Stagsang Respa

Chemrey Monastery, Ladakh

Many monasteries in Ladakh were plundered by invaders over the centuries. The one at Chemde, or Chemrey stayed safe. How? A tale worth telling.

Seems the Mongols laid siege on Chemde in the late 17th century. He was outnumbered but that didn’t stop the head lama from outsmarting the outsiders. From afar, he shot the Mongol king’s tea cup with a rifle. Stunned, the king thought Goddess Kali ruled over the gompa and he made peace with the monks. A temple to Kali stands at the base of the hill on which Chemde nestles. [continue reading…]

Tagged as: Basgo, buddhism, Chemde, Chemrey, hemis, Himalayas, Ladakh, Leh, monastery, Mongols, Sengye Namgyal, Stagsang Respa

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