View of Himalayan valley from stairs to main temple just before entering courtyard, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
To continue where I left off in my last post, I found Lamayuru Monastery really charming. Not only did the architectural spaces seem personal and intimate, but the experience of them was diverse and unexpected. One temple to the next seemed different in character and time.
The Dukhang, or main temple, is hidden behind a stairway façade, the doors of which open to reveal a fully enclosed courtyard, open only to the sky above. From here there is access to temples located on higher levels.
Courtyard of Dukhang, main temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh. Intimacy within the grandeur of the Himalayas just right outside the entry doors.Entrance to Dukhang, main temple, Lamayuru Monasetery, Ladakh
The Dukhang’s interior has an enclosed two-story atrium surrounded by colonnade. It was dramatically lit from skylights above, the main source of lighting in this semi-dark hall.
Interior of Dukhang, main temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
Lining the walls are a library of scriptures and a rich collection of statuary honoring the Kagyu lineage, including such luminaries as the masters Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, and Milarepa.
Interior of Dukhang, main temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
Along this same wall, K and I did a collective gasp when our monk guide opened a small door to reveal a cave where the amazing Naropa had meditated in the 11th century. Visiting caves that have been graced by enlightened masters is not merely a curiosity. It is considered a blessing. Lay persons and adepts alike seek these places to meditate in the presence of greatness achieved.
Now incorporated into the temple, Naropa’s cave must have been at one time a separate and secret retreat. He is the mahasiddha who developed the yogi practice known as the Six Yogas of Naropa, which has been in continual use by practitioners since he introduced it. This is predominantly the method yogis at Kardang Monastery, for example, utilize in attaining their feats of mind over matter. To learn more, see this earlier post.
Cave where Indian master Naropa meditated in 11th century, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhStatues placed in small cave where Indian master Naropa (in back) meditated in 11th century, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh. In front on left is most likely Taktsang Repa and on right Milarepa
This next small temple off the same courtyard as the main temple is dedicated to reliquaries.
Temple with reliquaries, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhDetail of reliquaries with colorful tormas, ritual offerings made out of butter and flour, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhA collection of statues also in this temple, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhThe mahasiddha Marpa, always depicted with wide staring eyes, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhVajradhara, the Primordial Buddha, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
Marpa was a famously tough master with his disciple Milarepa, whom he refused to teach when the latter came repeatedly to seek his guidance. Instead he asked Milarepa thrice to single-handedly construct him a building–then tear it down! That is to say, he made the hapless disciple build something, then destroy it, on three different occasions. In a sense, Milarepa needed such profound purification for his prior spiteful and mass-murderous deeds.
Milarepa, disciple of Marpa, usually depicted with hand to ear engaged in a special yogi practice. He is the famously angry and spiteful practitioner who was able to transcend his evil deeds through dedicated asceticism and meditation in cave retreat. He is said to have had calluses on his rear from his years of unrelenting practice!Mural in same temple depicting protector deities and royal warriors, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhMural depicitng protector deities at center and lineage masters at right, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhDetail of female protector Tsering-ma riding a snow lion. Wall painting, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh. I like the graceful movement of this figure, and judging from the more Chinese influence in style, the murals in this temple post-date Indo-Tibetan period.
Next up was seeing the Avalokiteshvara temple, where my breath was taken away again by the exquisite sculpture there.
Entrance to Avalokiteshvara temple, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhInterior of Avalokiteshvara temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
I really loved this temple for its beautiful Avalokiteshvara statue, bodhisattva of compassion, also known as Chenrezig–thousand-armed and eleven-headed, all the better to see, hear, and lend a helping hand to the suffering. It was located in an inner sanctum behind the altar.
While the wall paintings in the Avalokiteshvara temple probably date from a later period judging from stylistic differences, it is possible that this statue dates to the earlier Indo-Tibetan period. Purely conjecture, but I was comparing the similarities in the face of Avalokiteshvara with this Vairocana from Sumda Chun, a remote and largely untouched monastery from the 11th century. These statues have more formal affinity with each other than do the Avalokiteshvara with the painting of one from the same Lamayuru temple.
On left is Vairocana sculpture from 11th century Sumda Chun Monastery, on right is Avalokiteshvara. The facial features have strong similarities in style and execution, as compared to the below painting of Avalokiteshvara from the same Lamayuru templePainting of thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara in its dedicated temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh. Bearing more Chinese influence in style, the face is softer and rounder, less typical of Kashmiri-influenced art of Indo-Tibetan period
It looks to me that this painting shows more Chinese influence, which would indicate it was created later than Indo-Tibetan period, probably post-13th century.
I heard a story that the goddess Tara emanated from Avalokiteshvara when, upon realizing the magnitude of the samsaric condition for all sentient beings, he shed tears. One tear became White Tara, and the other Green Tara.
Green Tara, surrounded by her 21 emanations which are mostly peaceful versions but some are wrathful forms. Contemporary sculpture, Namgyal Monastery, Dharamsala
Today, Tara retreats are one of the more common kriya tantras taught. She has contemporary feminist appeal as a female buddha. She is also an empowering figure in being regarded as Mother of All Buddhas. Additionally, as a bodhisattva who, seeing the gender bias of the male-dominated precinct of enlightenment in Buddhist religious order, vows to be reborn life after life in order to attain enlightenment in female form. I am reminded of what I have read about Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, the British-born Tibetan Buddhist nun who spent twelve years in solitary meditation in a cave in Lahaul above Tayul Monastery, and who experienced such gender-bias in monastic orders.
Offerings, Avalokiteshvara temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh. The large center chalice is a butter lamp.Interior of Avalokiteshvara temple with old woman who had just finished her full body prostrations here Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhInterior of Avalokiteshvara temple looking back towards entrance, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
View of Dukhang courtyard from second level, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhKagyu monk making tormas, ritual butter cake offerings, in the kitchen on second floor above Dukhang courtyard, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
Lamayuru Monastery–what an experience, and it’s grown fonder in my memory…
My travel companion K and I left Keylong at 5:00 a.m. to head to Leh. The wonderful and inspired Lahauli adventure had come to an end, and it was now time for Ladakh!
It was a long drive of about 11-12 hours on the Manali-Leh Highway, with stops for photos, breakfast and lunch. Unbelievable rugged terrain that seems to endlessly unfurl its textural vistas as you drive along hour after hour. Empty, cold, semi-arid desert across vast mountain ranges.
Rugged terrain of Manali-Leh Highway, en route to Ladakh
Like the road trip from Spiti to Lahaul, the land is at once austere and captivating. Fortunately, unlike the jagged, unpaved highway from Spiti to Lahaul, this one was rather well-paved and maintained. Besides tourists, it’s well-used by the military guarding the Sino-Indian border, and there are checkpoints along the way where all vehicles must stop and register passing through.
En route, one passes places with quaint names like Zingzingbar and Lachulung-la, ascending ever higher. From our starting point at Keylong, it’s 3349 meters altitude going up to the high point of Tanglang-la of 5328 meters. I felt short of breath at times, but thank goodness I’m long over altitude adjustments (the first week in Spiti was vice-grip-like, headache-filled nights in addition to shortness of breath), though it is no joke to continue to take precautions and be aware of the dangers of high altitude sickness. People can die from it, and pretty quickly, too.
Roadside tent dhabas (eateries) and basic dormitory accommodations are set up for the summer season from about June to September, Manali-Leh Highway
There are no villages or towns the whole stretch of road from Keylong to Leh, only roadside stops for food or overnight stays. These are makeshift temporary seasonal tents that offer cots for travelers to sleep in and a basic menu of dishes such as paranthas, rice and dahl, chow mein. Breakfast was at one of these places.
Interior of a roadside dhaba (eatery) with cots for overnight stays, Manali-Leh Highway, Ladakh
Shortly after taking off on the road again after breakfast, we saw this. Can you spot the little guy in the below photo?
Manali-Leh Highway
Didn’t see him? Okay, then look here…
Marmot out in morning sun, Manali-Leh Highway, en route to Ladakh
Marmots were poking their heads out of rock crevices, or walking out in the open like this one, presumably searching for breakfast. Cute pudgy little things, they reminded me of our local American groundhogs.
Driver G was really nice, good conversationalist, great driver. He is a trekking guide and luxury tent campsite owner in Manali who conducts Himalayan adventure trips. He is also an old friend of K’s. K said G saved his life once on a mountaineering trip.
With his four wheel drive flatbed truck, he would deftly take uphill shortcuts connecting switchback roads, such as here at the Gata Loops, the part of the highway famed for its 21 hairpin turns.
The part of Manali-Leh Highway famed for its 21 hairpin turns on the road, en route to LadakhGate Loops on Manali-Leh Highway, en route to LadakhTurquoise water offset against the pinks of the mountain range and red-siena ground cover. Yes, it really looks like this on parts of the Manali-Leh Highway heading to Ladakh!
Kangla Jal trekking pass point and India Gate reminds me of out West in Zion or Bryce Canyons in the U.S.
Near Kangla Jal trekking pass, Manali-Leh Highway, en route to LadakhIndia Gate, near Kangla Jal trekking pass, Manali-Leh Highway, en route to Ladakh
Lunch was at another tent site, where people really make do with little water and toilets are open air. One gets good at finding large rocks to befriend!
Lunch en route to Ladakh on Manali-Leh Highway
Not long after leaving the lunch site, we came upon the plateau portion of the trip called Morey Plains. Instead of traveling through passageways and valleys, this section was a wide open flat expanse of land.
Morey Plains, Manali-Leh Highway, en route to LadakhBeginning of Morey Plains, Manali-Leh Highway, en route to LadakhJust straight road! Morey Plains, Manali-Leh Highway, en route to Ladakh
The Himalayan mountains along the way are diverse in colors and shapes. Some are more black like these below, and others more pink and warm flesh tones gradating into earth reds as you see more of as you get closer to Leh.
Natures sculpts some stunning shapes and presents here nuanced gray and black tones along the Manali-Leh HighwayThe Himalayas, as far as your eye can see…Large cars are just specks on the thready-looking roads
When we reached Tangla-la, the high point with an altitude of over 17,500 feet, it was marked by a large shrine and elaborate prayer flags. Other travelers stopped for a gander and to marvel that they, too, had made it to this point on the road to Leh. Inside the shrine there were Hindu and Buddhist deities.
