Lakes Of Ladakh IV

Lakes Of Ladakh IV, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

The Village of Korzok rests on the banks of one of the most beautiful lakes in Ladakh.

Tso Moriri's waters are a distinct blue much enhanced by the rich cobalt deposits in the area. It is also famous for the Black Siberian Cranes which fly from Siberia to breed here.

The Buddha To Be.

The Buddha To Be., originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

The huge 15mtrs. tall statue of The Maitreya Buddha (The Buddha to be & The Buddha of Compassion) at the Thiksey Monastery in Ladakh.

Built to commerate the visit of the Dalai Lama in 1970 it was made by local artisians and took 4 years to complete, yet it remains the biggest and one of the most beautiful statues of the Maitreya...

Namgyal Chortens near Shey.

Namgyal Chortens near Shey., originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Hundreds of crumbling chortens dot the landscape in Ladakh, the largest array is to be found in the desert east of Shey, the former capital of the Namgyal Kings who ruled Ladakh from the mid 1500's to the late 1800's

These Chortens are the Tibetan equivalent of the North Indian stupas & Chattris in Rajasthan - large hemispherical burial mounds-cum-devotional objects, prominent in Buddhist ritual since the third century BC. Made of mud and stone (now also concrete), many chortens were erected as acts of piety and remembrances by Ladakhi nobles

Some contain sacred manuscripts that, like the chortens, wither and decay in time, illustrating the central Buddhist doctrine of impermanence.

It is customary to pass a chorten in a clockwise direction: the ritual of circumambulation mimics the passage of the planets through the heavens, and is believed to ward off evil spirits.

A short way downhill from the big chorten, near the radio station, stands an even more monumental symbol of devotion. The 500-metre Mani Ringmo ( A wall made of up discarded Mani Stones), erected by King Deldan Namgyal in 1635 for his father Senge Namgyal one of the most successful of the dynasty who is still revered as he built many important monasteries (Hemis,Stakna and Chemre) & also built the Leh Palace.

Mani Ringmo
Ranging from a couple of meters to over a kilometer in length, these walls are made of hundreds of thousands of stones, each inscribed with prayers or sacred mantras - usually the invocation Om Mani Padme Hum: "Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus". They are hand carved and then discarded no matter how fine the carving again to show the impermanence of things and the curtailment of desire.

Such stones should never be removed and visitors should resist the urge to climb onto the walls to have photographs taken.

Stoke Da Kangri

Stoke Da Kangri, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Stok Kangri (6120mtrs) gleams under a Harvest Moon and a star spangled sky.

Its the highest peak in the Stok Range which ring the valley of Leh and a very popular trekking peak which offers non technical (but steep nonetheless) climbing for trekkers and amateur mountaineers.
It is probably the most busy peak in India and has attracted a lot of official and "unofficial" groups specially in the last few years. (the situation got so bad that now a permanent LO (liaison officer) is stationed at Base Camp during the season to deter "unofficial" climbers from tackling the peak).

The approach to the peak via Rumbak, Makarmo to base camp at 5100mtrs through the Stok La(4,900mtrs) is quite spectacular as the mountains are vividly colored and one gets to see some very unusual folding in the rock formations

Alpenglow on Kang Yatze

Alpenglow on Kang Yatze, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Sunset on the north face of Kang Yatze (6,400 mtrs) one of the highest peaks in the Zanskar Ranges rising above the idyllic Nimaling Plains in the Markha Valley, Ladakh, India.

Along with Stok Kangri , Kang Yatze is also one of the more popular trekking peaks in the region and as it offers little technical difficulty its quite popular destination for both experienced trekkers and amateur mountaineers. Lately a lot of ski touring parties have made merry on these long gently undulating slopes

The first ascent of Kang Yatze I was made in 1982 by an Irish Team led by Trever Mitten who climbed the East Ridge to the top.

Kang Yatze II was first climbed in 1981 by a team from Nanzan Alpine Club, Japan led by Seigo Inaba. They tackled the north west ridge to the top.

Zanskar Landscape

Zanskar Landscape, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Constantly shifting Cloud Shadows reveal the Myriad colors of the Zanskar Valley as a half frozen Zanskar River meanders by..

Across The Changthang 2

A group of Bactrian camels across the Changthang.

These twin humped camels of the domesticated variety are found all over the Changthang and also in Ladakh from Nubra Valley onwards.

