a structure with a well  defined shape. There are ice “stupas” too! One can see the “stupas” lining the streets or highways, placed around a high mountain pass or simply scattered across stark dry fields. One can find them scattered around populated areas and desolate areas.  They could be well made, shabbily assembled , white washed, ancient, weathered or newly constructed. They occur in bunches of ones, threes, fives, sevens or nines. The prayer wheels are made of metal (brass perhaps or some alloy) with  a wooden axes and an extended base so that any one can rotate them when they are within ones reach. Each wheel holds a cloth or paper with prayers printed on them. The prayer wheels may be small or large but all are embossed with holy letters. Some of them are just plain, while some are elaborately engraved with cloud structures, spiritual beings  and holy scripts . They line walls along the market place, or temple or monastery.  The large ones are placed at cross-roads or street corners or at the entrance of monasteries. In short there is a comfortable spiritual air to the place. The people  look jolly, genial, relaxed and quite comfortable with the difficult life they lead. After all this place is in the Himalayan mountain range at a height of approximately 15000 feet. It is cold, with low oxygen level and nearly devoid of any vegetation, and streets and path ways are on hilly terrain and not on level ground.

       My journey was from Mumbai (at sea level and hot) to Ladakh (15000 feet and cold), with a few friends. We took the flight from Mumbai to Delhi and then the next day, we boarded the morning flight to Leh. The end of June temperature at Delhi was 42degree centigrade and  
at Leh it was 13degree centigrade.When the aircraft was descending towards  Leh , situated in the  Indus river valley, the snow capped Himalayas spread out like a carpet before my eyes. When we

touched down at Leh, (exactly at a height of 11481.6 feet above the sea level) the

stark barren landscape that greeted us was something I had expected. Moon Like some would like to say. I can imagine what Neil Armstrong thought when he landed on the moon. But then he was in a space suit where I guess the temperature and oxygen level  is controlled. Here I disembarked from the plane  and a biting cold wind hit me. Though I was wearing the necessary woolen clothes, clearly it wasn’t enough to save me from the cold numb feeling that was creeping in. I instinctively dashed for the bus that took us all to the arrival area of the small airport building. I had been warned that nothing should be done in a hurry. One had to move slowly and take things slowly. At the airport building our blood oxygen level was checked by a non invasive small instrument. Mine was at an alright level of 91 counts. Nothing to panic about. One needs to worry only if the count is below 80. Anyone who may be feeling a bit giddy, breathless or just disoriented, there was help at hand. Our small group was feeling alright for the moment. We collected our luggage and walked slowly to the waiting car that would take us to the Hotel Kaal. With jacket, shawl, cap and gloves wrapped around, I moved slowly towards the car. Instinctively I should have rushed towards the car, to beat the biting cold, but I had been warned that I should do everything slowly and that I should not exert myself at all. This is acclimatization. The hotel wasn’t far from the Airport. Leh itself is a relatively small city, or I should say the largest town in Ladakh, an Union Territory  of India and  next to the Union Territory of  Jammu and Kashmir. It is a border, area so the high security and presence of army and border forces was visible .

The Himalayas from the sky--from the plane.

"Stupas" on the barren mountain side---Seen from Likir Monastery

"Stupa", overlooking the sandy valley. At level one of the "Maitreya Buddha" complex.

   

Whitewashed "stupas" at Leh market place.
.

"Stupas" in the Shyok River Valley near Hunder.

Set of Stupas at Shey Palace

Large Prayer wheel at Likir Gompa.

Elaborately decorated PrayerWheel at Diskit Gompa.

Prayer wheels in a wall at Alchi Monastery.

      The hotel was lovely. The entrance had a large rose bush along the wall with huge pink roses and many of them. Flowers just draw me towards them. As we unloaded and walked along I found quite a few rose bushes with red colored roses, yellow roses and even reddish-purple roses. The flowers were exceptionally large and densely packed. This itself was enough to fall in love with the hotel. The advice was to remain at the Hotel for  24hours to get acclimatized , before venturing out . My room was completely wooden paneled to make it warm and cozy and of course there was hot water from the taps always.  Each of the rooms for guests opened on to a common veranda that had wooden railings. The windows were framed in wood with copious carvings, a distinct design typical of these parts of India. My room had a small balcony that overlooked a small green patch and the snow capped mountains beyond.  I could  sit in the warm enclosed balcony and enjoy the beautiful mountain view.  The first day at Leh was cloudy and cold but my room was warm and inviting. I just walked around the vicinity of the hotel, breathing the pure mountain air and absorbing the stunning beauty of the surrounding snow-capped peaks. It was a windy day. The tall poplar trees were swaying, the  prayer flags on tall poles were fluttering frantically in the wind and tiny silk fluffed  seeds were floating all around. I wanted to walk around longer but the cold forced me indoors. The days are longer during this time of the year. The sun sets sometime between 8pm  to 8:30pm.  I walked into the cozy and warm dining area and enjoyed a very tasty meal, with my friends. We retired early for a goods nights sleep because we had travel plans for the next day.

Red Roses in the Hotel garden.

Pink rose bush and prayer flags on tall poles.

Wooden framed windows and veranda . Made of the local wood. Mainly poplar tree wood.