Tanglang-la Pass with shrine and prayer flags, the highest point on the Manali-Leh Highway at 5328 meters (over 17500 feet), en route to Ladakh, IndiaShrine at Tanglang-la Pass, the highest point on the Manali-Leh Highway at 5328 meters (over 17500 feet)Hindu and Buddhist deities, inside shrine at Tanglang-la Pass, the highest point on the Manali-Leh Highway en route to Ladakh, India
How did people in ancient times manage traveling through this rough barren terrain? Actually many of them didn’t and perished along the way. I’m thinking of Rinchen Zangpo’s party of 21, whom King Yeshe O’d sent from Guge, Western Tibet, to India in the late 10th century, only 2 of whom made it back alive.
IS IT NOT? Khardung-la is the first highest pass in India.
As you get closer to the city of Leh on the highway, you begin to see stupas and chortens in the landscape. This little monastery is among the first signs of permanent dwellings as you come out of the hinterlands and approach civilization, still about two hours’ drive before reaching the outer monasteries of Leh, such as Stakna.
The scenic view of Stagna Monastery as you come out of the remoteness of the Manali-Leh Highway and reach outskirts of Leh, Ladakh, IndiaMuch of Leh looks like this combination of vast dry flatlands adjacent to mountains with villages nestled in the valleys.
Lahaul’s Trinity: Drilbu Ri, Phakpa, and Markul Devi
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September 17th Lahaul adventure continues…
The spiritual power of Lahaul, known as beloved Garsha Khandroling to Buddhists, lies in its sacred trinity of Drilbu Ri, Phakpa, and Markul Devi. These sites form the Three Vajras of right body, speech, and mind. The Three Vajra concept is akin to the Western religious concepts of righteous deed, word, and thought.
View of Chandrabhaga Valley en route to Triloknath, about one hour drive from Keylong, Lahaul
If you read my previous post, then you already know the experience at the summit of Drilbu Ri is sublime. This mountain is associated with Chakrasamvara, the enlightened body of Buddha. The other sites of the trinity are Phakpa Temple in Triloknath, associated with Avalokiteshvara and enlightened speech, and Markul Devi Temple in Udaipur, associated with Vajravarahi and enlightened mind. (By the way, this is Udaipur in the state of Himachal Pradesh, not the one in Rajasthan.)
After finishing the kora around Drilbu Ri, it seemed natural to visit the other two places, Triloknath and Udaipur, as a continuation of pilgrimage experience. Both are within an hour-and-a-half’s drive from Keylong, so that was my agenda for today! As with Dribu Ri, Hindus and Buddhists alike consider Phakpa and Markul Devi holy sites.
Phakpa temple of Triloknath, Lahaul, as seen from the entrance to its courtyardEntranceway to Phakba Temple, Triloknath, Lahaul. Visitors ring bells overhead.Inner courtyard of Phakpa. Not much can be seen of the original architecture at this ancient site. What exists now looks like contemporary vernacular. The building at left contains the inner sanctum and an interior circumambulatory
At Phakpa Temple, one can circumambulate the inner sanctum upon entering. The ample interior corridor contains Tibetan Buddhist mani prayer wheels one can spin for manifold blessings. Inside them are Avalokiteshvara’s six-syllabled mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, the recitation of which is said to activate mental states conducive for peace and enlightenment.
The interior circumambulatory, Phakpa Temple, Triloknath, LahaulGilded architectural detail that looks Hindu-influenced, Phakpa Temple, Triloknath
The inner sanctum contains a white marble statue of Avalokiteshvara, bodhisattva of great compassion, believed to be a miraculous self-arisen object found by a shepherd and installed in Triloknath. The statue is revered by Hindus as Shiva.
White marble statue of Avalokiteshvara, Phakpa Temple, Triloknath, Lahaul, revered by Hindus as Lord Shiva. Photo: www.fpmt.org
Here is a view of it without ritual embellishments. This is a poster I photographed in the courtyard.
Avalokiteshvara statue at Phakpa Temple, Triloknath, Lahaul
The statue is a six-armed version of Avalokiteshvara. In Tibetan Buddhism, he is also popularly depicted with a thousand arms and eleven heads. This manifestation occurred when Amitabha Buddha, coming to the bodhisattva’s aid, split his head and arms so he could better hear, see, and help the suffering. The Dalai Lama is considered a human incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, or Chenrezig as he is known in Tibetan.
Nandi – the cow is a sacred animal to Hindus, representing life and the sustenance of life. This sculpture is located in the center of exterior courtyard at Phakpa Temple, Triloknath, Lahaul
After Triloknath, I headed to nearby Udaipur to see Markul Devi Temple.
View of Himalayan Mountains on the way from Triloknath to Udaipur, Lahaul
As was the case from Keylong to Triloknath, before long, we hit road construction again and were delayed because all traffic was halted. In this rugged terrain and climate, highways take a beating, and road maintenance and improvement is always happening. This one was a major operation, and not visible in the photo is a large crew of construction workers down the left side of the mountain where the dirt is being deposited.
Road construction en route to Triloknath, LahaulRoad construction en route to Udaipur, Lahaul
Often road workers are women with young children on their backs. Or sometimes the little ones keep themselves busy playing or sleeping on the construction site. I am not kidding! I have seen children sleeping hazardously close to the edge of a cliff, or running among machinery and equipment. So far, on my travels throughout Spiti and Lahaul, this is true everywhere. It is hard labor. Men and women break rocks by hand with hammers, dig mountainsides with pickaxes, haul dirt in baskets on their heads, and so forth. Driver D tells me most laborers are poor and come from Nepal, or are tribals from other states of India. As itinerant workers, they sleep in makeshift tents right there onsite for the season, until the cold weather comes and road work is halted.
Markula Devi Temple, Udaipur, Lahaul
If you have been on an extended trip to see Indo-Tibetan Buddhist sacred sites in Spiti and Lahaul, what is immediately apparent about Markul Devi Temple is that it does not look at all like what you’ve seen elsewhere. Most of the structures I’ve seen from the same period, 11th-12th centuries, have been white-washed or painted mud and stone structures with flat roofs of the same materials, some perhaps thatched. Markul Devi is instead made from wood and stone with a highly pitched wood-shingled gable roof.
Markul Devi Temple exterior is an example of 8th century Kashmiri architecture in Udaipur, Lahaul
The Indian government traces its architectural style back to 8th century Kashmir, though the current structure is a reproduction from 11th century onward. It is protected by Archeological Survey of India, considered the last building of its kind to exist.
Wood carving from interior of Markul Devi Temple, Udaipur, Lahaul. Photo: http://ignca.nic.in
The interior is also different from other Indo-Tibetan interiors I’ve seen. It is a stunning example of fine Indian woodwork. Massive and deeply carved single pieces of wood form nine elaborate ceiling panels. There are several ornate pillars and architraves, window panels, and the decorated facade of the inner sanctum. The fine carvings depict mainly Hindu subjects and figures, but there are also Buddhist references, such as the panel of Shakyamuni Buddha, and the scene with a three-headed Vishnu. The small shrine holding a silver statue of the Hindu goddess Kali is revered by Tibetans as Vajravarahi.
Shown at right is a detail of the wood carving possibly from the facade of the inner sanctum.
So there you have it…Lahaul’s trinity of Drilbu Ri (body), Phakpa (speech), and Markul Devi (mind)–revered by both Hindus and Buddhists. Implicit in their mutual respect for these places and their associated deities is their acceptance of each other’s pantheon. I admire this. An Indian acquaintance once said to me that he believes, ultimately, all gods are the same.
Sept 16th Drilbu Ri Mountain kora (circumambulation)
5 a.m. with flashlight in hand and some provisions in a backpack, I started out in the dark to meet my guide S at a spot on the Drilbu Ri trail marked by a large barren tree.
Beginning of trekking trail for Drilbu Ri kora (circumambulation) from Kardang Monastery, Lahaul. The destination is the top of the mountain near where those seven peaks appear at upper left.
I had spent the night at Kardang Monastery, and once again had the pleasure of the company of nuns. It’s remarkable how details of one’s life narrative can be dispensed with when there is just mutual warmth felt between people. We chatted with whatever English they had (and for my part, zero Tibetan) and with mutual hand gestures. They cooked thukpa noodles in a delicious vegetable soup. I hadn’t eaten much that day having worked through lunch shooting photos at Guru Ghantal, so I was happy to carb-up for the next day’s trek.
Lovely Kardang Monastery nuns making thukpa noodles for dinnerDrilbu Ri mountain as seen from across the Bhaga River, Lahaul
Drilbu Ri kora—my gosh, what can I say? Getting to the summit whooped me! At almost 15,000 feet (4400 meters) altitude, I was short of breath at the start, and then later gasping for breath every 10 to 15 paces of steep uphill climbing. We reached the top shortly before 10 a.m. My guide, bless him, was so patient, calm, and encouraging with the words, “Slowly, slowly…” which he repeated like a mantra, each time with a gentle head tilt, the infamous Indian bobble.
About two hours into trekking with guide S, Keylong is seen below (looks like thin line) on the opposite mountain across the valley.Ascent further up takes you into an area filled with a kind of red grassy plant that colors the mountain sideAs we climbed higher the mountain curved more and changed to rocky terrainFurther up, the mountain is steeper, more angled, and here is where we hit the snow line, snow visible on right
The last part was the steepest and most difficult. I marveled that I was still going on only half a Nutella sandwich, some pieces of chocolate, and two mango juices. Hardly nutritious, but then again, hunger becomes more of a concept, given the altitude and level of exertion.
Looking up towards the summit of Drilbu Ri Mountain, the top being where those prayer flags look like a dotted line. At this point more snow on the ground. Yes, it looks steep and then got even steeper!Still looking up at the summit, the ascent gets more vertical and narrower!Finally arrival at the summit of Drilbu Ri by scrambing through this narrow and angled pass
Well, it was worth being reduced to crying “uncle.” When we got to Drilbu Ri’s summit, it was indeed a living mandala as the locals promised. 360-degree panorama of magnificent glacial mountains that take your breath away–literally and figuratively! No wonder the Himalayas is called “the roof of the world.” As you stand stuck in awe, the amazing height and expanse somehow melds with your inner sense of worldy, or maybe otherwordly, home. Yes, you, small and insignificant in this vast geological time and space, still get to be part of it all.
