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| Hemis
Monastery |
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Situated at a distance of around 40 km
southeast of leh, Hemis is located in the Ladakh division
of the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. It takes its name
from the world famous Buddhist Gompa situated here.
The Hemis monastery was established in 1672 AD by the then
king Senge Nampar Gyalva. Across the stillness of the wide |
expanse, the Hemis gompa stands
upright built in Tibetan style, jutting out of the mountain
top. The practices at the Hemis monastery are a direct lineal
descent of the teachings expounded in the Mahayoga Tantra school,
or the esoteric school of vajrayana.
Hemis Monastery simply conjures up an image of magnificent snow
covered peaks, alpine green valleys and high altitude passes.
It reflects the Buddhist culture and living life in harmony
among such harsh climatic conditions of Ladakh. There are a
number of shrines around this great courtyard, all of them of
considerable interest.
Hemis, however, it best known to tourists because of its colorful
festival held in July. At this time, monks perform their traditional
dances to celebrate the birth anniversary of the monastery's
founder, Padmasambhava. Its resident Lamas perform sacred masked
dances leading to the destruction of the evil forces, &
sacrificial offerings. The festival takes an auspicious turn
every 12 years in the Tibetan year of the Monkey (2004). |
| Thiksey
Monastery |
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Thiskey Gonpa, 17km.
south of Leh, the most beautiful of all the Monasteries in Ladakh,
belongs to the Gelukspa order. The Thiskey festival is held
in the month of October-November.Around 80 Monks reside here
at present. Buses are available between Leh and Thiskey every
30 minutes. |
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| Shey
Palace |
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Shey, around 15 kms, south of
Leh was the seat of power of the first king of Ladakh, Lhachen
Spalgigon, who constructedthe hill-top fortress. The ruin can
be seen above the present Shey Palace. There are hundreds of
Chortens(stupas) and Dresthang Gonpa built around the palace,
which are under the Thiskey Monastery. |
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| Deskit
Monastery |
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Deskit is the main village or
headquarter of Nubra Valley, Which has a small market consisting
of a row of shops and around 500 years old Gonpa on the Hilltop.
Spectacular view of the valley can be seen from the monastery. |
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| Gurudwara
Pathar Sahib |
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Just 15-20 kms away from the
Hotel lies a historical Gurudwara dedicated to GuruNanak, the
first Guru of the Sikhs. Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, as it is known
is manned by the Indian Army.It attracts a lot of tourists as
well as Sikh devotees. |
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