   On the second day at Ladakh we ventured out, but not very far from Leh. We visited Alchi Monastery. It was a beautiful clear and sunny day. Once the sun is shining, one needs fewer warm clothes. The road to the Monastery was along the mountain side, that was not too high or steep.  Large portions of the road ran through flat land. The road seemed recently pitched. There were a lot of bikers on a road trip. We were traveling around relatively low lying areas. The snow capped peaks could be seen at a distance while the barren mountains revealed its rock structure along the road. We traveled from one set of hills to another, crossing across green valleys, and viewing the Indus at a distance or getting nearly a birds eye view sometimes. This region is the Sham valley. Green patches flanked either side of the streams, that joined  the Indus river. Occasionally we spotted yaks and goats grazing on the green patches. We traveled through the “Magnetic Hill” region where our driver  demonstrated the slow movement of our vehicle uphill, when the engine is switched off.  Then suddenly we were at a point of the road that gave a fantastic panoramic view of the Indus  flowing down the wide gorge it had created for itself . Two mountain slopes on either side of the pastel blue river flowing through and meeting the muddy waters of the Zanskar river , made a grand picture. From our vantage point , along the high mountain road, the distinct color of the two rivers meeting at “Sangam”,was great. The view was heavenly. I had wrongly thought earlier that nothing can be beautiful without the green color of growing vegetation. The rocks themselves had  interesting colors of their own. Superimposed on that a blue ribbon of water, was too good to be true.  As we neared Alchi Monastery we crossed over the gurgling waters of the Indus at very close quarters. Alchi Monastry has a beautiful location on the banks of the Indus. 

Bikers on the road. "LIVE AND LET LIVE;
DRIVE CAREFULLY".

Motorbike Riders.

                                                                    

The distinct colors of the two rivers (Indus & Zanskar) flowing in from two directions and meeting at "Sangam".

  

Ariel view of "Sangam"

Bridge over the river Indus.

Enthusiastic tourist taking a picture of the valley below.

The car wound its way through the village and farms surrounding the monastery. We parked in a clearing between the cluster of houses. We got off the car and had a refreshing cup of hot butter tea at a small road side cafe overlooking a beautiful green wheat field. The friendly owner told us that they use the wheat from that field in all the dishes on the menu. The way to the monastery was a short walk through an ally that was flanked by a line of shops on either side. They were bursting with silver and brass and wooden trinkets, souvenirs, and  many other Tibetan styled crafts. Most of the people here  have a Tibetan ancestry. I promised myself that I would look at all the attractive ware on display on my way back .
      

Wheat fields, colored-powdery mountains and poplar trees near Alchi monastery.

Wood carved entrance gate of Alchi monastery.

     Alchi Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh. The entrance fee is Rs.100 per person and the money is needed to preserve this ancient and unique treasure of India. The entrance to the premises is a carved square wooden gate. The place is a scattered set of small mud and wood buildings typical of the architecture of that time. There are “stupas” and prayer wheels scattered around the walled premises. The monastery is set at an elevation with respect to the Indus and the walled area is almost on flat land, quite distinct from the other monasteries  that we were  going to see later. The main temple is a  “brick –mud – wood” building with  very small entrance doors. There is a small courtyard at the entrance with a wooden bench, where one can remove ones shoes before entering. There are two such entrances and within each there are imposing statues of Buddha and mystical beings. This is the “Suntsek Lahakhang” or the three tired temple. An average height person has to bend a bit in order to enter. The fairly large rooms inside one of the entrances, house three tall statues. The three statues are quite a unique style of depiction of The Buddha. They are in a standing position with legs apart and with four arms. The three imposing figures depict “Avaloketeshvara”(13feet tall), “Maitriya”(17feet) and “Manjushree” (13 feet), representing Buddhist tenets of compassion, friendship and wisdom.  The walls are covered with frescoes of Buddha , “apsaras” in different “mudras”, wild life, hunting, “Bodhisatvas” and other beings. Each picture is a small square piece and many such squares are painted in columns and rows , filling up the entire wall. The paints used, I was told, were natural ones from the surrounding rocks and stones . The colors were vivid and well preserved.  The second entrance too opened into a large room where there were  statues placed in niches in the wall. They were all characters from religious texts. Here too the walls were covered with small square outlined paintings, of gods, goddesses, “apsaras” and celestial beings. This monastery comes under the  administrative umbrella of the great monastery of Likir. This place is also a heritage site to be preserved for posterity.  Alchi Choskhor ( sacred enclave) complex is one of the earliest temple complexes in Ladakh. It was established during the times when there was no border between Tibet and Kashmir. It was established by the scholar Rinchen Zangpo who was from Tibet, studied in Kashmir and translated many Sanskrit texts and scriptures into Tibetan. He was bestowed the title of “Lotsava” or translator. He invited artisans from Kashmir and Tibet to adorn the temple with wood carvings, paintings and statues

"Avaloketeshvara" (13 feet tall)
inside a temple at Alchi Monastery.

"Suntsek LahaKhang" or the three tired temple at Alchi Monastery.

A row of Prayer Wheels along a wall at Alchi Gompa.

      The best part of the monastery was of course the Indus view. The pastel blue color of the water against a back drop of steep rock on one side and tall poplar trees lining the monastery wall on the other, made for a perfect picture. The tall mountain slopes had powdery colors of brown ,grey, greyish-blue and purple. The powdery slopes I suppose is due to the erosion by wind and ice. There was even the mark of waterfall on the mountain slopes, that could be due to the yearly flow  of melting snow that makes its way into the river. On the way back from the monastery I looked through the shops that lined the alley way. They were selling ear-rings made of metal and colored stones, necklaces, small masks of celestial beings, brass bowls that ring and resonate, and a variety of mind boggling stuff. I could have been lost in all those beautiful things, if the driver of our  car had not come looking for me to remind me that we had to return to Leh while the daylight was there.