View of Keylong down in Bhaga River Valley from the summit for Dribu Ri MountainView of Keylong down in Bhaga River Valley from the summit for Dribu Ri MountainUnbelievable immensity, view of the other side of the Drilbu Ri Mountain looking down towards Gondhala Village. This is where you begin the descent down, a lot less steep but looks deceptively smooth and “easy.”View of Keylong down in Bhaga River Valley from the summit of Dribu Ri Mountain, Lahaul. On right is a Buddhist shrine housed in a small yellow structure in which Lahauli pilgrims are lighting butter lamps and incense as offerings. Hidden under many kata offering scarves further to the right is also a small Hindu shrine dedicated to the sacred union of Shiva and Parvati.Butter lamps and other offerings in Buddhist shrine on top of Drilbu Ri Mountain, Lahaul. Hindus also consider this a sacred site and there is a separate shrine dedicated to the sacred union of Shiva and Parvati.
In fact, Drilbu Ri is sacred to Tibetan Buddhists as Chakrasamvara’s abode. It is important to understand here that none of the Buddhist tantric deities are believed to exist externally. Rather, they represent the ultimate and profound state of mind which sees that self and phenomena are empty of inherent existence. If this is an intriguing idea for you, then you may want to learn more about the distinctive Buddhist philosophy of dependent origination.
Chakrasambava is understood as a wrathful manifestation of Buddha for combating the compelling mental condition of perceiving things as concretely existing. Tantric yoga practices are essentially visualizations of the deity that enact illusion and dissolution of self through identifying with the deity’s Buddha-nature. With the initiation and guidance of a qualified teacher, the practitioner gains the benefit of seeing things as they really are—that is, illusory and empty of inherent existence. This is what’s called wisdom. Cultivating wisdom together with compassion form the complementary two wings for full flight to enlightenment.
Tibetan Buddhists believe that pilgrimage to sacred sites like Drilbu Ri is a great purification of self-centered concerns in order to adopt more expansive mental states that are conducive for wisdom. Overcoming hardships and challenges on a kora can act as a propeller on one’s spiritual path, especially if the site has been graced by the spiritual energies of realized practitioners. Masters such as Nagajuna, Ghantapa, Gotsangpa, Orgyenpa, Taktsang and Rangrik Repas have come to meditate on Drilbu Ri over the past millennia.
View of Keylong side of Drilbu Ri Mountain, looking towards the shrines and my guide S. It’s hard to imagine how people manage to string up these long expanses of prayer flags over the terrain!
Traditionally, Tibetans have traveled hundreds or even thousands of kilometers, often in full body prostration, to complete such pilgrimages. I understand that Drilbu Ri and Mount Kailash are two of the foremost sites for kora. It is said that the completion of such circumambulations bring manifold results, multiplying divine merit.
More expanses of prayer flags at the summit of Drilbu Ri Mountain. On the left side is the descent down to Gondhala and on the right side was the ascent up from Kardang Monastery/Keylong side, Lahaul
As for me, I came here to research Indo-Tibetan mandalas as a visual artist. Then found, as I was told, that Lahaul does not have so much in the way of drawn images of mandalas. Rather, the land itself is a mandala which one should experience physically. I’m glad I did.
Numerous stupas are found all along the top ridge of Drilbu Ri Mountain, like sentinels holding up prayer flags, LahaulExhilaration, okay, maybe augmented by some oxygen deprivation at the summit of Drilbu Ri Mountain, about 15,000 feet (4400 meters) altitude.
The weather was such a wonderful wide range all that day. Dawn began with some overcast clouds, which then gradually lifted later in the morning to give way to wholesome, crystal clear sunshine by late morning when we reached the top. After a picnic brunch of omelette sandwiches with Indian pickles which S brought with him, a light snowfall came to herald our time to pack up and start the hike down the other side of Drilbu Ri Mountain. The destination was Gondhala Village, where we would then get a bus or taxi back to Keylong.
Oh, and by the way, I thought making it to the top of Drilbu Ri meant the hard part was over. Not so. The return on the other side of the mountain was less steep, more graduated but MUCH longer distance. It was also colder and so windy at times that you literally had to resist being blown over a decline. I was so grateful S had brought me an extra jacket to wear.
Where the descent on the other side of Drilbu Ri Mountain begins, looking towards Gondhala Village, Lahaul. The clouds were surreal, at once looking like huge chunks but then moving like ethereal wisps across the mountains.
Descending was a different stamina test, for the knees and thighs instead of the breath.
The descent on the other side of Drilbu Ri Mountain begins, looking towards Gondhala Village, Lahaul
Later, I felt like my eyes were playing tricks on me because Gondhala never seemed to come any closer no matter how long and how far we walked! The village visually seemed like it stayed the same distance away.
The continued descent on the other side of Drilbu Ri Mountain begins, looking towards Gondhala Village, LahaulThumbs up for completion of Drilbu Ri kora by one experienced trekking guide, and one unsuspecting but game novice.
I finally did get exhausted and waved the white flag. S could see that I indeed had had enough, so instead he lead me to the closest point on the road, and then called trusty ol’ driver D (thank you! thank you!) to pick us up for the ride back to Keylong. I was never so happy before to see a road—wonderful, smooth, FLAT road!
At last, reaching the road on the other side of Drilbu Ri Mountain. Gondhala Village still seemed far around the bend!
Guru Ghantal (Gandhola) Monastery on Drilbu Ri mountain slope, oldest existing monastery in Lahaul
Today was Guru Ghantal. Magnificent! Also known as Gandhola, it is the oldest of the existing monasteries in Lahaul with archeological evidence dating to 1st century C.E. What a place of tremendous significance for its location, history of great masters and activities, and having an ancient charnel ground considered one of the eight sacred ones in the Buddhist world. It is said that the unparalleled 2nd century C.E. Buddhist scholar and meditation master Nagarjuna, founder of Madhyamaka (“Middle Way”) school of thought and considered one of the most important philosophers second only to the historical Buddha himself, spent time in retreat here.
Guru Ghantal on Drilbu Ri mountain slope on upper left, as seen from across Bhaga Valley. Thupcholing Monastery which administers Gandhola is below on the plateau. The green roofs are retreat huts for practitioners. Below is Tandi bridge which crosses the Bhaga River where it joins the Chandra River, Lahaul.
Driver D dropped me off, and after ensuring that the nearby Thupcholing Monastery monk who is associated with Guru Ghantal was going to take the hike up with me, he waited at the bottom rather than accompany us. It’s a pretty steep climb up overgrown paths and sandy trails. The young monk, of course, not only being young but not challenged by high altitude like I was, darted up and would wait patiently for me to catch up, meanwhile chatting about Sino-Indian relations and asking enthusiastically about Western thought. I thought to myself, a veritable 21st century monk right here before me!
On the hike up to Guru Ghantal Monastery with monk guide, Lahaul
Guru Ghantal’s namesake comes from another celebrated master named Drilbupa Guru Ghantapa. He hailed from Nalanda originally as a Brahmin prince who later became a Buddhist scholar monk, and then a yogi. He is revered for introducing a highest yoga tantra, Chakrasamvara, and for attaining full enlightenment by meditating on Drilbu Ri. This mountain also gained its name from him and has since been considered the sacred abode of the deity. Indeed there is little in Lahaul that does not owe its spiritual allegiance to Guru Ghantapa since the area is believed to be charged with the profoundness of his enlightenment and Chakrasamvara’s energy.
As for the monastery’s sacred location, it is not only situated on the slopes of Drilbu Ri, for centuries a pilgrimage site as important as Mount Kailash, it also overlooks the confluence of the mighty Bhaga and Chandra Rivers. Hindus and Buddhists alike consider this an auspicious, powerful junction physically and symbolically, a holy place to cremate the deceased and spread their ashes.
The sacred triangle formed by the confluence of Bhaga and Chandra Rivers, LahaulGandhola as it is today, with corrugated tin roof and in need of preservation, Lahaul. Photo: Kishore Thukral
Today, Guru Ghantal is largely empty and needs preservation. In its heyday over the past millennium, the complex of hermitage, meditation caves, and stupas garnered the presence of great Indian and Tibetan masters such as the ones mentioned, as well as Gyalwa Gotsangpa (whose imprints in stone I’ve written about here) and the Siddha Orgyenpa. When Indian Buddhism declined in about the 13th century, Tibetan Buddhism of the Drukpa lineage continued to flourish here, with Gandhola as the central monastery in Lahaul.
Ground floor of main temple, Gandhola, with statues of Avalokiteshvara, Guru Rinpoche, Lama Temphel, Lahaul
In the latter half of the 19th century, Drukpa spiritual leaders of Bhutan sent Lama Tashi Temphel to Gandhola to guide and teach Lahaulis. He was not only an accomplished lama but he was an artist and physician as well. This brought about a revitalization, because at his leadership, monasteries were restored, rituals improved, and temples beautified with paintings he himself did or trained others to do.
Second floor of Gandhola where there are adjoining monks quarters, the walls were likely painted with Buddhist imagery at one time but today are completely undecorated, LahaulAnother view of second floor, Gandhola Monastery, LahaulView of third floor from second floor looking up into ornate coffered ceiling, Gandhola Monastery, LahaulThe painted coffered ceiling with unusual mandalas, Gandhola Monastery, Lahaul. Photo: Kishore Thukral
According to the book Garsha (see this post for further info), all the sacred deities, mandalas, and Drukpa lineage holders at Guru Ghantal were painted by Lama Tashi Temphel circa 1870. He also painted images at Tayul around this time during its expansion. He built Thupcholing for novices, who would spend three years there before moving on to practice at Guru Ghantal or other monastery. All ancient statues that were originally at Gandhola now reside there.
Center of ceiling with what was likely Chakrasamvara mandala, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Lahaul
Upon reviewing recently with a geshe the photographs I took of the ceiling, he remarked that the mandalas were unusual. The center one, which is rather damaged, is very likely a Chakrasamvara mandala. He believes all smaller ones, though their designs are unconventional, are dakini mandalas.
