Shrines of Ladakh - Part IV - Thiksey Monastery

 Over the last few weeks, I have been writing about the shrines of Ladakh I had an opportunity of visiting during my trip with Mantra Yatra in August. This is the fourth and last part of the series. You can read the previous parts here: Part I Part II Part III

This post is about the magnificent Thiksey Monastery in the Indus Valley at an altitude of about 11,800 feet. It is a twelve storied building, comprising of shrines, statues, thangkas, library and nunnery spread across a majestic courtyard.

The walkway leading to the Thiksey Monastery

The Thiksey Monastery is the largest in Central Ladakh, situated about 19 kms from the city of Leh. The building supposedly resembles the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. The origin of this monastery has a very interesting legend associated with it. In the early 15th century, Je Tsongkhapa (roughly translating to The man from the Onion Valley), the founder of the Gelug school of Tibeten Buddhism, who also came to be seen as the second Buddha after his passing, sent six of his disciples across Tibet and Ladakh to spread the teachings of the Gelug school. He picked one of them, Jangsem Sherap Zangpo, and gave him a statue of Amitayus made from bone powder and his own blood as a gift to the King of Ladakh, directed him to seek support from the King to propogate his teachings in Ladakh. 

The majestic monastery complex 

The king was overjoyed with the gift and immediately asked his ministers to help Zangpo set up a monastery in Ladakh. Soon, in 1433, a small monastery was set up by the name of Lhakang Serpo or Yellow Temple. The Gelugs were called Yellow Hats to denote the golden robes they adorned and one would find the colour yellow being the most prominent across the entire monastery.

One day, when Sherap Zangpo and his disciple, Palden Zangpo were performing sacred rituals near the temple, a crow swooped down and picked up the offerings and carried it away. Startled, the two men ran behind the crow to see where it was taking the offering. The crow flew over the other side of the hill. Considering it to be some form of a divine signal, the men followed the path the crow had taken and found the offerings intact, on a stone in Thicksey. Palden Zangpo decided to build a larger monastery here, considering it to be a holy sign from his master. The monastery has four main shrines - The Maitreya Buddha or Future Buddha, Tara Devi, the main prayer hall and the shrine of the Guardian Deity or Yamantaka. 

Maitreya Buddha: The gigantic 40 feet Maitreya Buddha statue extends to  two floors. The Thiksey Rimpoche, Kushok Nawang Chamba Stanzin was instrumental behind the creation of this beautiful Maitreya Buddha who is seen seated on a lotus. It took thirty people over three years to create this statue with clay and terracotta, decorated in gold and copper colours. The words of the Dalai Lama while consecrating on 26th July 1980, describes the experience of every visitor who stands in awe before this beautiful Maitreya Buddha. 

"Even if you see this Maitreya again and again, you will never see it enough; you will always want to see more - you would never be satisfied" 

Indeed, the image of the Maitreya Buddha and the surreal interiors of the shrine stay with you long after you leave the monastery.

                                        

The 40 feet Maitreya Buddha

Main Prayer Hall: 

The main prayer hall has big drums, rows of low seats for monks and visitors to sit and pray, and beautiful murals on the walls. There is a central shrine of Buddha, flanked by the Boddhisatvas and has several scriptures and sacred texts wrapped in silk. 

Main Prayer Hall 

Buddha flanked by Boddhisatvas in the sanctum

Tara Devi Shrine:

Tara Devi, is considered to be the mother of Sakyamuni Buddha and is said to have been born from the tear of Avalokiteswara when he wept at the sufferings of human beings. She is said to manifest in 21 different forms. In another legend, Tara is truly shown as a symbol of feminism. Born as a princess by name Yashe Dawa, she made offerings to Buddha for so many eons that she reached a state of a Boddhisatva. At this stage, some monks approached her and asked her to pray that she be born a man in her next birth, in order to progress further spriritually. 