"Stain" of the waterfall near the Indus.

Indus, flowing into the village downstream and the fabulous "painted" slopes of the mountain.

    On the way back to Leh, we took a detour to Likir Monastery. That means we followed a road that was moving away from the Indus river and travelling uphill. Like many “Gompas”( monasteries) this too was perched up a hill. We drove through an impressive “golden roofed” entrance gate built across the road and then drove to a certain point close to the base of the monastery. Then we slowly climbed the steep stairs of the monastery. At the bottom of the stairs and at the entrance to the monastery were two huge prayer wheels that we rotated with glee.  As we climbed up, we got a “birds eye” view of the valley below.  The valley formed by small streams that add to the Indus water. There was a nice longish stretch of greenery with tall poplar trees and quite a few small farmlands growing wheat . Some other wild vegetation growing around is useful for animal fodder, one local explained. Likir means “Naga Raja” encircled or encircled by two serpent spirits. I did not notice any drawings resembling serpents. I thought it may be there in the temples above. So we climbed on. We came to a terrace like area surrounded by rooms. One of them was the temple. It was a large hall with a golden colored statue of Buddha in the “Padmasana- Mudra”. He was flanked by two of his disciples. Just in front of this statue was a cardboard cut-out of the present Dalai Lama. He too was in the sitting position like Buddha. There were offerings of biscuit packets and fruits for The Buddha. A set of seven bowls with water was placed in front of the golden colored statue. All around the hall were silk hangings and scrolls. On the carpeted floor were low wooden desks, neatly  placed in rows .Perhaps these are used by the monks during the scripture study hours or perhaps used during meditation. Most of the built up area of the monastery are the living quarters of the monks. Another door led us into a smaller hall or temple with statues of The Buddha in different poses. The walls were filled with tiny Buddhas in various colors and “mudras” and there were silk scrolls and hangings here too. A photograph of the present Dalai Lama adorned one wall.  The terrace adjacent to this temple hall has an  imposing statue of a sitting Buddha. Actually this is the main attraction for a tourist. It dominates the skyline. It is visible from the base of the monastery. It is also visible from the base of the hill on which the monastery is built.  The statue is big and golden colored and the monastery structure forms a backdrop that one can forget to notice. The Buddha’s face is fashioned with a benevolent and childlike countenance.  He is sitting (as though on a chair) on an ornate platform with his feet resting on an ornate “foot-rest”. 

     At the base of Likir Monastery, we had  a hot cup of tea at the cafe , and  then headed towards the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar or“Sangam”. We spent an hour or so here. I took photographs of the two colors of the Indus and Zanskar from all angles. I just could not get enough of the dramatic three dimensional canvas onto my two dimensional photographs. I  went right down to the water level to touch and feel the water of the great Indus that gave rise to the great Indus valley civilization , thousands of years before. For some unexplained reason this gave me a deep sense of satisfaction.

Gateway to Likir Gompa.

The Likir Gompa in its totality.

The seated Buddha.

The Buddha, inside the temple at
Likir Gompa.

Silk hangings inside the
Temple.

Buddhas' Disciple --Money
offerings by devotees.

Another Buddha's disciple.

Green valley seen from Likir Monastery.

Snow capped Mountains , seen from Likir Gompa.

Across the water at "Sangam".Border road Organization (BRO). BRO AT YOUR SERVICE.PRIDE OF THE
NATION. HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE RIDE.

The confluence of Indus and Zanskar and the dramatic picture of  two colors.

Streaked Himalayan rocks on the bank of the river at "Sangam".

      We drove on towards Leh , through the town of Nimo , which is at a lower elevation  than Leh.  We saw a lot of tree variety around. In fact this is the place where fruits like Apricots and Apples grow easily and we passed by a few orchards. Soon after, I could see that we were in the wide valley that forms the adjacent towns and regions of Leh or the Leh district. We stopped over at the “Shanti Stupa”. This is a much more recent structure as compared to the Alchi Monastery. It is an overall white colored dome like structure with three level walking area and small niches holding golden colored Buddha statues, that can be seen from miles around. The “stupa” area also has two temples almost back to back with separate entrances. The interior of each had a golden colored Buddha statue, but with a different interior design , layout and embellishments .  The “walk areas” gave a very nice  view of the valley below.  I could see many poplar trees with houses and buildings peeping out of the greenery. In one direction I could see a hill cluster in the formation of a bowl holding a shallow sand pit. The snow capped mountain tops could be seen in all the directions.  The idea of building a “Shanti Stupa” was conceived by a Japanese devotee and pilgrim, Gyonyo Nakamura, sometime in 1980. He was inspired by Ladakh’s ethos of peace and tolerance and wanted to symbolize it with a “stupa”. He was associated with its construction ( including the choice of hillock ) till its completion in 1991. The foundation stone was laid by the present Dalai Lama in 1985 and the inauguration was presided over by Kushok Bakula Rinpoche in 1991.  The building is a joint effort by the people of Ladakh, rest of India , Japan and many other devotees all over the world.

"Shanti Stupa"

Inside one of the temples in the "Shanti-Stupa" complex.

Inside another temple in the "Shanti-Stupa " Complex.

Golden roofed temple at "Shanti-Stupa" complex.

View of the wide Indus river valley . Leh and surroundings or Leh District, from "Shanti stupa".