Very likely a dakini mandala, unconventional design, Guru Ghantal Monastery, LahaulVery likely a dakini mandala, unconventional design, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Lahaul
The ceiling designs all appear to have been painted on paper and then installed. Although there are signs of water damage and disintegration, the overall state is quite intact and still vibrant. The detailed scrollwork is particularly fine and delightfully detailed.
Very likely a dakini mandala, unconventional design, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Lahaul. Of note in this one are the stupas at each of the four gateways which are not painted in conventional proportions.Very likely a dakini mandala, unconventional design, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Lahaul.The mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, ceiling of Guru Ghantal Monastery, Lahaul
On the beams appear lineage masters.
Guru Ghantapa, from ceiling of Guru Ghantal Monastery, LahaulDrukpa lineage masters on beams of ceiling, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Lahaul
On the walls of the third floor are paintings of deities on canvas.
Panorama of third floor wall paintings, Guru Ghantal Monastery, LahaulPossibly Guhyasamaja, wall painting, Guru Ghantal Monastery, LahaulYamantaka, wall painting, Gandhola Monastery, LahaulMarlug Hevajra. wall painting, Gandhola Monastery, LahaulChakrasamvara, wall painting, Gandhola Monastery, LahaulWall paintings on third floor of Guru Ghantal Monastery, LahaulWall paintings on third floor of Guru Ghantal Monastery, Lahaul
As it turned out, my driver should have come up to see Gandhola. I saw a special thing in the gonkhang (chapel usually dedicated to guardian deities) off the main hall of the temple which D was interested in and had never seen. It was dreadlocks of human hair that is supposed to be endowed with spiritual power.
Human hair hanging from beam of gonkhang, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Lahaual
According to legend, hundreds of years ago, a lama was sitting in retreat meditating in this prayer room when he was accosted by a spirit. He managed to grab the spirit by the hair, and hence, this is the miraculous proof of it. D said that encounters with the hair can impart energies, positive or negative, depending on whether your heart is good or not. Gee, does it make a difference that I thought it was yak hair at first? But indeed on closer examination, it looked like human hair, which effects a weird feeling to see such a fetish of unknown origin and purpose.
I heard an alternative suggestion. In the 12th century, revered scholar Sakya Pandita was famous for defeating masters of other religions in debates. In those days, religious debates were taken very seriously. The loser had to adopt the victor’s religion, and in the case of the loser adopting Buddhism, s/he must cut their hair. The loser’s hair therefore symbolized victory for Buddhist philosophy and debate. Perhaps it’s possible that the hair at Guru Ghantal is related to such a debate outcome.
Gonkhang, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Lahaul
The gonkang also contained a standing chest that had two protector deity masks hidden inside. These are typically used in Tibetan Buddhist chamdances. Lama Temphel is credited with improving the cham dances of Shashur Monastery. These ritual are usually created through visionary means. Danced by monks, they are said to be able to transmit profound Buddhist states to the beholder because they are meditative performances.
View of Lahaul Valley from Guru Ghantal (Gandhola) Monastery, where its sacred charnel grounds–one of the eight in the Buddhist world–are marked by an ancient stupa, Lahaul.Majestic view of Himalayan mountains on hiking trail to Guru Ghantal Monastery, LahaulOn trail heading back down to the main road from Guru Ghantal (Gandhola) Monastery, Lahaul
So today, with all the photography done at the monasteries I intended to visit in Lahaul–Shashur, Tayul, Kardang, and Guru Ghantal–I arranged to do the Drilbu Ri kora with a guide. Yes, I’m going to do it! The Thupcholing monk told me that climbing Drilbu Ri is no steeper than climbing up to Gandhola, just that it’s much longer, of course. What he said, together with the fact that I’ve now down mini-treks all around Keylong getting to monasteries and the one from Kardang back to town, emboldened me to go for it!
After all, in Garsha there is more to be found in the space and landscape than there is in paintings, so I was told correctly, and now I know. Even though the monastic sites here date at least to the 10th century if not before, there are no Indo-Tibetan murals to be seen here as there were in Spiti. I was advised along the way that Lahaul is to be experienced physically as a sacred location. All right, then, so what better way than to do the pilgrimage circumambulation of Drilbu Ri mountain, right?
Drilbu Ri Mountain seen from across Bhaga Valley, easily identifiable by its seven peaks and the notch just to the right, where trail to its summit proceeds
By now, it should come as no surprise that the grandeur of the view at every monastery is a given, but I promise you, nature still just smacks you dumb with awe like the nicest bully you’ve ever had the fortune to meet!
The magnificent scale of the Himalayan landscape, the distance as far as your eye can see but which your mind can’t fathom, the lighting! You can see the same view over and over, and yet at different times of day, it’s as if you’re facing a new expanse, a different space. And while you’re in a car traveling, the changing vantage points as you wend your way on hairpin turns and switchback roads just leaves you idiotic with glee as you inhale all the sights to full capacity.
Shashur Monastery, like Tayul, is just a few kilometers away from Keylong. That’s why it was doable to see both on the same day.
Shashur Monastery amidst its namesake of junipers, the needles of which lamas burn for purification, LahaulPanoramic view of Shashur Monastery, Lahaul
Shashur and its contemporary flourishing Tayul and Gemur monasteries were part of a 17th to 18th century height of new Drukpa centers of Zanskar, Ladakh, and Druk Yul state of Southeastern Tibet (what is now Bhutan, the Buddhist country with a gross national happiness index.) This period was a spiritual revival of Drukpa masters coming to Lahaul on pilgrimage, such as Dewa Gyatso, Taktsang Repa, who founded the great Hemis Monastery (Ladakh), Rangrik Repa, and Serzang Rinchen who built Tayul.
The monastery has three floors and as you enter the ground level temple, you find a shrine with numerous spiritual personages. Front and center is the great Mahasiddha Drubchen Dewa Gyatso, revered founder of Shashur in early 17th century. He was from Zanskar.
Shashur Monastery’s ground floor shrine, Lahaul. Yes, that’s me in the reflection, the statue doesn’t have legs like that!
Now there is this little holy statue of him that has a miraculous hat. It is said that monks on occasion come into the temple in the morning to find the guru’s hat mysteriously lying on the floor many feet away.
Statue of the revered founder Dewa Gyatso and his miraculous hat, Shashur Monastery, Lahaul
This is understood as a warning sign of trouble to come, issued out of the master’s compassionate spirit. Images of master Taktsang Repa have also been separated from his hat by virtue of this same phenomena. Similar miracles reported in Tibet were also taken as alerts to disasters such as famine, war, or epidemic.
Dubchen Nawang Tsering, disciple of Rangrik Repa (left rear in yellow), and Shabdrung Nawang Namgyal on right in pink. The contemporary framed photograph at right is the current Gyalwang Drukpa spiritual leader. Shashur Monastery, Lahaul
There is also Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651), great lineage holder, 2nd incarnation of 4thGyalwang Drukpa, and founder of Druk Yul state in the 1640s. In the 1670s lamas of Shashur and Gandhola built relationships with this new Drukpa state which had enduring effects on Lahaul. To this day, there are deep spiritual ties between Garsha and Bhutan. Gandhola is still administered through Bhutanese lineage. It is Khandro Thrinlay, whom I met in Manali (see earlier post) who is presently looking after the preservation of Guru Ghantal. She holds the dual distinction of hailing from the Shakya Shri lineage as well as being the widow of the royal Bhutanese Drukpa spiritual leader, His Holiness the 9thShabdrung Ngawang Jigme.
Whew, so much discussion about lineage holders often leaves a Westerner cross-eyed with provenance, but one has to remember that in esoteric spiritual teachings, the guru-disciple relationship is key because it’s transmitted orally and personally. Genuine teachings must come from authentic masters who can trace their roots back to prior authentic masters. It’s the branches-stemming-from-the-trunk idea.
While the sculptures in the shrines are carefully tended to, the paintings on canvas in this temple are rather loosely tacked onto the walls. It appears that some have become sooty, probably from years of incense burning, and attempts to clean them have left a number of the paintings smudged.
Mural on canvas loosely tacked to wall, Shashur Monastery first floor temple, LahaulDetail of above wall mural with evidence of soot and attempt to clean leaving facial details marred, Shashur Monastery first floor temple, LahaulDetail of Avalokiteshvara, deity of compassion, from wall mural of Shashur Monastery, Lahaul. From stylistic similarities to an Avalokiteshvara painted at Guru Ghantal, this was possibly painted by Lama Tashi Temphel circa 1860, known to have painted at Shashur in addition to Gandhola.Avalokiteshvara, deity of compassion, from wall mural of Shashur Monastery, Lahaul. Possibly painted by Lama Tashi Temphel circa 1860.
On the second floor of Shashur is a larger shrine room with statue of Vajradhara, the primordial Buddha, and paintings of the 84 Indian Mahasiddhas, main mahasiddhas of the Drukpa lineage, and great gurus and yidams.
Center statue of Vajradhara, the Primordial Buddha, second floor temple of Shashur Monastery, LahaulPortion of 84 Mahasiddhas paintings, second floor temple of Shashur Monastery, LahaulDetail of 84 Mahasiddhas paintings, second floor temple of Shashur Monastery, LahaulDetail of 84 Mahasiddhas paintings, second floor temple of Shashur Monastery, LahaulThis is likely Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) with consort in center surrounded by protector deities, wall painting on second floor temple of Shashur Monastery, Lahaul
With full respect for the content, I’m sad to say that as a visual artist I find the wall paintings in Shashur (as well as Tayul) aesthetically unremarkable. Well, as I was forewarned by a local, Lahaul is not really a place for incredible paintings or visual depictions of mandalas as it is for visceral yogic experience in the land and spiritual centers.
Much more interesting than the painted mahasiddhas on the second floor walls were the statues flanking Vajradhara. One was Chakrasamvara and consort Vajrayogini or Vajavahari, and the other identified as Red Chakrasamvara. Both were most unusual in style and completely unconventional in terms of proportion. They do not look like Tibetan renditions of the deities and their consorts.