At this point, Tara firmly told them that only weak-minded people would think that gender was a barrier for enlightenment and resolved to be always born as a female Boddhisatva. She said, "I have developed bodhicitta as a woman. For all my lifetimes along the path I vow to be born as a woman, and in my final lifetime when I attain Buddhahood, then, too, I will be a woman"

Tara Devi in all 21 forms

 At the Tara Devi shrine, she is seen with images of all her twenty-one forms placed in a wooden cupboard. The top floor of the temple known as the Lamokhang temple, houses all the sacred sculptures to which access is permitted only to the men.

The Guardian Shrine: 

This is by far the most powerful shrine in the entire monastery complex. It comprises of the Vajra Bhairava Ekavira, the Boddhisatva Manjushri appearing in a wrathful form. Manjushri is always depicted as a terrifying and intimidating form, inspiring fear in those who look at his face. Because of this, visitors are not encouraged to face the deity and his face remains covered throughout the year but for the three days during Gustor Festival during October-November. This deity is flanked by the Shaturbuja Mahakala and Yamaraj on either side.

Guardian Deity with Mahakala

The Vajra Bhariva has nine faces, thirty-four hands and sixteen legs. The main face resembles a buffalo, with a red face above, and the top face that of Manjushri. flames swirling about the horns. Three faces are stacked up on either side with three eyes, bared fangs and a wrathful expression. The hair is curled upwards, and the first pair of hands holds a knife and a skullcup with the remaining hands holding a variety of objects, including the hyde of an elephant. Each face is adorned with a skull crown, snake necklace and a garland of fifty heads. The right leg is pressing down eight creatures and the left leg is pressing down eight birds. 

There is also a nunnery in the monastery for the female monks to stay. Apart from these shrines, there is a room on top that is used to teach local children who want to become monks as well as a library with a huge number of sacred texts. The roof top has a beautiful view of the Himalayas and the Indus valley and there is a lovely store and a cafe too here.

View from the rooftop

How to get here: Thiksey Monastery is 19 kms from the city of Leh. Do not forget to include it in your itinerary. The monastery involves a lot of climbing both up to the monastery as well as to each of the shrines.

                          

Shrines of Ladakh - Part III - Diskit Monastery, Nubra Valley

 

The beauty of Nubra Valley as seen in Diksit

In the series of posts I have been writing in Aalayam Kanden on the shrines of Ladakh, which I had an opportunity to visit with Mantra Yatra in August 2024, the third post is on the Diskit Monastery, the oldest and largest monastery in Diksit in Nubra Valley. You can access the earliest posts here: Part 1 & Part II.

Nubra, in the North eastern part of Ladakh bordering Baltistan, is among the latest districts announced by the Central Government in August 2024. Its Tibetan name is Dumra which means the valley of flowers. The inhabited areas of the Nubra Valley are cut by the Shyok and Nubra (also known as Siachen)rivers.

At the mighty Khardung La

One can reach the Nubra Valley through Khardung La Pass, the second highest motorable road in the world at an altitude of 17,982 feet. The majority of people in the Nubra valley are Buddhist. In the Western end of the Nubra Valley lies the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. Nubra is a high altitude Himalayan desert, home to the Bactrian double-humped camels, with tourist attractions being the sand dunes, the Diskit Monastery, Turtuk village in Baltistan and Thang, the last village in India next to the line of control. 

Riding Bactrian Camels in Nubra Valley

Diskit is the headquarters of Nubra. The oldest and largest monastery here is the Chamba Gompa, shrine of the Maitreya Buddha. The monastery has a 108 feet Buddha facing the Shyok river, towards Pakistan. This statue of the future Buddha is said to have bee installed with three aims - Protection of Diskit, Promotion of world peace, and Prevention of future wars between India and its border nations.

The approach up to the Maitreya Buddha is surreal with numerous prayer wheels found to the right. The monastery itself is said to have been founded in the 14th century by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. His huge idol is found in the Lachung temple at a slightly higher altitude that the Diksit Monastery.