     We had spent about two hours here, enjoying the “stupa” and the surroundings. The sky was clear and it was still  daylight.  So we went to see the Leh Palace. It is perched up on a hillock and built at four or five levels and is almost nine stories high. It comes under the purview of Archaeological Survey of India. After paying a small entrance fee of Rs.30 we climbed up the stone stairs to the different levels. The surrounding view was good. The built up structure of the monasteries and palaces is similar, but the monasteries are painted white and the palace was brown-mud colored. In fact it was mud plastered. Though it gave a drab appearance, it did blend with the surrounding rock face.  Did the 17^th century King Sengge Namgyal need this camouflage? One has to salute the people in this region, who have only five months of zero snow cover and moderate cold weather, to build such structures. It is not easy. The palace had its own beauty and looked imposing. In fact when we went down to the market area of Leh, we found that the Palace overlooks the market place. The king  had a vantage point to survey all he ruled!

Leh Palace overlooking the mall or Leh market place.

        We returned to the hotel and enjoyed a sumptuous meal at the dining hall. Then after a comfortable night’s sleep we were ready  to hit the road again for the  journey to Nubra valley. We were up at sunrise to get an early start for our visit to the Nubra valley via  Khardung-La . “La” means pass in the language spoken in these parts of India. “Ladakh” means land of passes. This particular pass is one of the high altitude motor able mountain passes of the world. We were prepared for the mountain climb. We took a very light breakfast so that the winding mountain road does not trigger nausea.  We were four friends traveling and we took a “six-seated-Innova”. We were comfortably seated and the rest of the space carried our suitcases and most important oxygen cylinder.  This was to counter the rarefied atmosphere  at the height that we were going to travel. The staff at the hotel had arranged for an oxygen cylinder and the necessary Inner Line Permits for our travel to Nubra valley and beyond. We put on all the warm clothes that we had at our disposal, to brace the cold there. We reached North Pullu within 3 hours. This is also the Police/ Army station and a “Check Point”. Here we stepped out of the car   to refresh ourselves a bit and our guide and driver took care of the security checks of the  “Inner Line Permits” and other requirements at this post. It was a nice place and the sun was up in the clear sky. The sunshine helped to reduce the cold in the wind and increase the atmospheric temperature. I was tempted to sit out in the open, have a cup of tea and enjoy the snow splashed mountain slopes. But our driver, friend, philosopher and guide said that it was best to get along with the journey . He said that there could be a traffic jam at the Pass. And sure enough there was and we were stationery for an hour at the “La”. In a short while we reached the highest point of the pass and a weathered board read “Khardung La Top (18380feet)-Border Road Organization-Highest Motorable Road in the world”. We were on top of the world (also nearly literally). At this stage it was a narrow dirt road and prone to avalanche problems or effected by heavy snow fall overnight. There was snow all around the road. The “mattress” of snow just outside my car window was very inviting and the icicles at the rock edges looked so beautiful. I felt like breaking them off the rock like candy. But I did not dare to get out of the snug confines of the car. The driver, a Ladakh resident was hardy and only he got out of the car to assess the traffic block situation periodically, while we took puffs of oxygen by turns. The puffs of oxygen kept us in a reasonably good condition during our wait. None of us was unusually uncomfortable and thankfully none of us needed to answer nature’s call during the one hour stop.

North Pullu.

"Blue & White"-Snow covered mountains and clear blue sky at North Pullu.

Everything is under snow at Khardung-La Top.

Khardung-La Top: Snow covered rocks and hanging icicles on rock edge.

         

Snow, Snow and more Snow at Khardunh-La.

      As we traveled along the road beyond “Khardung-La Top”, I found myself in the lap of the snow clad Himalayan range. All around us there was snow covered slopes. To my left there was a huge white mountain slope that rose up and to my right was a steep fall in slope, all covered by snow. In front of me and at a distance, I could see a brown streak of the dirt road against the mountain slopes. The scenery was mesmerizing . Yet I was looking out of the car window with a tinge of fear. Though we had an expert driver, friend and guide among us, I was praying that the journey should be uneventful! After all we were cradled in the snowy and mighty Himalayas. We were descending down and soon we were at South Pullu where we could see green patches of moss and lichen on the mountain slopes. We had successfully crossed the Khardung pass and were in a mood to celebrate. A hot cup of tea was all we desired and that’s what we drank at the roadside stall.

       The distance from South Pullu to Diskit Monastery is about 77km and it took us about 3 hrs to reach the monastery but I had actually lost track of time. I got engrossed with the scenery outside the car window and was lost in the grandeur of the mountains. The Indus river tributaries were peeping out of the gorge as the road ahead made twists and turns. Soon I could see the river below and also dry river beds along-side. In a short while we were in a pretty wide valley and the river had meandered far away and out of sight. This is the Shyok river a tributary of the Indus.  Off white sand was seen everywhere in the wide valley and at a distance the mountain tops were playing hide and seek with the clouds. Soon the monastery came into view and the tall statue of “Maitreya Buddha” could be seen. One gets a clear view of the “Maitreya Buddha” statue from miles around . It is larger than the one we saw at Likir Monastery. The statue is close to the monastery. The monastery is older in construction than the statue. The monastery is built on a sloping rock structure that juts out from the tall mountain at its base. The monastery itself looks like a white cascade of built-up blocks. Like all monasteries it houses the living quarters of the monks and the temples. The approach road that separates the monastery from the Maitreya” statue holds an ornate gate with a pagoda styled roof. Further inside is a large and copiously  decorated prayer wheel. Beyond this point the road bifurcates. One goes towards the monastery and one veers to the “Maitreya” statue . The three level  area around the statue provides a nice walk path and view of the surrounding. The statue itself is big and makes the tourist population look like “Liliputs”. “Maitreya” is the Buddha of the future according to Buddhist scriptures and beliefs. The predominant color of the statue is golden. In fact gold is the favorite color around here, for roof tops and statues in the temples. From this high point the imposing Himalayan range, clouds, sandy river beds and the vast valley below looked heavenly. The Diskit Monastery looked beautiful from all the angles. I took photographs of the grand statue and its surroundings to my heart’s content. Then we were again on our way to the Hundur Sand dunes. In fact all along the way there was vast stretches of sand, as far as the eye could see. At a distance was the high mountains with a powdery facade of different colors.  Closer  to the road the mountain rose up like a high wall with powdery surface in some places.  It was like a huge canvas that was painted by large sweeping brush strokes of soothing pastel colors. It was God’s canvas.