They are different then their wild cousins who are now only found in the Gobi Desert and less than 700 are said to be alive making them one of the most endangered species in the world.
The wild Bactrian camel has a special place in evolutionary history. The herds remaining in China and Mongolia are the remnants of herds which crossed from North America on the Bering Strait land bridge 3-4 million years ago. Some Bactrian camels were domesticated 4,000 years ago, but the wild Bactrian camels in the Gashun Gobi (Lop Nur) area, and Mongolia avoided domestication and are now genetically different from the domestic Bactrian camels. Moreover, research has shown that in their embryonic stage, one-humped camels have a small second hump that does not develop further. This suggests that the ancestors of all camels on earth looked like the wild Bactrian camels of today.

The Bactrian (two-humped) camel is adapted to arid plains and hills where water sources are few and vegetation is sparse. Shrubs constitute its main source of food. Herds of these wild camels move widely, their distribution being linked to water. The animals tend to concentrate in and around mountains, because most springs are there and snow on the slopes may provide the only moisture in winter. Concentrations of up to 100 camels occur near the mountains, but most herds contain 2 - 15 members



Wild and domestic Bactrian camels readily interbreed, but physically they are quite different. The wild camels have a sandy, gray-brown rather than a predominantly dark brown coat; and their body form is small and slender, rather than large and bulky like that of the domestic Bactrian camel (The Mongolians call the wild camel "havtagai", which means "flat."). The most important difference, however, is in the humps. The humps of a wild camel are small and pyramid-shaped, with a round base and a pointed end. The humps of a domestic camel are distinctively large and irregular.

*** Approximately 2.5 million domestic Bactrian camels occur in Central Asia

In recent years scientists have been taking keen interest in this species to study their biological and evolutionary make up as they survive in the most harshest of terrains, where there is little or no water, are not effected by viruses like other 4 hoofed species and often are not susceptible to extreme temperature differences. In Winter when there is no water these camels survive by eating snow along with the shrubs they can dig up given their cloven hooves

Mystical Light in Zanskar

Mystical Light in Zanskar, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

The Old Zangla Castle, Zanskar Ladakh

.The old castle now in ruins except for a small chapel and nearby nunnery , it sits on a precarious aerie overlooking the valley below and offers some spectacular views on the surrounding countryside. Sometimes it seems that it has become as much a part of the rocks on which it stands. (there are around 34 Chortens around this castle spread all over the route to the top)

Until 1989, Zangla had its own ruler but for more than a century prior to that the king had held only a nominal title, his lineage was traced back to when the royal lineage in Zanskar was split. One side of the family ruled from Padum(the old capital some 35 kms away), and the other from Zangla

Both factions were able to reach an accord which allowed the King of Zangla to retain a nominal rule over the nearby villages of Honia and Chazar, and the villages of Hanumil, Pidmu and Pishu on the far side of the valley.

The head monk at Spitok is related to this family, and also administrators the Zangla monastery, which is situated in the nearby village of Tsa-zar & houses some exquisite frescos dating from the 16th century and some refurbished in the 18th century . The monastery is run my monks of the Gelugpa sect. This village lies mid-way between Thongde (Stongdey) and Zangla.

Lamayuru Gompa

Lamayuru Gompa, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Built in the 10th Century by two practitioners of Tantric Buddhism it is located in the most fantastic geological folds and schist's rock surroundings and popularly called MOONSCAPE and it certainly looks like an alien planet..
Lamayuru also marks the meeting place of the Great Himalayan Wall & of the East Karakorum Ranges.

I've been through Lamayaru 5 times now but have never once seen the light or the color of the landscape remain same.. It is always different but never fails to makes you gasp in awe each time you pass through or decide to stay...
The gompa itself has been undergoing renovations for the last 2 years and now is restored completely
It is located in between Bodhkharbu and Kha-la-che, on a steep rock mountain. It lies at a distance of approximately 127 km to the west of Leh town. Lamayuru Monastery belongs to the Red-Hat sect of Buddhism and houses approximately 150 Buddhist monks. The monastery is made up of a number of shrines and also has a very rich collection of thankas and magnificent wall paintings. At the outset, the Lamayuru Monastery consisted of five buildings, out of which only the central one exists today.

Every year the Lamayuru Gompa plays host a masked dance, which takes place on the 17th and 18th day of the 5th month of Tibetan lunar calendar. The monks from the monasteries of the nearby areas also come to take part in the celebrations. There is an interesting legend associated with the Lamayuru Gompa of Leh Ladakh. It is said that the Lamayuru Valley used to be a clear lake, at the time of Sakhyamuni (the Historical Buddha). And, Nags (holy serpents) used to reside in the lake.