Detail of Red Chakrasavara, an unusual statue for its exceptionally different style from most Tibetan sculpture, notably its lack of conventional proportion, Shashur Monastery, LahaulRed Chakrasamvara, an unusual statue for its exceptionally different style from most Tibetan sculpture, notably its lack of conventional proportion, Shashur Monastery, LahaulDetail of Chakrasamvara and consort Vajravahari, an unusual statue for its exceptionally different style from most Tibetan sculpture, notably its lack of conventional proportion, Shashur Monastery, LahaulChakrasamvara and consort Vajravahari, an unusual statue for its exceptionally different style from most Tibetan sculpture, notably its lack of conventional proportion, Shashur Monastery, Lahaul
Shashur’s third floor temple was built by Lama Sonam, a disciple of Shakya Shri, in the 20th century during a spiritual revival of the time. Its altar features a statue of Padmasambhava.
Central statue of Padmasambhava, third floor altar of Shashur Monastery, Lahaul
While it was not happening during my visit, it bears mentioning that Shashur is well-known for its annual sacred cham dance which occurs in June or July. Visitors come from all over to witness the three-day rituals that culminate in cham performance. As a ritual, it is not to be seen and received as entertainment but rather as spiritual elevations transmitted to the audience as movement and gesture. Here is one that was performed when I visited Key Monastery in Spiti.
Key Monastery monks demonstrate The Black Hat cham dance, with abbott presiding over the ceremonyView of Bhaga Valley, Lahaul, in the late afternoon sun driving back to Keylong from Shashur Monastery
Today was spent going to Poekar Monastery, known partly for where Apho Rinpoche had commissioned Bhutanese artists to create a giant Guru Rinpoche statue. One can say that the Bhutanese are present-day masters of sublime Buddhist art. Their style and techniques are favored by Tibetans. I have seen their work grace many contemporary monasteries.
Poeker Monastery on upper right (yes, that little cluster of white above the other little cluster of white which is the village below), Lahaul Valley
While Poekar was not originally on my radar for visiting, J had learned yesterday at a meeting in Manali with one of Apho Rinpoche’s sons, Jampal-la, that he was heading to Keylong for Tara puja (prayer), to be followed by Guru Rinpochepuja the day after. She immediately called to inform me that I should join them. That is to say, in her irrepressible and talented role of what Malcolm Gladwell calls a “connector,” she invited me to join them at her behest and on their behalf! Right, then, another unforeseen opportunity to observe and experience. So, I said OK, thank you!
Statue of Guru Rinpoche, Poekar Monastery, Lahaul. It doesn’t look that big at this angle but this is one-and-a-half stories high. Also known as Padmasambhava, he was the sage who introduced Tibet to Buddhism in the 8th century.
I planned to stay overnight (because J said it was fine to) and brought all my camera equipment and some clothing, all jammed in my wheeling suitcase. But when I got there with the driver, I couldn’t reach Jampal-la on his phone for details, and found while searching for the monastery that it was a good steep half hour hike up! So much for wheeling in my suitcase. It became clear that unless I hoisted my rather heavy suitcase up, the only other option was to go back to my Keylong hotel. Driver D, who had climbed up to the monastery with me to ensure that I was safely escorted, was kind enough to offer to go back down to the car to fetch it, but I didn’t feel good about him doing that!
Anyway, perhaps one day was enough. Maybe better to get to Shashur and Tayul, or Guru Ghantal the next day. These were planned destinations and I wanted to make sure I had enough time to document them. Jampal-la suggested also Phakpa Monastery in Triloknath, a sacred site of Avalokiteshvara, and Markula Devi Temple in Udaipur, sacred site of Vajrvahari.
The Tara puja was an annual event that Poekar Monastery’s American sponsor requests. The resident monks and nuns are yogi retreatants, as most are in Lahaul. Together, they conducted the prayers, chanting in refreshing cross-gender unison, something one doesn’t experience very much since monks and nuns are usually living separate monastic lives.
In fact, Tara as a tantric deity has contemporary feminist appeal. She is referred to in the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajnaparamita) sutra, a very key Mahayana text, and is considered the female form of Avalokiteshvara, the deity of infinite compassion. With these two strong combinations of wisdom and compassion, she embodies powerful aspects of the practitioner’s own Buddha-nature. She has 21 forms or emanations in all, each associated with certain colors and psycho-physical energies.
Green Tara surrounded by her other enamations
During Tara puja, we all sat cross-legged on the floor as is customary. I was flanked by two nuns who would hand me grains of rice to toss in the air at intervals during prayer. Jampal and his wife were guests of honor.
It was nice talking to them both in between prayer sessions. We talked about how the West seems to the East and vice versa. I shared my observations of what I thought was positive and negative about each social order, their apparent outlooks on life, and expectations of how things should be. Jampal-la and his wife shared theirs. I learned from him that, even though he comes from a line of great traditional solitary practitioners, his view is unexpectedly open to contemporary and Western exposure, and it is this:
Begin on the secular level with teachings about how to simply be a good, moral person before getting to the more esoteric and higher teachings. Let individuals develop and choose whether they want to be Buddhist or not. Then if they do, higher teachings can always come later. He has helped to sponsor a group of young girls by sending them to school and working on exactly this approach. In this way, he is aligned with the Dalai Lama’s initiative on secular ethics.
What’s more, their teen is in the U.S. now attending university through the generosity of a sponsor. They feel strongly that young Tibetans should experience what the West has to offer, and then decide for themselves whether to follow that life or come back to the East. Otherwise, they will always feel doubt or curiosity that the (democratic/ materialist/capitalist/etc.) grass is greener on the other side. Eye-opening to chance the risks of the world, coming from a family and lineage legacy of hermitic existence.
The day passed so seamlessly from breakfast to morning prayers, to lunch and afternoon conversation, with such friendliness exuding from everyone at Poekar.
Poekar Monastery nuns, Lahaul
Sadly, when I learned that the next prayer session would continue in a different temple an hour’s ascent further up the mountain (surprise once again) I decided it was too late in the day, and time for me to travel back. Upon hearing this, the nuns and monks, who by now were spread willy-nilly on the hillside climbing up, began to wave and smile and utter lovely goodbyes. They repeatedly implored me to stay over. Truly, their sincerity warmed me so much, I found myself walking away hand clasped to heart.
Poekar Monastery monks, LahaulView of Lahaul Valley from Poekar Monastery village
Yesterday, J and I came to Kardang Monastery to meet resident yogi and monastery head Lama Paljor-la. After learning about my project, he generously shared stories with us about the murals, objects, and photos in the main temple. J knows quite a lot about the Drukpa Lineage so they both had much to discuss.
Kardang Monastery as seen from across the Bhaga River, Lahaul
Kardang today is perhaps the best known monastery in Keylong owing to its association with the Shakya Shri Drukpa Lineage. Lineage is of terrific importance in Tibetan Buddhism because tantra is a living spiritual tradition transmitted orally in teachings from master to disciple. In this way, there is a connection from generation to generation which can be traced back to the Buddha himself.
Drubwang Shakya Shri (1983-1919) was an exceptional yogi who started out as a cook in a Drukpa monastery in Tibet. His lineage is unique because, through deep, whole-hearted practice, it is said he received his enlightenment directly from Vajradhara, the primordial Buddha. He was widely recognized as an incredible adept by other masters, including His Holiness the 14thDalai Lama. With pure connections going back only a few generations, Shakya Shri lineage is known for its effective master-to-disciple teachings which guide practitioners swiftly along the Buddhist spiritual path. Shakya Shri mastered Mahamudra in the Drukpa Kagyu tradition, and also Dzogchen through the Nyingma lineage. He was later known for being involved with the Ri-me (non-sectarian) movement.
It was Shakya Shri’s disciple Jetsun Norbu Rinpoche, who returned to Lahaul from Tibet after his master had passed away. As holder of his teachings, and in particular of the Six Yogas of Naropa and Mahamudra, he soon attracted 2000 followers from all over the Western Himalayas. Though his hermitage was thriving, he preferred to live in a cave above Kardang Monastery. In time, Kardang became known as a yogic training center.
Cave dwelling above Kardang Monastery, possibly like one that Norbu Rinpoche lived in
As I mentioned in an earlier post, you may have heard of Tibetan Buddhist practitioners who can do unusual physical things. It was some of Shakya Shri’s lineage yogis whom Harvard scientists studied in the 1980s doing tummo practice, in which they can raise the temperature of parts of their body by as much as 17 degrees! One study involved the yogis scantily clothed spending a Himalayan winter’s night outdoors on a rocky ledge at 15000 feet altitude where temperatures reached freezing. The yogis demonstrated they could remain warm and slept through the night without incident. I think most of us would have suffered hypothermia! It occurs to me that Lama Paljor-la could have been one of these yogis.
Kardang Monastery is believed to have been founded about 800 years ago, but nothing seems to remain of its original temple. The current main temple was first built by Norbu Rinpoche in the 1930s, but was rebuilt several years ago by Lama Paljor-la, a disciple of lineage holder and former monastery head Apho Rinpoche. I have had the pleasure of meeting three of Apho Rinpoche’s children in Manali en route to Spiti and coming back from Lahaul: lineage holder Sey Rinpoche, his brother Jampal who is also a recognized reincarnate but prefers to live a quiet life with his family, and Khandro Thrinlay whom I wrote about previously here.
Kardong Monastery, Lahaul
Kardang Monastery is situated directly opposite Keylong on the other side of Bhaga River. See this 360 degree video view below.
[vimeo 145002351 w=600 h=331]
When one enters the main temple, one sees a mixture of old and new murals on the walls. The older ones, possibly no older than the 1930s, were painted originally on canvas so they were removed and reinstalled. They collage the walls alongside newly painted scenes.
Interior of main temple at Kardang Monastery, Lahaul, with lama performing Mahakala prayers
At the altar are Buddha Shakyamuni statue on the middle, Vajradhara on the left and Padmasambhava on the right (also known as Guru Rinpoche, who introduced Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century).