From the road after crossing Khardung-La. Near South Pullu.

Beyond Khardung-La. At South Pullu.

Sands of the wide Nubra valley / Shyok river valley. Distant hill appears as an erupting volcano.

Diskit Monastery Complex.

Diskit Monastery--- A cascade of buildings along the mountain slope.

"Maitreya Buddha" statue dominating the skyline at Diskit monastery.

Golden "Maitreya Buddha" ----The Buddha of the future.

The giant statue of "Maitreya Buddha" and the enjoying "Liliput" tourists.

Nubra valley  from Diskit Monastery and the "Maitreya" Statue platform.

    We traveled on for an hour. I watched the vast off white sand stretch out for miles around. At a distance I could see some sports activity. Large three wheeled vehicles were zooming on the sand stretch. Soon the flat sand valley changed to mounds of sand and then into a stretch of undulating sand dunes. We had arrived at Hundur Sand dunes. We were in a cold desert. Surprisingly I did not need any warm clothes here. It was a beautiful valley enclosed between two Himalayan ranges, one of which was very close to us. The tourist cars were all parked at the base of the range. The mountain slopes were unique with a rocky top and grainy/sandy lower slopes. It looked as though the sand was sliding down constantly. It actually gave an impression of large brush strokes of color on a powdery background. Was the sand dunes made up of the loose fine grains that were falling off the mountain slopes? Or is it possible that this vast stretch of sand was part of a river delta or beach millions of years before the Indian Subcontinent crashed into the Asian Continent, creating the Himalayas and pushing up the sand at this height. I just ambled along this flat sandy stretch, plodded up a sand dune and sat there absorbing the beauty around me. The double humped “Bactrian” camels were sitting around and lazily chewing cud. Tourists were taking a closer look at them and some were taking a camel ride on the dunes. These camels I believe have a “Mongolian Steppes” DNA. They were used by the Mongols and Chinese for their travels along the Ancient Silk Route regions. In another direction I could see a herd of goats grazing on the shrubs. It was generally an idyllic surrounding and I was feeling quite comfortable on the sand dune and perhaps a little sleepy. So I lay down on the soft sandy bed.

Road to the Hunder Sand Dunes.

The view of the beautiful valley at Hunder.

Sand Dunes at the base of the "powdery-grainy-sandy" mountain slopes. This gives the perfect contrast to the "painted" mountain. The powdery slopes form the canvas background for the splash of color on it and sweeping brush strokes of  perfectly aesthetic streaks.

Off white sand and the undulating sand Dunes.

Sand Dune appears as huge wall.

Camels in the cold desert---Hunder.

Double Humped "Bactrian" Camels.  Origin in Mongolia.

Grazing mountain goats and the "painted " mountain slopes.

Mountain goats in the Shyok river valley at Hunder.

It is very difficult to take ones eyes off the " painted" mountain of the "Nubra valley- Shyok valley-Hunder-sand-dunes".

       We had an overnight stay at  "Lotus-Eco-Hotel”. It was a nice homely place. The rooms for guests were in small cottages, spread around the area. This area is nestled between poplar trees, peach trees, bushes and vegetable patches. I could see the snow clad mountains just outside the large bedroom window. The bathroom window allowed the sunlight to stream in all through the day and the bright white snow of the mountain was visible from here too. After a comfortable night’s sleep I was up and ready to go. We had a  light breakfast and  packed some food-stuff for the journey ahead. The route from Nubra valley to Pangong Lake is very interesting. The road runs along the mountain slopes, but does not reach too high up the slope. It remains fairly close to the sandy valley below. The road, almost all through, was pitched and  in a good condition so the drive was pretty smooth. It was a beautiful clear day. The sun was shining bright and we were warm on earth. I gazed at the lovely shades of the mountain slopes on the far side of the valley, in awe. The hues ranged from yellow, brown and gray to moss green, bluish and purple. The nearer side of the mountain slopes showed the variety of rock structures. Some were round and smooth surfaced and some were jagged and sharp. An entire region of this rocky slope had diagonal strata. Another region of the rocky slopes was completely pebbled, as though someone had piled up all the river bed pebbles together. Sometimes we were traveling along the mountain slopes, sometimes through narrow patches of greenery , sometimes over small streams and sometimes alongside the crystal clear water of the river. The journey along this road was simply amazing. It must be a geologist’s paradise, I thought to myself. I was lost in thought when suddenly I was jolted back to the present when the car came to a standstill. There was a long line of vehicles ahead of us and in a short while a long line of vehicles collected behind us. We were in a narrow stretch of road in a gorge like area. Two trucks had collided at a hairpin bend ahead. They were locked together and so the road was blocked completely. Some bikers zoomed past our car and zigzagged through the waiting line of four wheelers. We were stationary for the next four hours, until the nearest army unit sent a “recovery-vehicle” to unlock the two trucks and clear the road for all travelers. During this time period we munched on the food-stuff with us and I pondered over the miles traveled during the last two days. The road side boards cautioned the drivers with one liners– “Speed thrills but kills”—“This is a highway, not a runway. Drive slow” – “Night doubles traffic troubles”-- "Burn Calories, not Gas". The serpentine line of vehicles was squeezed  between two steep sided hard rock faces and a rivulet was flowing a few meters below the road level. The rock structure had almost a 45 degree tilt with respect to the road . I could imagine the force with which the Indian subcontinent landmass had crashed into the Asian landmass, creating the Himalayas.