A view of the Diskit Monastery Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

The monastery has several shrines and several ancient Mongolian and Tibetan texts have been preserved here. An interesting legend with the Diksit Monastery is that of a Mongolian demon that lived where the monastery now exists. The demon was a sworn enemy of Buddhism and used to trouble the monks who came here to meditate. Even after he was annihilated nearby, and the monastery was built, his body kept appearing again and again in and around the monastery. Therefore, in order to prevent him from resurrecting again, his mortal remains were given in the custody of Goddess Kali, the annihilator of all evil. In one of the shrines, to this day, is found a huge idol of Kali, holding a shrunken head and an arm, which is said to belong to the Mongol Demon.

Boddhisatva in the main prayer hall

The main prayer hall has a huge drum and several frescos, murals and guardian deities. The highlight of the monastery however, is the majestic Maitreya Buddha, that looms large at 32 metres. The construction of the huge Maitreya Buddha (future Buddha) commenced in April 2006 and was consecrated in July 2010 by the Dalai Lama.

Maitreya Buddha, is the anticipated successor of Gautama Buddha. The word Maitreya means " Loving Kindness" and Buddhist sculptures expect this Maitreya Buddha to emerge when the existing Buddhist teachings are fading from memory. Maitreya Buddha is said to exist in Tushita Heaven, a celestial realm where Boddhisatvas await their final human incarnation before attaining Buddhahood. He is expected to be the fifth and final Buddha of this Yuga, and the central figure of Mahayana Buddhism.

The magnificent Maitreya Buddha

Maitreya Buddha is a gorgeous noble figure, decorated in rich royal robes and adorned with a crown and jewels. He is shown either sitting or standing and in many depictions, holding a Kamandalu, in a position of readiness to descend to the Earth. In Chinese culture, the Maitreya Buddha is equated with the Laughing Buddha, a genial figure with a large belly and a filled sack over his shoulder, depicting contentment, joy and prosperity.

One of the major attractions of the Diksit Monastery is the Festival of the Scapegoat, known as the Dosmoche Festival celebrated in the month of February every year. At this time, the clothes that cover the faces of the idols for the rest of the year are removed and a mask dance titled Cham Dance is performed by the monks during which images made of dough are thrown out to symbolise all evil going out and all goodness and peace prevailing. 

Mask Dance during Dosmoche Festival Photo Courtesy: Ministry of Tourism

How to get here: One can reach Nubra Valley from Leh by road through Khardung La and the Shyok river. The best times of the year to visit is between July to September.

Timings of the Diksit Monastery: The Maitreya Buddha is massive and can be viewed from far. The monastery and its shrines are open between 7 am and 1 pm and then again from 2 pm to 7 pm. 

Shrines of Ladakh - Part II - Shanti Stupa, Leh

 

Entrance of the Shanti Stupa, Leh

In the series I am writing on the Shrines of Ladakh, which I visited with Mantra Yatra, this post features Shanti Stupa, the World's highest monument of peace. The earlier post on the Gurudwara Pathar Sahib can be accessed here.

The beautiful circular platform surrounding the Shanti Stupa

Shanti Stupa, a beautiful white dome of peace is found atop a hill in Chanspa, about five kilometres from the city of Leh. It was built by the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order of Japan, founded by Nichidatsu Fujii, popularly known as Fujii Guruji, a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. Fujii Guruji is best known for establishing Peace Pagodas across the world. He arrived in Calcutta in 1931 and spent the next two years, walking across the city, chanting the daimoku while beating a drum. He met Mahatma Gandhi in 1933 in Wardha when he gifted him a statue of the three monkeys, representing see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil, which have since been associated with Mahatma Gandhi and his doctrine of peace and tolerance. He built the first peace pagoda in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and since then 80 such pagodas have been built through the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order.

