Thikse Monastery Leh

By Sanjeev Nayyar Sanjeev@esamskriti.com | 2016

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I was fortunate to visit Leh in August 2016. This album has pics of Thikse and Hemis monasteries, more the former. In a army museum in Kargil took pics of a board that gives info about different Ladakhi tribes. View monastery. Pic about 3 pm.

This is the rear side of the monastery, the road is when one drives in from Leh. Look colour of the sky. Pic about 10.30 am. It belongs to the Yellow Hat (Gelujapa sect). It is known for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa.

View of road that you saw in earlier pic from top of monastery. The monastery is located at a height of 11,800 feet, is a 12 storey complex. It has stupas, statues, swords, thangkas and wall paintings.

View of monastery front side.

As you walk up to the monastery you see this - throne of venerable Thiksay Rinpoche.

As I entered monastery huge hall and images. This is Guhyasamaja - belongs to the vajra family of the highest Yoga Tantra. Hope got caption right - develops qualities that controls anger.

Image of Cakrasamvara. Belongs to the mother Tantra of the highest Yoga. Subdues the power of the ego through transmutation of passion.

Inside hall. Pic of respected Dalai Lama on left. The chair in the foreground is where his Holiness sits when he gives teachings in the monastery. In his absence a large photo occupies the chair. In the background are many thangka woven in silk depicting many stages of Buddha''s life. Left of pic end is Sakhyamuni Buddha.

Image of Vajrabhairava. The most wroughtful form of Manjusri. His anger is so great that it may consume even himself. He is in the nature of emptiness expressed in the form of great rage.

Please help with description of image.

View from top floor of monastery. Pic about 3 pm.

MAITREYA (future Buddha). When I entered the room where image placed felt there was peace and serenity all around. Did not want to leave. Hope to visit again.

The MAITREYA temple is installed to commemorate the visit of Dalai Lama in 1970. The statue is 49 feet high.

Great place to meditate.

Images inside wall of monastery. Left to right Gyalwa Lobsang Takpsa, Guru Rinpoche, Jetsun in Chamba Gonbo. Any errors please mail me. To know more about Thikse monastery Click here

Please help with description of image. To see pics of Deities of Ladakh Click here

View of Hemis Monastery. It is about 50 kms from Leh, top of the hill end of the road. Front part you see windows, next pic has a close up. It belongs to the Dragon Order of Mahayana Buddhism. It was established in the 13th century when its founder meditated in a cave close to the monastery.

Close up of balcony. Note painting. Hemis monastery has over 200 branches in the Himalayas and over a 1000 monks. The Hemis festival in June-July is worth visiting. Monastery built in 1630.

About Hemis Monastery.

View from top of monastery.

Side view of monastery. End is Hemis Museum. Worth a visit.

Close up of the walkway that u saw in previous pic note painting.

This is Prayer Wheel i.e. filled with thousands of Avalokistesvara mantras ''Om Mani Padme Hum''. By turning the wheel once one earns merit equal to the reciting of the mantras filled inside the wheel turned clockwise.

View from terrace of Hemis monastery. Not sure what the brass bit in centre of pic stands for.

Under construction Naropa Photang.

Stukna monastery of the Drugpa sect. River Indus in front . Leh is about 25 kms away. To see different pics on Monasteries of Ladakh Click here

Boards in Indian Army Museum Kargil. Brokpa tribe. Drok-pa is the Ladakhi word for Aryan. They are Muslims and Buddhists.

BALTI tribe. The baltis are an ethnic group of Tibetan descent. Balti language belongs to the Tibetan language family. Baltis historically practiced Bon and Tibetan Buddhism. Sufi Islam arrived in the 15th century. They swastika (Yung drung) sign is considered auspicious and is carved on wooden planks that can be seen on historical mosques.

Dards are the linguistic descendants of protoRigvedic culture about 1700 BC. Vast majority are Muslim today.

Purgi - Tibetan people are an ethnic group ie native to Tibet.

The Shina are Dardic people. They speak an Indo-Aryan language called Shina language with various dialects.

Board in Hall of Fame of Leh that tells you distances of major tourist attractions in Leh. To see pics of Leh Palace Click here

The Shey monastery is noted for its giant copper with gilded gold statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. To know more Click here

View of peaks near Trishul War Memorial with river Indus flowing in front.

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