View of the Himalaya from the "Lotus-Eco-Resort".

The slanting rays of the evening sun on the mountain rocks. At Hunder region.

Catching the evening sunlight on the mountain slopes.

Dark brown and light brown mountain slopes. " WELCOME TO NUBRA & SHYOK VALLEY---ABODE OF SIACHEN WARRIORS".

River, Sand and Rocks of the Nubra valley.

Nearly diagonally stacked rocks that line the gorge.

Slanting, layered rocks of the Himalayan Range.
Perhaps an evidence of how the Himalayas were created.

Natural "pebbled" wall in the Nubra valley region.

Hills and Mountains seen at the Nubra Valley.

  Four hours later when the road was cleared, we traveled along a river side and crossed over rivulets with clear water and lovely pebbles. We traveled along a vast stretch of the valley on  flat surface. Then we took a short stop over to refresh ourselves at Durbuk cross-road. Here one road diverts towards “Chang-La” (pass) and one goes towards Pangong Lake. If we had not been stranded at the gorge for four hours, we would have reached  Pangong lake by two in the afternoon. Soon we got the first glimpse of the Long Lake.  The Prussian Blue color was magnificent and the rolling brown mountains on the far side of the lake , highlighted the deep blue. We drove along for a while until we reached the banks of the lake. We stepped out of the car at the lake’s edge and took a few photographs. This lake has been made popular by the “Bollywood” movie “Three-Idiots”. Some sections of the movie was shot here. Replicas of the special yellow scooter and the unique three seated bench, from the movie were on display at the lake side. There were quite a few tourists at this spot. The sun was behind the clouds and it was close to sunset. It was windy and cold so I returned to the warm confines of the car, though I desired to go and touch the salty waters of the lake. I could do that the next day, I thought. We were going to spend the night in tents in a camp. So we traveled on looking for the camp. The pitched road had given way to a dirt and pebbled path. The ride was bumpy and the path was along-side the lake and very close to the water. It is a very long lake and extends into Tibet. After  half an hours bumpy ride  we reached the camp area. It was right at the base of the snow-capped mountains . I could not see any human beings around and there was no sound other than the whistling wind and calling ducks. I thought we were in the middle of nowhere. We were truly in the wild! In a short while I could see other vehicles parked at the makeshift gateway to the tents. There were people to help us take our luggage to our tents and help us settle in. It was twilight now and I could see a bright planet shining in the clear sky.This is a place for star gazers because  the night sky is clear and the atmosphere is absolutely unpolluted and clean. After keeping all our stuff in our respective tents we walked into the dining area. This place was buzzing with activity. Everybody was here because it was the warmest and most comfortable place in the camp. Those who were feeling a bit uncomfortable because of the relatively lower level of oxygen, could consult a paramedic and take a few puff of oxygen from the oxygen cylinder kept at the end of the dining hall. Pangong Tso (or lake) is at a height of 14270 feet . It is 134 km long and 5 km wide. There were tasty dishes on the dinner menu, so we sat down for dinner as soon as it was ready to be served. Then we collected hot drinking water for the night and walked back slowly to our tents. It was a cosy looking tent with a large bed and thick blankets, a small window and door with glass window panes. I locked up the window and door tight and slipped into bed. It took ten minutes to warm the spot I was lying down on. At night when I went to the loo and slipped back into the same spot on the bed, I found it was cold again. It took another ten minutes to warm up, before I could fall asleep. I must have woken up two or three times at night. On one such occasion I peeped out of the window pane to see the star filled sky. I could have stepped out of the tent to get a full “surround view” of the star packed dark sky but I did not dare to go into the cold. None of us in our group of friends had a rest full sleep. The cold was bothersome. In fact one friend who is sensitive to the slightest sound, was disturbed through the night because there were three yaks snoring behind his tent. We city folks got a taste of raw nature!

"Mamut" .Name in the local language.

On the way to Pangong Lake.
Small rabbit like creatures are seen

Burrowing creatures.

Hibernates for 6 months.

Engrossed in finding food.

Pangong Tso and the rolling hills beyond.Elevation of 14270feet from sea level.

The salty lake - Pangong Lake- in the shadow of the clouds.

Special scooters on display at Pangong Lake. A very popular movie
 "3 Idiots" was shot here at Pangong Lake.
 This type of scooter appears in the movie.

The unique " three seater" seat, is also from the
movie "3 Idiots". Pangong Lake has been made popular
as a tourist destination after the
screening of the movie all over India.