Vajrdhara on left, Buddha Shakyamuni in center, Padmasambhava on right, altar at Kardang Monastery, LahaulInterior view of Kardang Monastery where older and newer paintings collage the walls, LahaulOlder and newer paintings collage the walls of Kardang Monastery, LahaulInterior view of main temple, Kardang Monastery, LahaulDetail of an older painting depicting a scene from the Life of Buddha, Kardang Monastery, LahaulDetail of an older painting depicting Chenrezig, Kardang Monastery, LahaulDetail of an older painting depicting Padmasambhava with consort, surrounded by protector deities Kardang Monastery, Lahaul
The monastery has a large library which includes the complete Kangyur, given to Norbu Rinpoche by the king of Bhutan, and the complete collection of the Wisdom Words of His Holiness the 4th Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual leader of the Drukpa Lineage.
Kardang Monastery has an extensive library of Kangyur scripture and other complete texts. Also seen here are sculptures and relics of lineage mastersGegen Rinpoche on left, His Holiness the 12th (current) Gyalwang Drukpa on right, on altar of Kardang Monastery, LahaulA newly painted guru-yoga mandala on the ceiling, Kardang Monastery, Lahaul
Above the main temple is a room that had belonged to Apho Rinpoche. On the walls are paintings depicting Milarepa’s story that were originally painted on canvas and reinstalled in this new temple.
Apho Rinpoche’s former room above main temple, Kardang MonasteryScenes from Life of Milarepa, older wall paintings from Apho Rinpoche’s former room above main temple Kardang Monastery. Above right are newer paintings.Detail from Life of Milarepa, wall paintings, Kardang Monastery
I’m spending the night here tonight in one of the monastery guest rooms. There’s an Ani-la (nun) who has kindly cooked for me, but mostly Kandang’s community of eight monks and seven nuns are lone retreatants living in simple huts and cooking for themselves.
Detail from Life of Milarepa wall paintings, Kardang Monastery, Lahaul
J left this morning, and took the bus back to Manali. It was wonderful traveling with her, and I’ll miss her company to share travel discoveries with. Yes, so I’ll be here for several days on my own devices, until my next travel companion K arrives and we drive together to Ladakh. On my list of things to do here are to see Shashur and Tayul Monasteries.
View of Keylong from the courtyard of Kardang Monastery on the other side of the Bhaga River, Lahaul
Tomorrow I plan to walk back to Keylong via trail and footbridge across Bhaga River. I hope the paths are clearly visible and I don’t get lost! There’s no taxi to be had here unless I call for one from Keylong. And as Khandro-la’s assistant had told me, Lahaul does not have so much in the way of Indo-Tibetan mandalas, but is rather itself considered a Chakrasamvara mandala manifest, one should experience it on foot. Even though we are at over 11,000 feet altitude, it seems not too hard to go downhill and not terribly far to walk perhaps 5-8 kilometers, so I think I should follow this advice and experience Garsha. After all, I am over the worst of altitude adjustments. I had vice-grip headaches at night which made it hard to sleep, but the head pain progressively improved, and by the end of the first week, went away. So while I’m a bit short of breath sometimes exerting uphill, it’s not a hardship.
Lahaul is known by Tibetan meditation practitioners and adepts as Garsha Khandroling, Land of the Dakinis. Dakinis are energetic female spiritual guides often depicted as blissful and fierce dancers.
Lahaul has an illustrious Drukpa Kagyu lineage of highly realized yogis and yoginis who do the Six Yogas of Naropa, esoteric methods bestowed by master to disciple in direct teachings. These are the meditators who go into seclusion in caves or simple dwellings for years or decades in order to realize spiritual liberation–that is to say, Buddha-nature through tantric wisdom and compassion practices.
As I mentioned in my last post, I have heard about some of the mind-over-matter feats that yogis demonstrate which confound conventional explanations, such as levitation, miraculous healing of the sick, making snow fall, taking bad karma upon oneself for the benefit of another. Another perplexing thing, upon death, the bodies of many advanced practitioners do not decay according to the normal time frame of most people. They are believed to be fully aware in the bardo state, the intermediate stage between death and rebirth.
Well, I’ve learned that while it’s difficult to wrap one’s rational mind around such reported phenomena, sitting on the I-don’t-know fence is a flexible and open-minded place to be. After all, outside of spiritual matters we can’t explain, for example, quantum entanglement or what Albert Einstein called “spooky action at a distance,” but it appears to happen!
The great yogi Shakya Shri
Garsha has attracted and hosted countless masters and disciples in pursuit of enlightenment for over 2000 years in unbroken continuity. Inspirations for pilgrims include the sacred abodes of Chakrasamvara at Drilbu Ri Mountain opposite Keylong; Avalokiteshvara at Phakba Temple in Triloknath; and Varjavahari at Markula Devi Temple in Udaipur.
Keylong, Lahaul’s largest village, has several important monasteries only a few kilometers away. These were flourishing Buddhist centers centuries ago, such as Kardang, Shashur and Tayul Monasteries. The oldest one, Gandhola (Guru Ghantal) dates to 1st century C.E. according to archeological evidence. I visited each of these places and to come will be posts featuring them.
View of Gandhola (Guru Ghantal) Monastery, way upper left, with Thupcholing Monastery below on the plateau. Those green-roofed structures are meditation huts for retreatants. Both sites overlook Tandi bridge where the mighty Chandra and Bagha Rivers join in what is considered by Buddhists and Hindus alike as a sacred union.
The delight to be found in Lahaul is that over time, masters have left legends, relics, shrines, stupas, sacred paintings, sculptures, and other spiritual encounters that dot the landscape awaiting discovery by travelers and seekers. The more you look, the more you will see, but it takes some uncovering. For example, what looks unimpressive on the outside may contain a treasure on the inside, such as Jabjes Monastery in Kardang Village. Or one has to do a bit of breathless hiking up a mountain to see some of these old monasteries, hidden meditation caves, and charnel grounds.
Jabjes Monastery located in Kardang Village was built around a legendary rock with the miraculous imprints of yogi Gyalwa Gotsangpa’s knees and genitalia, which formed in the stone as he passionately chased and tried to embrace a dakini who disappeared into it. The rock may be seen today inside the temple, Lahaul, India.
However, I’m told by locals that most visitors just pass through Lahaul, heading to the more tourist traveled and trekked sites in Ladakh or Spiti. What a pity!
More readily noticeable and understood by travelers is that Keylong stretches along the main trade route between the Rohtang and Baralacha passes above the Bhaga River. Besides being a thoroughfare between Ladakh, Kullu and Spiti regions, it is also the district headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti, with strategic military presence. In addition, above and below the village one sees lush farmlands growing barley, peas, potatoes, corn, cabbage, mustard greens, squash, and much more. Apples and other fruit orchards are plentiful. My local driver D told me that agriculture is the economic mainstay of Lahaul, and judging from some of the mansions built by some farming families, the wealth of this abundant agrarian heartland is evident. The food harvested is transported all over India. I would not have guessed that at an altitude of over 10,000 feet there would be such a cornucopia!
View of Keylong on hiking trail from Kardang Monastery to Keylong
D’s ancestral farmland is in the Manali area of Kullu Valley, but he lives and works in Keylong to service the tourist industry as an extension of the family business. Indeed, it’s all in the family. I’ve learned from Lahaulis and Spitians I met that relatives live and work together. This was always the tradition, and it largely continues today.
Another thing I learned was that unlike Tibetans, Lahaulis, Spitians and Ladakhis, while culturally and historically part of Tibet, are indigenous to their regions, and as such are not refugees in India but full citizens. In addition, they have their own language and customs. In fact, the Indian government recognizes them as ethnic “tribals,” who may therefore qualify for certain affirmative action positions or opportunities.
It isn’t only just the passerby tourist who may miss the treasure to be found in Lahaul. I realized that my driver, while he probably identifies himself as a Buddhist, is fairly uninformed about the great legacy of his roots. At one point in our travels, he asked me how much I knew about the Dalai Lama and Buddhism. I thought it was a prompt for me to in turn ask him what he knew and be enlightened by his local knowledge, but it was not a segue way to that at all! He told me he tried to find books on Buddhism in Hindi, but could not. It pained me to hear this–that someone looking for knowledge could not access it.
D said that Lahaulis are educated in Indian schools, are fluent in Hindi but not Tibetan, and frequently not English, either. I noticed this is especially true of the women, who largely live domestic lives caring for family and have little contact with others. English is spoken mainly to communicate with foreigners. Feeling affinity for Indian culture and language, many Lahaulis have assimilated to a large extent in recent generations. Most cannot read the readily available contemporary books in Tibetan on Tibetan Buddhism to fill in on the lack of local education on this topic. Books in English are plenty, but nor can they read these since the written language is “too deep” to understand. It was an exquisite and sad irony that I, a foreigner from the other side of the world, knew more about his spiritual roots than he did. That he, a resident in the incredible Garsha, a descendent of the local culture, could not find one book he could read to study Buddhism deeper!
Farm land and orchards above and below Keylong Village in the fertile valley of Bagha River, Lahaul
It’s a double whammy of cultural distance and spiritual loss. Without being able to study Buddhist philosophy and learn about its unique teachings on dependent origination, one runs the risk of meaningless ritual practice with no or limited realization of freedom from life’s delusions and sufferings.
What’s more, Tibetan Buddhists have a marvelous literary and scholarly tradition, founded on the translation and study of original source materials. Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo’s translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit to Tibetan has not only preserved a written heritage now lost in India but produced a renaissance of tantric study and practice. This was during the late 10th to 11th centuries, a flourishing period referred to as the second great propagation of Buddhism. It is the Indo-Tibetan history I’ve been trailing through the sacred art of mandalas, monastery murals, and sculptures.
Garsha: Heartland of the Dakinis
In fact, a (French) Tibetan Buddhist nun, while living in Keylong, discovered the very same thing–that Lahaulis did not know much about the dharma history of their own land. Furthermore, part of why Lahaul’s Buddhist legacy is little known is due to a dearth of literature on it. So she wrote the book Garsha: Heartland of the Dakinis in 2011, published by the Garsha Young Drukpa Association. I have a copy in English, the language it was originally written in. Currently, it needs to be translated into Hindi for local readers.