Steps leading up to the main shrine

Considering the sensitivity of Ladakh region spread across the China, Pakistan and Tibet borders and the need for peace, the 19th Kushok Bakula Rimpoche, the Head Lama, who served as the Ambassador to Mongolia, after whom the Leh Airport is named, approached Fujii Guruji, requesting him to build a Pagoda of Peace in Leh. 

The Foundation of the Shanti Stupa was laid on 25th August 1985. While bulk of the construction cost was supported by the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order, several Ladakhis, including school children came forward to contribute in cash, kind and labour towards its construction. A vehicular road upto the Stupa was sanctioned by the then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, to enable visitors to reach the Stupa comfortably. The Indian Army and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir supported throughout the construction and the Stupa was formally inaugurated in 1991 by the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso to symbolise 2500 years of Buddhism. The majestic Stupa houses Buddhist relics enshrined by him.

Buddha reliefs around the Stupa

The Stupa, at 11,841 feet above mean sea level, stands as the highest Peace Pagoda in the world. It is built as a two-storied structure, with the first level having a central golden image of Buddha with the Dharma Chakra and deer on either side. 

The main image of Buddha with the Dharma Chakra and Deer

The second level has reliefs depicting the birth, and enlightenment of Buddha. The view from the Shanti Stupa is really breathtaking. The stupa is surrounded by a circular platform with lotus symbols and prayer wheels on which is inscribed "Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum"

Birth of Buddha depicted at the second level

Getting here: Shanti Stupa is about 5 kms from Leh city. There is a road that goes right up to the Stupa after which one has to climb a few steps to reach the shrine. Alternatively one can choose to climb up 555 steps all the way to reach here.

Fighting the demons to salvation

It is believed that the best time to view the Shanti Stupa is early in the morning around sunrise, when the white dome glistens in the early morning sun, creates a serene and ethereal experience. 

Timings: 5 am to 9 pm

The amazing view of he Himalayas from Shanti Stupa

Shrines of Ladakh - Part 1 - Gurudwara Pathar Sahib

 Recently I had an opportunity to visit Ladakh along with the lovely group of travellers brought together by Balaji Davey of Mantra Yatra. The trip ranged between 12000 and 18000 feet, across peaks and valleys, rivers and palaces, monasteries and tents, providing the group with a kaleidoscope of visuals. Ladakh is definitely a must-visit for all Indians. The sombre Himalayan desert, the difficult terrain and altitudes and the trying conditions of the Siachen Glacier in which our brave soldiers guard our borders is a live lesson in patriotism and our respect for their sacrifice and selflessness is bought to go up many notches after a visit here.

The week had its highs and lows, sometimes testing our physical endurance and patience, while exhilarating us with never-before experiences. The shrines that we visited and their spiritual vibrations particularly played a calming effect in an otherwise tough geography.

As usual, I am attempting to document some of the shrines we visited during our trip. I do hope I am able to complete this series on time.

1. Gurudwara Pathar Sahib:

Extenal view of the Gurudwara Pathar Sahib

Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, that stands testimony to a miracle performed by Guru Nanak Dev, the founder and the first Guru of the Sikhs, is found about 25 kms away from Leh on the Leh - Srinagar Highway (NH1). 

Legend:

It is believed the Guru Nanak arrived in Leh in 1517 after touring Tibet, Nepal and Sikkim. He stayed where the Gurudwara now stands, close to the river bank where people would gather for his sermons. The Tibetans called him Gompka Maharaj and in Sikkim he was referred to as Rimpoche Nanak Guru.

When the people gathered to hear Guru Nanak ji speak, they complained to him about the troubles they were facing with a demon. They prayed to their Nanak Lama to prevent the demon from terrorizing them so that they can resume their regular work without fear. Guru Nanak ji consoled the local people and said that he would pray so that their troubles with the demon would be solved permanently.