Twilight at the Camp.-----Pangong Lake----14270feet above sea level.

Tents at the camp.

The inside view of the tent.

Bed inside the tent.

The long lake that extends into Tibet.

Pangong Lake- The long, salt water lake.

          The next day after a leisurely breakfast with many cups of piping hot tea , we were ready to return to Leh via Chang-La. While two of my friends walked down to the lake and photographed the  lapping waves of  Pangong Tso , I was content watching the blue waters of the lake from the dining hall window.  In a short while we were driving along the road cut out of the mountain slopes. A panoramic view of the lake from this road was wonderful. The shades of blue , ranging from dark bluish purple to turquoise to ink blue was blending ever so gracefully, that it made me marvel at God’s creation. We retraced our path (of the day before) and reached Durbuk. This place is at an elevation of about 12345 feet. Here after the climb was uphill to Chang-La. Interesting drive with snow splattered mountain slopes initially and then snow blanketed mountain slopes right up to Chang-La. The road was good and I could see that it was being repaired in the required patches. This road is a pretty important road for the army and security personal because it leads to border areas. A weather worn, road side board read—“The Purpose of War is Peace”.  Chang-La top is at an elevation of 17590 feet.The air is rarefied here. We had the oxygen cylinder with us, but none of us felt the need to use it. We were in good health and mood during this journey and reached Leh well before sunset. 

"Stupa" at the cross-road. Near Durbuk.

Bikers at the cross-road.
( Durbuk - elevation of 12345 feet)

Road to Chang-La.

Melting snow on the road side. Towards Chang-La.

View on the way to Chang-La.

The pass (Chang-La) seen as a brown line across the picture.---The dirt road to Chang-La Top.

The Pyramid shaped snow covered Mountain. Close to Chang-La Top.

        We were going to spend this day in the Leh district (or the Leh valley) itself. It was a bright sunny day . We had  a very tasty and filling breakfast that was served in the garden area of the Hotel, so that we could enjoy the warm sunshine. Our plan was to visit the monasteries and palaces in the vicinity of the Leh-Manali highway. So we drove along the well maintained highway that runs alongside the Indus. Our first stop was at Hemis monastery one of the oldest and wealthiest monasteries of the region. It is about 45 km from Leh and placed in the Hemis National Park. We drove past the town of Karu and then crossed over the Indus and reached this large area that was mostly barren but had clusters of green close to the monastery. Before we reached the actual monastery we drove through a big , ornate entrance gate to the region. Then we drove up to a recently constructed “stupa” and then drove up to the Hemis Monastery. The car moved up a gradual slope. The monastery (unlike many of the other monasteries) is nestled between the brown and yellow rocked mountains, almost shielded in three directions. I saw a lot of maroon robed young monks moving around together.  Like all youngsters I saw them moving up and down the monastery stairs excitedly. Later I came to know that Hemis is the Lamas’ training center for all the monasteries in this region. Hemis monastery existed even before the 11^th century. Taktsang Repa a yogi of the Drukpa lineage established the monastic institution around year 1630. All this was possible with the patronage of  King Sengge Namgyal , who was able to expand it in a big way. We paid a small entrance fee (of Rupees fifty per head) and climbed up the stairs to a courtyard that had the temples and the museum. I was especially interested in visiting the monastery, because I had read that Jesus Christ had spent some early years of his life in this Himalayan region. His stay was documented in the ancient texts  and preserved in the Hemis library. When I asked about these texts to a monk, he said that such texts were not available at the library and perhaps may have been taken away long ago. I had an opportunity to speak to another monk, who said that he did not know about any such written documents. He said that he had heard that , Jesus Christ had meditated  in a cave near the monastery.  I stepped inside the monastery museum. Photography is not allowed here.  I left my bag and belongings in a locker and went in to see the museum collection. There was a large collection of historical Buddhist materials. Several metal based statues of Buddha and his important disciples were on display. Quite a few statues depicting Guru Padmasambhavana (Guru Rimpoche) and his disciples.  Precious “puja” (or prayer) articles, weapons of ancient times , bejeweled small “stupas” and many more things were on display. This place showcased the rich history , heritage , culture, mythology and way of life in these parts of the world. The two temples on one side of the courtyard enclosed large impressive golden statues inside . The walls inside were decorated with bright colored frescoes and murals depicting the basics of Buddhist practices and also the practice of healthy, useful life itself. There were offerings of fruits, and packed eatables left by the devotees. Then there were seven bowls of water and  seven bowls of  oil, placed as offerings.

Gateway to Hemis National Park & Hemis Gompa.

A very big "Stupa" that is new and elaborately decorated within the Hemis Gompa premises.

Embellishments of the "stupa".

A small gold colored"stupa" that
is part of the bigger "stupa"

Decorations of the "stupa"

'Stupa" Top.

Wood carved door at the " stupa"

Young Lamas enjoying the Hemis Monastery area.

      

Prayer Wheel at the base of the stairway at Hemis Gompa.

Stairs to the monastery courtyard.

Nestled in the slanting rocks of the Himalayas. Hemis Monastery Museum at the courtyard corner.

Hemis----The old and rich monastery.

Courtyard of the monastery.

Welcome ("Julley")
At the Museum.

Prayer wheels along the monastery wall.

Entrance to the two temples at Hemis Gompa courtyard.