It is a remarkable small book, jam-packed with a wealth of information about Garsha’s ancient history, the Drukpa lineage masters, dakinis, the founding of monasteries, anecdotes, local legends, descriptions of sacred sites, miracles, reliquaries, carved stones, and much more. It is probably the most, and perhaps only, comprehensive account of Lahaul’s history from the Buddhist perspective. Because it is written by a monastic with open access to living lineage teachers, and unpublished historic materials in Bhoti/Tibetan, the book is a treasure trove of knowledge.
I learned about the book and purchased it from Khandro Thrinlay la when I met her in Manali en route to Spiti (see earlier post here). She is a lama and direct descendent of the Drukpa Kagyu Shakya Shri lineage, with very close spiritual ties to Lahaul. My travel companion J was happy to find it available for sale later in Keylong because she wanted to buy it and donate copies to Tabo Monastery Library in Spiti and The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala. Funny thing, though, she did not find it in a book store but at a small travel agency/internet cafe establishment run by a lovely Lahauli man keen on the book. You see what I mean? The more you look, the more you will find around here!
Sept 9, 2013 Spiti adventure continues…on to Lahaul, India
After a jaunty jiggly jeep ride of over 10 hours from Kaza back through the magnificent giant boulder rubble of Spiti Valley, Kunzum-la Pass (this time populated by yaks grazing and loafing!) and getting stuck fording a glacial melt waterfall that flooded the rocky road, we arrived in Keylong, Lahaul.
View of farmland in early morning Spiti Valley, en route to Keylong, LahaulSpiti Valley in the marbled early morning sun. As dry and desolate as Spiti may seem, there is always the play of light and colorful vistasApproaching the stupas of Kunzum la pass, the high point of the road at about 15000 ft altitude. This time there was a herd of yak grazing and resting. Glaciers can be seen within relatively close range.Kunzum la pass, where I circumambulated the stupas and got a close look at yaks gathered there. Glaciers can be seen at above left.Herd of yaks dotting Kunzum la pass, at about 15000 feet altitude, the highest point of the road through Spiti ValleyYak grazing, this one looks like he’s molting or has been shavedYaks grazing and resting at Kunzum la pass, seen en route from Spiti to LahaulTibetan Buddhist stupas at Kunzum la pass, monuments in honor of this high point of the road through Spiti ValleyAt this time of year in September, there are streams of glacial melt such as this one which frequently cross the road. They can be as small as trickles or as large as river flows, and it’s wise to travel as much as possible in the morning before the hot afternoon sun increases the flow of these waters that you have to cross with your vehicle.Huge boulder piles along the road from Kaza, Spiti, to Keylong, Lahaul. It’s difficult to judge the monumental scale from just a photo, but to give you an idea, this foreground rock is as tall as a person.Huge boulder piles along the road from Kaza, Spiti, to Keylong, Lahaul
Magnificent and desolate…
Our jeep on the road through the dry desert terrain of Spiti Valley, India
Once you experience the vast scale of the Himalayas, you can readily understand why the environment induces existential concerns and spiritual development. There’s nothing like realizing our small duration as human beings in the context of gigantic geological time and space, and beyond this, the grand cosmos to put human desires and expectations into a completely different focus.
A large Tibetan Buddhist stupa is dwarfed by the magnificent scale of the Himalayan mountains
Here is our jeep stuck on rocks while attempting to ford the rapidly flowing waterfall that flooded the road in the afternoon. We had patiently waited while the vehicle before us was stuck and finally managed to get out. In that 45 minutes or so, unfortunately, the water flow started increasing as the hot afternoon sun melted more glaciers! We got out eventually though with the help of others waiting to pass, including military men and a monk who moved earth and rubble, pushed and rocked the car, as our driver revved forward.
Our jeep stuck on rocks while attempting to ford the rapidly flowing waterfall that floods the road in the afternoon in Spiti Valley.The said rapidly flowing waterfall which created a river across the road, Spiti Valley, India
In contrast, as you approach and enter Lahaul Valley, high waterfalls are plenty but do not flood the roads. Lahaul is also a welcoming green landscape with grass, shrubbery, trees, and evergreens. The region is also well known for its delicious potatoes, as well as crops of barley, peas, cabbage, apple and other fruit orchards. Even here in high altitude, it is a heartland for growing food to be transported throughout India.
One sees many high waterfalls throughout the more verdant Lahaul Valley
With arrival in Keylong, Lahaul, in late afternoon we spent the rest of the day trying to get some logistics done. For my part, it was to get (yet another) SIM card that will get a cell signal here in the high Himalayas, and hopefully maintain a signal when I later travel to Ladakh further north. After the last week in Kaza, Spiti, without any cell phone coverage by my existing SIM card to communicate with family or arrange meetings or call for travel, etc., I decided to get another with a different carrier. Here in India, there is no single carrier that can provide national coverage, so one gets used to swapping out SIM cards and switching providers as the need arises when you travel from area to area. I have three SIMs now. The last one took so long to do—don’t ask the maddening details about how it took well over two hours to buy the SIM in one place and take it to another place to cut down. Around here you get used to relatively simple things taking an inordinate amount of time to accomplish, in this case, out of lack of coordination and know-how on merchants’ part. I’ve learned to smile a lot, shake my head, and say to myself, “It’s India…” Trust me, even Indians say this!
I never got to treat my very dry leather shoes as I had promised myself. They look like they’re going to crack from the dust-pounding they get in this high desert climate and unpaved roads. Nor did I get to download from the internet café the software plug-in I desperately need to manage my photographs. I couldn’t do it in Spiti because my download was too big for the internet café’s monthly ration of data permitted. Who knew an internet cafe would be rationed for data?! But, ok, lack of resources…I shook my head and smiled, it’s India.
But what India lacks, it definitely makes up for in its sublime experiences!
View of Keylong nestled in the Bhagha River Valley, Lahaul
Which brings me to Lahaul, also known by Buddhists as Garsha Khandroling, a region with a deep history of highly realized yogis. These are the practitioners who spend many years or decades in seclusion meditating in caves. You may have heard about adepts who can demonstrate astounding practices of mind over matter, such as levitate or dry wet sheets in the snow with heat generated from their bodies, confounding the scientists who studied this phenomena. Or you may have heard of Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, the American Tibetan Buddhist nun and her Cave in the Snow. In any case, more on Garsha in the next post…
Tabo Monastery: Himalayan Setting and Meditation Caves
Posted
Sept 6th, Tabo Village, the Spiti adventure continues…
Tabo Village, where Tabo Monastery is nestled in Spiti Valley unlike other Buddhist monasteries that were built as fortress-like compounds on hilltops
Well, here we are in Tabo! The famed Tabo Monastery is known as the oldest continually functioning Tibetan Buddhist monastery, the art of which the Dalai Lama said “delightfully expresses the vigor of the transmission of Buddhism from India to Tibet and the dynamic mingling of cultures.” Established in 996 C.E. by the Buddhist king of Guge in Western Tibet, Yeshe O’d, and the The Great Translator Rinchen Zangpo, it flourished in a golden epoch of Indo-Tibetan collaboration in spreading Buddhist culture.
Tabo Monastery complex behind stone walls in Tabo Village, Spiti Valley, India
Tabo’s existing sacred artwork and architecture have unique historical significance, not only for the aesthetic evidence of such cultural exchange, but also for its rarity. Due to the enormous destruction during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, where over 6000 monasteries and their artworks were destroyed between 1959-61, practically none of the early examples of Buddhist culture have survived in Tibet. Consequently, the monasteries of the Western Himalayan border areas of Spiti, Lahaul, and Ladakh, once part of Tibet, is of great importance for its legacy of early Tibetan Buddhist culture, and in particular, its connection with India.
Street view of entrance to Tabo Choskhor,Spiti, with the museum and library in building on rightUpon entering Tabo Monastery complex, the first building one sees is Tsug Lhakhang, the grand main assembly hallThe Tsug Lhakhang, Tabo Monastery, Spiti
Of the monasteries I’ll visit, Tabo, Alchi, Mangyu, Lamayuru, and Lhalung strike me as being of special importance. These have exceptional murals, unusual in cross-cultural style and depiction, executed in astounding refinement, with ornate clay sculptures that are cantilevered off the walls in Vajradhatu mandala arrangement of sacred space (more on this in the next post!) This type of work is specific to the area and is not found in any other Buddhist temples in the world. These monasteries also date back to that fertile period of Buddhist philosophical exchange and revitalization from India to Tibet beginning in the 10th century during The Great Translator Rinchen Zangpo’s time.
Documenting the extant artwork and architecture of these sites is essential because they are remarkable, and extreme Himalayan winters and potential earthquakes, such as the one that occurred in 1975, continue to threaten their survival. Proper conservation and restoration is critical for art history and posterity. Of immediate concern is the effects of climate change and increased rainfall in the normally more arid Spiti that has damaged Tabo’s murals and architecture. This 2010 article entitled “A Monastery’s Fading Colours,” published in The Indian Express, is about the challenging circumstances facing the monastery’s care under the maintenance of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). The Times of India recently questioned the national organization’s general efficacy in its article, “92 ASI-protected Monuments Missing.”
Rear view of Tsug Lhakhang with workers currently repairing the mud exterior. Its back walls are as thick as 2.5 meters!Workers currently repairing the mud exterior of Tabo Monastery, Spiti
I find myself wishing these monasteries were designated UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as the early Buddhist Ajanta Caves are in India, or considered World Monuments. Perhaps this would bring more international attention and expertise to help hasten the appropriate preservation and protection against man-made as well as environmental challenges.
Fortunately, I was able to arrive in Tabo with all my equipment fully charged because the electrical power was mostly on during my previous night in Kaza, Spiti. But unfortunately, I was unable to photograph due to administrative details still to iron out. Perhaps by tomorrow, after the special 6:00 a.m. morning prayers for the recently deceased and venerated abbot of Tabo which will be performed as part the traditional 49 days’ observance. Despite not being able to photograph, the monk in charge of the monastery kindly showed me most of the temples in the complex.