On hearing this, the demon decided to kill Guru Nanak ji. So that evening when we sat in meditation, the demon rolled a huge boulder down the hill towards Guru Nanak ji. The Guru sat in meditation, oblivious to the danger approaching. When the boulder touched the body of Guru Nanak ji, it turned pliable like wax, taking in the impression of his head, shoulders and back. Wanting to know what had happened to the Guru, the demon came downhill, hoping to find him trapped underneath the boulder.

Boulder bearing impression of Guru Nanak ji's body 
Photo: Sikhiwiki.org

However, when he found that nothing had happened to the Guru and that he was meditating peacefully, he kicked the boulder with his right foot, and found that his foot impression was also registered on the boulder as if it had been made of wax. Hearing the thud, Guru Nanak ji opened his eyes. He found the demon before him. When the demon was engulfed in the compassionate glance of the Guru, he realised his powerlessness before the spiritual powers of the Guru, and regretted having atempted to kill him. He fell at the Guru's feet, seeking forgiveness. Guru Nanak ji asked him to stop harassing the local people and urged him to spend his time in serving others. 

Impression of the Demon's foot on the boulder at Gurudwara Pathar Sahib
Photo: Sikhiwiki.org

Construction of Gurudwara in the late 1970s:

A couple of centuries later, in the late 1970s the Leh - Nimmu Road was being laid. While the work was being carried out, they found a huge boulder in the course of the road to be laid, covered with Buddhist prayer flags. The bulldozer driver tried his might to remove the boulder from the course of the road, but it would not budge. When he put the entire might of the machine into the effort, the blade broke and the work had to be stopped. Not understanding why the boulder was unyielding, the driver went home. That night, he had a dream where he heard a voice telling him not to move the stone. 

In the morning, he narrated his dream to the army officer who was supervising the road laying work. The officer, thought the driver was overreacting and asked him to move the boulder without worrying too much. But as the day before, the boulder refused to budge. At the end of day, the army officer told the weary team, that they would blow up the boulder with dynamite the next day. That night, he too had the same dream as the driver, with a voice telling him not to move the boulder.

Puzzled, he got up the next day and went to the site, where a group of Lamas were waiting for him. They had been tasked with narrating to the army officer and his team, the story of Guru Nanak Dev and the boulder that had been rolled down by the demon. On hearing the tale, the team decided to leave the boulder where it was, and build the road around it. A Gurudwara was built instead and till date, the Indian Army is maintaining it.

The Gurudwara:

At the entrance of the Gurudwara

The Gurudwara has a spacious parking facility and has a waiting hall with a seperate enclosure for storing footwear. Cloth to cover one's head is also available in a box outside. The complex comprises of a long pathway and meditation hall at the ground level and a meditation hall uphill.

The main shrine comprises of the boulder which still bears the impression of the body of Guru Nanak Dev. The vibration within the meditation hall is really strong and several military men and civilians can be seen meditating here. The place is truly divine, bearing testimony to the divine presence of Guru Nanak ji. 

The Gurudwara also has a Langar where Prasad is available - amazing rotis, langar dal and subji is served by military men who volunteer their services here. The path leading from the langar dining hall to the entrance is lined with inscription stones that speak about various offerings made to the Gurudwara by the different battalions to celebrate their military successes.

Inscription stones mentioning the offerings made by different battalions

Just like any other Gurudwara, no one returns hungry from here. Tea, and Boondi Laddus are available close to the entrance for anyone passing by to partake. All vehicles passing by the Gurudwara stop for a few seconds here as a token of respect to Guru Nanak Dev ji. The Pathar Sahib Gurudwara is close to the Magnetic Hill, Sangam, the confluence of Indus and Zanskar Rivers and the Hall of Fame in Leh and hence well within the tourist circuit. So if you are in Leh, do not miss visiting here!

Opening Hours: 4.15 am to 8.30 pm

 Langar timings: 8 am, 12 pm