Excursions and more – Monasteries

Culturally Ladakh forms part of Tibet, that’s why it is also called Little Tibet or Western Tibet. The majority of the population is Buddhist.
Tibetan Buddhism has fascinated people in the West since a long time. Religious life in Ladakh was somewhat paralysed for more than two decades after the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the closure of the old trade routes. It was after the opening of Ladakh for tourists in 1974 when the secular and religious leaders realized which treasures were still intact in Ladakh. Many of the monasteries in Ladakh have been renovated and enlarged during the last 30 years.
On the occasion of his regular visits to Ladakh H.H. the Dalai Lama encourages the faithful. His teachings are attended by thousands of Ladakhi and Tibetans of all ages who come from all over the country in their Sunday best. Many young monks from Ladakh are now studying Buddhism in the new Tibetan monasteries in India.

The most famous monasteries are
Shankar, within walking distance from Leh
Spituk, overlooking the Leh airport
Tikse, which resembles the Potala in Lhasa (Radungs - Film)
Hemis, hidden in a valley and thus never looted by intruders. Its spectacular festival with mask-dances is held during the tourist season
Alchi, one of the first Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh, has been qualified as World Cultural Heritage because of it’s unique and delicate wall-paintings
Lamayuru is well-known too, being the first big monastery when you travel to Ladakh by road from Srinagar

There are many more monasteries worth visiting, however, it would take at least one summer to see them all.

Monastery festivals and mask dances
Ladakh follows the Tibetan lunar calendar. Monastery festivals are highlights in the hard life of the population and a welcome reason for pilgrimages and visits to relatives. Attending mask-dances is a memorable experience. Some of these festivals take place in winter, when very few tourists are present and the atmosphere is traditional. Even in early and late summer there are some festivals where only few tourist venture to go. Ask Dawa or Dorje (dorjay namgal) whether a festival will take place during your stay. It makes not much sense to publish the scheduled dates here, because they are subject to change. Browse the web for “festivals Ladakh” or contact the Ladakh Tourism Office: www.ladakh-tourism.org

The Tourism Office of Ladakh organizes the folkloristic Ladakh Festival during the first weeks of September. It is worth a visit, you will enjoy the performances of folklore groups, the competition of polo- and achery teams and other events amidst a crowd of Ladakhi in a festive mood. Many of the events are held in villages and valleys out of Leh, thus offering a reason to visit these areas.

Special pujas (prayer ceremonies) and sand mandalas
In every monastery and every house there are certain days during the year when specal Pujas are held. Thagchokling retreat holds its day-long puja in late September. Ask Dorje for pujas in nearby monasteries. Maybe at some place monks will make a sand-mandala. To attend such a special and auspicious event you should think of changing your itinerary in Ladakh. (Film Sand-Mandala in Likir)

A puja held at the retreat in 2008 by Shas Rinpoche of Rizong Monastery. He is a reincarnation of the first abbot of Rizong. The monastery is known for the strict rules (Vinaya) for the conduct of the monks.

Excursions and more – Monasteries