I am sure I have been present at monasteries around lunch time, but only at Karsha monastery did I hear a conch being blown informing all the resident lamas, about 120 in all, it was time for the meals.
The 11th century monastery was built by Buddhist master Zanskar Lotsawa Phakpa Sherab who introduced Buddhism to this valley. Its thirty building, constructed in a cascade style along a hill face, have come up over the centuries and not all at one go. He was followed by other masters like Tungpa gyaltsa Pa, Thapuwa Dhamcheu Gyaltsen and Dupkhang Guelek Gyatso who established Karsha a major scholastic centre of Buddhist studies. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
buddhism,
karsha,
Kashmir,
Ladakh,
monastery,
padum,
Zanskar
When driving around Ladakh, always have a spare seat in the car. And stocks of chocolates and sweets.
[Click on image for a larger view]
Coming back from Zanskar, I stopped to capture the image of yellow and green fields of a village glowing in the setting sun. Three passing village women stopped to ask for a lift. The first question my mind asked me was where to? There was nothing for miles before and after this village. Anyway, I could not really help them as my car was full with friends on that occasion. With luggage overflowing in the boot. They sweetly kept insisting only for me to point out there was no space. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Ladakh,
padum,
Zanskar
Zarina, the girl in a village near Kargil in Ladakh
What do the eyes in the image above say to you? Do they say ‘take me with you’ and show me the world beyond my village? (Click on any of the images to see a larger version)
This is Zarina, a class seven girl I met in Maita village (at least this was the name I understood the children saying), an hour and a half drive from Kargil on the way to Zanskar. I had stopped to take pictures of this beautiful village with the twin Nun-Kun peaks towering over it. Within a few minutes of my stopping I was surrounded by village children. At one moment I could not see a soul; in another, I was surrounded by many as they appeared magically from within the tall grasses. Continue reading for the complete experience and lots more pictures
Tagged as:
Kargil,
Ladakh,
Zanskar,
Zarina
What would you think when a girl in the third grade says she wants to be a cop when she grows up? And this sounds interestingly ambitious when this girl lives in the small town of Padum in the Zanskar valley in Ladakh, a full day’s drive away from the nearest urban settlement of Kargil. That’s Zarina for you (with the yellow headscarf in the picture).
I got chatting with her while walking around Padum on a July 2008 evening. She was coming back from the mosque (she is Muslim) after offering evening prayers, and going back home with a group of three other girls, all of the same age group. Actually she started the conversation with a “Hello” and a big smile. Both her smile and ability to address a stranger like this were charming in themselves. My reply of a “Hello” was followed with a “How are you” from her. After saying “I am fine,” I decided to pursue the conversation in English and asked the name of her school. And suddenly she was embarrassed and could not reply; maybe her vocabulary did not cover my words, or my accent was the problem, or she just decided to feel shy suddenly. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Himalayas,
Kashmir,
Ladakh,
Zanskar
Boys will be boys, even when they are being groomed to be Buddhist Lamas. When I started taking pictures of some young Lamas at the Karsha Monastery located near the town of Padum in the Zanskar Valley (in the Ladakh region of the Indian Himalayan state of Jammu & Kashmir), not only did they start posing specially for the camera, they also started jostling to be in the camera frame exclusively. It led to a bit of friendly bashing, adding to the fun of the afternoon while I was there. Boys will remain boys. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
gompa,
Himalayas,
india,
karsha,
Kashmir,
Kunzum,
Ladakh,
lama,
lamas,
monastery,
padum,
tourism,
travel,
Zanskar
I have just come back from Ladakh (in the Indian Himalayas) which I would describe as the trip of a lifetime. I was on the road for 23 days, and personally drove over 4,000 kms (about 2,500 miles) during this period. Yes, the best way to enjoy this region is to drive yourself. A rugged vehicle is a pre-requisite though.
In the coming days and weeks, I will be sharing stories, experiences and pictures of my trip on this blog. Do watch out for the same. In the meantime, to give you an idea where all I went, this was itinerary: (The figure before each location is the day number. Example: 3 indicates day 3). [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Drive,
Himachal Pradesh,
Himalayas,
holiday,
india,
Kargil,
Kashmir,
Ladakh,
Leh,
Nubra,
Siachen,
Zanskar
