Ladakh a travelogue

After planning for many years, finally i managed to visit Ladakh. I had heard that it is one of the most enchanting places on Earth. The trip confirmed this saying. And yes, drive along the Khardungla Pass was the high point of the trip! After landing in Leh, we rested for 2 days to get used to the lower Oxygen levels. I began the monastery trail at Hemis, easily the biggest and the wealthiest of them all. It is very scenically located on the western side of the Indus River and well concealed in a gorge to avoid the unnecessary attention to its wealth! Hemis was founded in 1630 by first incarnation of Stagsang Raspa Nawang Gyatso. I was impressed with the copper-gilt statue of the Lord Buddha inside the monastery. It is a great idea to Visit Ladakh in June-July so you can attend the Hemis festival which is celebrated at the Monastery. It's a 2 day festival to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of tantric Buddhism in Tibet. Once in 12 years visitors can also have a look at the Thanka or the sacred appliqué-work tapestry wrought with pearls depicting Guru Padmasambhava. Another compelling experience is the sacred mask dance that's performed at the Hemis Monastery every year on the 9th and 10th day of fifth month of Tibetan calendar. Thiksey is arguably the most beautiful and most visited monastery in Ladakh. Belonging to the Gelukpa order, Thiksey is a 12 storey complex built on a hill at a height of 11000 feet. The architecture of the monastery strongly resembles the the former official seat of the Dalai Lama. The highlight of this monastery is the temple of Lakhang Nyerma dedicated to Goddess Dorje Chenmo. Another interesting feature is a 15 meter tall statue of Buddha called Champa. Thiksey continues today as a residence for more than eighty monks and twenty five nuns. The best time to visit Thiksey Monastery is in October-November during the Gustor festival. You will enjoy the trade fair that is held at the base of the monastery. The fair is the best opportunity for you to socialize with the local community as people come here from all over Ladakh to eat, play cards, drink and trade. Khardungla Pass is the fantasy of many auto enthusiasts. Situated at a height of 5359 meters, it is known as the highest motorable road in the world and people drool over to take a drive over here! When we drove up there, it was easily the most enjoyable traffic jam encountered in our lives. Scores of vehicles were stranded precariously as an Army convoy of trucks was making its way up the pass. Even in May, there was snow all over and we were lucky enough to witness snowfall for a few minutes. Not many know of the controversy surrounding this claim. Many experts claim there are other passes higher than Khardungla and are motorable, a couple being Suge La again in Ladakh and Semo La in Tibet. I guess it depends on what you call as "motorable". For that matter, people have been crazy enough to drive up to 6891 meters on a Jeep Wrangler in 2007 to Nevado Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world located on the Argentina-Chile border. Pangong Lake is in my opinion the beautiful spot in all of Ladakh. It is more than 130 kms long and straddles Tibet and Ladakh. As you complete a laborious 5 hour drive from Leh to reach Pangong Lake, all the travel fatigue vanishes in a few seconds as you are greeted by dozens of playful sea gulls. The lake is supposed to be rich in minerals and the water sparkles in distinct shades of blue, green, purples and violet. The entire lake freezes in winter. This heavenly place is inhabited by Chang-pa, a nomadic tribe who rear the world renowned Pashmina goats. These goats shed their winter coat every spring and that goes into making the world famous Pashmina Shawls. If you are a foody, don't miss Thukpa and Momos while in Ladakh! Thukpa is a thick soup with vegetables that provides a complete meal while Momos are steamed dumplings stuffed with meat or vegetables, accompanied by a fiery chili sauce. The post has become quite long so have left out a few places. For more snaps and more details visit my travelogue at Ladakh- A Himalayan Holiday Attached Thumbnails

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