     Our next stop was Thiksey Monastery. We crossed over the Indus again and retraced our path on the Leh-Manali highway passing by the town of Karu. Thiksey Monastery is built on a hillock in the usual style  of building along the slopes of the hill. The car drove us right up to the gate of the monastery, and beyond that we walked up the different levels of the monastery. It is an impressive monastery and very well maintained.  Before climbing up we refreshed ourselves with snacks at the canteen. The views from the different levels of the monastery was breathtaking. The Indus valley below and the river itself looked beautiful from this high point. I could see the wide greenery on either bank of the Indus and tiny buildings were seen in-between. The monastery premises was structured into different levels with courtyards and rooms around. Some of them were temple enclaves and some were the monastery office and some were the living and dining areas. It was a small little compressed town with everyday necessities of a monk, available on the hillock slopes. There was even a “traditional medicine” pharmacy. There was a souvenir shop that was packed with lots of lovely and attractive things.  I purchased a few souvenirs and then traveled on to the next stop for that day---Shey  Palace.

The entrance to Thiksey Monastery.

"Stupa" at Thiksey Gompa.

"Stupa" at Thiksey Gompa.

Thiksey Gompa.

Rose bush at Thiksey Gompa. The placard at the base of the bush read as follows.

"If you love a flower don't pick it up, because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love. so if you love a flower let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Prayer Wheel --Thiksey Gompa.

Curtain with holy symbol design.

Curtain design used in
 temples, monasteries and homes.

     

Inside the Monastery.

The courtyard, flag pole and the painted walls inside the monastery.

Lions at the entrance of the courtyard.

Revered monks,/disciples inside the temple==Thiksey Gompa.

Monks & disciples of Buddha---Offering of bowls of water and bowls of oil..

"Vajrabhairava"----Deity-----bowls full of offerings.-------Inside the temple.

Wall painting---In the temple--Thiksey Gompa.

Painting on the wall.---Inside the temple
at Thiksey Monastery.

      

    

Surroundings of Thiksey Monastery.-------View from the top level of the monastery. 

      Shey Palace is situated on a hill. Our car parked at the base of the hill and I climbed up to the different levels of the palace built up area. It is about five stories high. I was getting a “birds-eye” view  again of the beautiful green valley below. Each time the perspective is different. I was viewing a different part of the large valley and from  different direction altogether. Shey palace overlooks the Shey village and from one level a large area pond was visible. At this time the pond only had patches of water, but when it is full and overflowing, the reflection of the palace can be seen. The Palace was built by King Deldan Namgyal in the seventeenth century. It is constructed with stones, sun-dried bricks and poplar tree wood. There is a temple here that holds a large shrine of The Buddha. Now the Archaeological survey of India is responsible for the preservation of the palace. At the base of the hill, tucked away in a corner there is a small museum of Himalayan rocks.  I think it is not there on any tourist itinerary. Myself with my three friends were the only ones peering into the glass showcases of the museum. There was a wide variety of colored rocks. Some were crystals, some were metallic rocks, some were opaque and some were translucent. Even fossilized rocks were on display.

Steep climb to Shey Palace.

Prayer Wheels between the high
palace walls.

     
























   

Panoramic view from Shey Palace.

The lake at the base of the hillock that holds Shey Palace. Low level of water and overgrown grass and other plants.

Fossilied worms inside a rock found in the Himalayan range.

Sea-Shell Fossil.

Himalayan rocks at the museum.

   We ended the days’ travel with “Sindhu Darshan” . It was a wide open space and some area is designed as viewing gallery with steps and pillars, perhaps for some public functions on the banks of the “Sindhu” or the Indus river. The river is pretty wide here. A few young locals were having a lot of fun splashing the river water on each other. It  is like a park and very close to Leh. Soon we returned to the hotel and got engrossed discussing the days’ tour over a cup of “Kahwa”. “Kahwa” is a Kashmiri tea that is infused with a range of spices including cinnamon, saffron and crushed almonds.

"Sindhu"-----The Indus.

       The penultimate day of our stay at Ladakh had arrived . We decided that the slogan of the day will be “ Laid back in Leh”. It was a sunny day. So we were in the garden area of the Hotel enjoying a scrumptious breakfast. After breakfast we lazed around in the sunshine . At midday we decided to go shopping at the market place.   The market has a main mall area where vehicles are not allowed to enter. So we walked up and down this mall , surveying all the stuff that was available inside the shops as well as on the footpath. I was interested in Pashmina shawls and stoles. These shawls are made from the wool of a special breed of goats that thrive in Ladakh . The wool is from Ladakh but they are fashioned into fine Pashmina in Kashmir. Then we were interested in purchasing almonds , walnuts and saffron. A lot of variety was available. We explored the smaller alleys of the market that runs parallel to the Mall. Here there was a wide display of Tibetan styled jewelery made of stone, metal and beads. We looked for woolen caps and gloves and yak wool shawls. I looked for carpets with designs typical of this region. Then I also wanted to purchase brocade. The “Ladakis” use a lot of brocade in their wedding garments. We spent about five hours here . Then returned to the hotel with bag full of stuff. The  evening was spent sitting out on the veranda   watching the sun’s rays on the snow capped mountains.  The slanting rays of the sun turned the mountain tops into a golden slope at first and then the slope turned pink and then it was twilight. I continued to sit there on a reclining chair until dinner time.

        The next day we flew over the Himalayas , from Leh to Delhi. Then we flew from Delhi to Mumbai. In Mumbai we were greeted by pouring rainfall.  

The Pink Mountain. The last rays of the evening sun falls on the snow capped mountains.