What is so immediately striking is the contrast between the simple exterior architecture of mud brick and the resplendent interiors. Wow, the ornate interiors leave you speechless, what treasures of Indo-Tibetan art, history, and philosophy! Especially the dramatic, dark, moody, pensive main assembly hall (Tsug Lha-khang); the older Dromton Temple (Brom-ston Lha-khang), founded by the main disciple of the great teacher and adept Atisha; Initiation Temple (dKyil-kHor-khang), where monks are initiated; BodhisattvaMaitreya Temple (Byams-Pa Chen-po Lha-khang), with a 20 foot high painted mural of the future Buddha Maitreya; and the Golden Temple (gSer-khang).
View of Tabo Monastery complex showing Dromton Temple on far right and Bodhisattva Maitreya Temple left of it, Spiti, India
Oh, news flash! For incredible floor plans of these temples, including elevations, sections, 3D models, photo montages, and more, see this excellent website of an Austrian research team at Graz University of Technology that has been studying the architectural heritage of the Western Himalayas.
And did I mention caves? Yes, caves on a steep cliff above Tabo Monastery and village where, according to archeological evidence, monks had lived and practiced meditation since the 11th century. Now it is an ASI protected site. Most caves are open spaces showing evidence of ancient occupation–sooty interior walls and carved out niches, etc., as well as perhaps picnic use by modern visitors. But while exploring with my flashlight, I peered into an opening of a small closed door of a dark cave only to find a blanched seated figure looking back at me! Startled and flustered, realizing this was a real person and not a phantom, I muttered a quick, deepest apology, and left in a hurry! Well, I guess today there are still some practitioners who retreat to these caves. Whether this was a tourist trying it out, or a yogi, I have no idea.
Path to numerous caves above Tabo Monastery and village, Spiti, IndiaOne of numerous caves carved into the cliffs above Tabo Monastery, used by monks from the 11th century on, SpitiView of Tabo Monastery from inside a cave, Spiti
Have a virtual walk-through here of the insides of some of these caves:
View of the inside of the above Tabo cave, SpitiView of Tabo caves located on a steep cliffside above Tabo Monastery, SpitiView of Tabo Village from cave sites, Spiti, India
Ok, I hope I have a headache-less night’s sleep tonight. Day four at high altitude and I’m still adjusting, but Tabo is at about 10,000 feet high, 2000 feet lower than Kaza, so it should be better. Need to get up early to make it to 6am puja!
My home corner in Dharamsala, with Namgyal Monastery entrance at right.
September 1st
J and I started off for Manali 6am from Dharamsala, watching the sun rise along the way. At a certain altitude, the sun in full array, we saw a veritable Roerich painting before our eyes. It was snow-peaked mountains appearing to float above a thick, solid, fluffy white cloud bank. I always thought the man took artistic license with his imagery, but sure enough, the chiseled facets cast by morning light on the Himalayas were in orange and purple-gray displays, the base of the mountains nestled in airy clouds. The scene looked like a fairytale setting.
My first encounter with Nicholas Roerich-like scenery. I always thought the painter used artistic license to enhance colors and compositions of his Himalayan scenes, but they in fact look this dreamy and stunning
The main road where Rohtang pass is looks by our standards like a single lane dirt road. There is no railing at the irregular precipitous edge, and passing the slow trucks that ply the road means a lot of honking on the driver’s part and then a wing and a prayer to get back in lane without encountering oncoming traffic. Might makes right on Indian roads so trucks have the de facto right of way. Somehow it all works out, amazing.
I got a bit carsick from the descent, switchbacks all the way, the driver taking them maybe a bit faster, with blind passing, than my stomach could take. The diesel fumes and road dust was killing me. The smell of diesel alone is enough to nauseate me. Fortunately, there was AC which I asked for halfway through. We arrived around 1pm, with pitstop for breakfast at cheesy hotel bar/dining hall (J said she’d have to work on the driver to get him to choose better stops). Well, anyway, the aloo parathas (potato-filled flatbreads) were tasty and it was good to use the bathroom. Otherwise, it’s a roadside affair of finding a large rock or bush to go behind when nature calls!
We stayed at a place called Leela Huts after finding that J’s fave old Johnson’s Lodge, with English-styled cottage accommodations, was under renovation and closed. Leela Huts has a hilarious website: www.leelahuts.com. The sentence that had us in tears with laughter was, “Leela Huts swear sheer solitude to that tired man who has retired to the valley for a bracing vacation, away from the irksome crowd.” Now there’s some florid Indian English for you! But anyway, it was a well-kept, walled off little oasis with two and three-bedroom houses with full kitchen and baths. We opted for just the hut with single large room.
We hightailed it to Manali because Khandro Thrinlay-la was in town for the afternoon before needing to leave for her next teaching engagement, and she invited J and I to come for a visit. OK, so here is one bit of convoluted family history. Her older brother is Sey Rinpoche, their father a great Drukpa Kagyu practitioner named Apho Rinpoche, who descended from the great grandfather Shakya Shri, who began this special lineage of masters in the Six Yogas of Naropa, a Milarepa tradition. These are the accomplished meditators who retreat for three years, three months, and three days to practice the secret tummo and other methods which develop, I am told, levitation skills and various abilities that defy convention. You would never know who was a great practitioner usually because they can look like any humble villager, and they never reveal their abilities normally.
Khandro-la’s Bhutanese-style temple, Manali
Sey Rinpoche was supposed to be in Manali upon our arrival to meet with us, and make arrangements for access to monasteries in Lahoul where the family hails from, but we found he had left for Pangi where he is building a new retreat center. Instead, his sister Khandro-la (www.khachodling.org) was at home briefly, a lovely Bhutanese-styled house with colorful painted motifs on the crown and windows. She received us in her prayer room where she was doing prayers for safe travels, since it is the astrological snake year, and by Tibetan beliefs an obstacle year for those born in snake years. I thought snake year was auspicious for snakes, but this must be the Chinese thinking. We discovered we all three are snakes.
Khandro-la has an international following which includes a lot of Australians, and women. She has a feminist approach, and is educated in the U.S., with MA in psychology, completed by the advice of none other than His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I find her interesting and contemporary. After learning about my Fulbright project, she asked me to photograph the murals at Gandhola, which turns out to be Guru Ghantal where I had planned to visit and document. She said it’s the oldest temple in Lahaul and she is interested in preserving its heritage properly.
We went back late in the afternoon to see Khandro-la’s assistant, and her younger brother who runs Druk Expeditions. He gave suggestions on places to visit in Lahaul, and so did Khandro-la’s assistant. It turns out that there is not so much to see in the way of murals of mandalas in Lahaul, but rather, Lahauli temples and area are structured spatially like a mandala. The suggestion was to go for a kora (a clockwise circumambulation around a sacred location) of Drilbu Ri Mountain, a holy site of the tantric deity Chakrasambhava, near where Guru Ghantal is, and experience the mandala physically, but to hire a guide so as not to get lost, and also to help carry things. Sounds like a nice idea, but we’ll see how I adjust to high altitude by then! I have so far been suffering from night headaches (like having a vice grip around my head!) and shortness of breath, bit of loss of appetite.
Often the road in Spiti is nothing more than rocky terrain in which one must ford a glacial stream.
Next morning 5am we were off to Spiti. Aaah, at last the journey to high Himalayas truly begins! Our driver was a nice man, very good careful driver, and not as aggressive as some others. He drove a Toyota Qualis which J remarked didn’t look like the most comfortable car, but it was a tanker, and boy, I was happy about that. You wouldn’t believe how parts of the road were like fording small rivers and waterfalls, with large rocks and vertiginous drops! These are areas where glacial melts can wash out the road by afternoon. After a couple of particularly nerve-wracking spots, we cheered our driver for his skillful driving! J said many a car or truck has been caught stuck in these. One has to be on the road early enough to pass these before the water starts rushing down in the warmest part of day.
Kunzum la with herd of yaks, altitude of about 15,000 feet
I took a lot of photos en route, what spectacular vistas! We had also many pit stops at big rocks where we could hide and relieve ourselves by the side of the road. Kunzum-la was quite windy. It’s a high point at about 15,000 ft altitude, and marked by three stupas and small shrines to the Dalai Lama and Karmapa and other lamas. J and I made incense offering here as a Geshe-la (title of a learned Tibetan Buddhist scholar akin to a PhD) suggested was an auspicious thing to do en route. I was feeling the shortness of breath by now, and when the wind blew the incense into my face, the odor caused me to feel nauseous. However, I totally loved seeing the wildly billowing and plentiful, layered, colored prayer flags blowing in the wind. We ended up not picnicking at the Nechung stupa as originally planned because J thought it was too windy and cold. She was mindful not to be exposed too much in case of causing illness. We instead ate in a large, flat valley, which was also windy, but at least less so.
Tibetan prayer flags and stupas mark Kunzum la passExhilarated and a bit short of breath at Kunzum la pass, altitude approximately 15,000 feet
The Spiti Valley is grand beyond belief! While passing Kullu Valley earlier was stunning, too, for its lush steep landscape, cascading, tall waterfalls that put Yosemite National Park ones in the kids’ playground, grazing sheep and goats, impossibly tall and regal pine trees, Spiti land looks like gigantic rock and sand slides of barren beauty, with a wide river valley that equally shocks one with its scale. The river rushes in what looks like silver rivulets wending its way within the valley from the road high above, but any of its strands would dwarf a normal inland river. J said this is what is characteristic about Spiti, and at every switchback turn on the road, another great Roerich-like view is to be had. If I had stopped the car every time I wanted to take a photograph, we never would have arrived in time. Manali to Kaza was about a 10-12 hour jaunty, bumpy car ride.
En route to Kaza, Spiti, a high altitude desert landscapeMagnificent rock structures, nature’s sculptures, en route to Dhangkar Monastery, SpitiSpiti Valley heading towards Dhangkar Monastery. The grandeur of scale is stunning!Himalayan scale is overwhelming. What looks here like squiggly bits of green is actually massive farmland. En route to Dhangkar MonasteryEn route to Dhangkar Monastery. Spiti Valley in any lighting is stunning.
This is not an official U.S. Department of State website. The views and information presented here are solely those of the artist, and do not represent the Fulbright Program, the Department of State, or any other entity.
Marmots were poking their heads out of rock crevices, or walking out in the open like this one, presumably searching for breakfast. Cute pudgy little things, they reminded me of our local American groundhogs.
