Ladakh

Out of Order in the Himalayas

It will be a bit out of order, but what the heck….Of course, I mean out of sequence, not broken!

I’m working on retroactive blog posts of basically all my experiences from last month’s travels through Spiti, Lahaul, and Ladakh to research and document Indo-Tibetan murals. Why didn’t I just post along the way? Because, internet stick and four SIM cards later, I was not able to access the internet while on the road. Especially in electricity-challenged Spiti, where kerosene for generators is even rationed, and Ladakh, border security area where cellular and other signals are highly controlled. I gave up trying and decided I would post when I got back to Dharamsala.

And here I am back in Dharamsala…but I did not think it would take long to back-post since I’ve already written a lot of material while still traveling. However, with image management and identification of thousands of photos shot in monasteries, it’s proving to be more time-consuming to present with accompanying photos. And who wants to read text here without the images? Not me!

So here’s what I’m going to do.  I’m going to toggle back and forth between posting about the present, and posting about last month, as I continue researching here in the lower Himalayas. In addition to Dhangkar and Lhalung Monasteries which are already here on this blog, stay tuned for accounts of what I saw and did at Key Monastery, Tabo Monastery, Kardang, Guru Ghantal, Shashur, Tayul, and Poekar Monasteries, including Phakpa in Triloknath and Markul Devi Temple in Udaipur sojourns. Then Alchi, Mangyu, Lamayuru, Likir, Shey, Thiksey, Hemis, and Mulbek Chamba Monasteries.  Yes, jam-packed with history, anecdotes, incredible landscapes, and ponderings!

Yosemite National Park

If the weather in the Himalayas in summer is anything like the weather in Yosemite National Park in spring, then I think I’ll be all right with what to wear for trekking to monasteries. What hiking it’s been here in California with sun, vistas, rainbows, waterfalls, and snow! Exhilarating.

Mirror Lake, Yosemite National Park
Mirror Lake, Yosemite National Park

Of course, altitude figures as a large difference. The scale of even the highest of Yosemite’s mountains pales in comparison to the Himalayas. Yet a taste of such grandeur truly makes me look forward to being present in Spiti, Lahaul, and Ladakh. Below is a view of Yosemite Falls, one of the world’s tallest waterfalls.

Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Falls, one of the world’s tallest waterfalls, Yosemite National Park

Himalayas / hi-MAAL-yah

Learn something new every day. The correct pronunciation for Himalaya is “hi-MAAL-yah.”

Mountains and the Indus River Valley as seen from Alchi Monastery circumambulatory, Himalayas.
Mountains and the Indus River Valley as seen from Alchi Monastery circumambulatory, Himalayas.

I look forward to going there later this year to conduct research as an artist, made possible by a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar award. Excited and honored! Truly grateful for this opportunity! I will be researching murals of Indo-Tibetan monasteries in Lahaul, Spiti, and Ladakh districts, with a focus on mandalas as a blueprint for understanding the nature of mind and reality.

So while my departure is still months away, I’ve already begun traveling in my mind as I await further details from Fulbright.