Bodhisattva Madhyantaka had once a prediction quite a long time back that the lake would eventually be dried, making way for the construction of a Buddhist monastery. The legend moves further to state that Mahasiddhacharya Naropa, an 11th century Indian Buddhist scholar, sat in meditation for a number of years in one of the caves in Dukhang. He was the one who caused a crack in the hillside surrounding the lake.

Through this crack, the lake started draining. When the lake dried out, the scholar found a dead lion lying inside it. On the same spot, where he found the tiger, he constructed the first temple of the area, known as the Singhe Ghang (Lion Mound). Another legend has it that the building of Lamayuru Monastery was constructed, as per the instructions of King of Ladakh, under the direction of Rinchen Zangpo, the Translator. After this, the monastery came under the administration of the Zhwa-mar-pa (Red Hats).

Later, Dharmaraja Jamyang Namgial offered the monastery to Chosje Danma. And this led to the observance of the rituals of the Digung Kargyud School, with the monastery being renamed as Yungdrung Tharpaling. Today, the Lamayuru Monastery is served by the successive reincarnations of Skyabsje Toldan Rinpoche.

Riders Of The Storm

Riders Of The Storm (Duststorm), originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

A sudden dust storm sends both riders and spectators packing from the Polo Ground.

Across The Changthang {On The Rupshu Trek}

Across The Changthang, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

A group of Changpa Yak herders cajole their herd across the Changthang Desert in search of greener pastures.

Changthang is a high altitude plateau in eastern Ladakh and western and northern Tibet, with vast highlands and giant lakes. From Eastern Ladakh Changthang stretches approximately 1600 km into Tibet. It is the home of the Changpa nomads

The Changthang is a smaller version of the Takla Makan and the Askai Chin, which lie at the other end of the Tibetan Plateau, these two deserts were one of the main reasons why Tibet (and to a lesser extent) Ladakh remained in relative isolation from the rest of the world.

Very few survived a journey through them as it can be an unforgiving place and these nomadic herders and their flocks lead a hard life in such a harsh terrain.

Often their life is a hand to mouth struggle in which the desert dictates the rules but its a way of life now coming to an end due to the march of roads as deserts once uncrossable are bridged by the long black ribbon which marks the new highways crisscrossing them.

During the day the harshness of the terrain is evident as the sun beats down relentlessly sapping strength and resolve but in the evening light this country can be beautiful, desert and all: the harshness becomes subdued; shadows soften the hillsides; there is a blending of lines and folds until the last light, so that one comes to bless the' absolute bareness, feeling that here is a pure beauty of form, a kind of ultimate harmony rarely seen elsewhere.

Colors Of Ladakh

Colors Of Ladakh, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Mountainsides on the way to TSO MORIRI Ladakh,

Sweetloaf mountains near Tso khar, Ladakh

Sweetloaf mountains near Tso khar, Ladakh, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Taken during Traverse and circum navgation of Tso Khar shorelines...

During the day these sweet loaf mountains seem much lighter in color but as evening falls the pastels become more muted and the stark reds and rusts stand out..

Evening Light on the Mountainside Zanskar Ladakh.

Evening Light on the Mountainside Zanskar Ladakh., originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

(excerpt from my diary)

As the evening gets on I start walking towards a viewpoint overlooking the village., the mountainside behind turns deep golden in this light, and very large. I climb the the nearest ridge one from which I hope to see the sun set over the whole area of Ladakh. It is steep, and I pause several times to take a drink from my water bottle, the weight of the camera and the tripod slowing me down even more and I feel the aftereffects of a day spent trekking in this rugged landscape under a hot sun. At last I reach the top a few minutes before sunset. The day is still very warm.
Far below me to the left are a few squares of harvest-ripe yellow barley and a crescent-shaped pool, and to the far right the dunes stretch out towards the Buddhist grottoes.

In front, the world lies undulating in fantastic ridges and stratas reflecting the tumultuous history of formation... Centuries compressed in stone. silents sentinels to history

The valley floor is dark green and gold, the few stringy poplars and corn fields ending abruptly in the distance, where the sand and stony plains of the Changthang take over. The gorged waters of the River look thin and innocuous from this distance. The electric lights come on Over and shimmer through the levels of cooling air. It is quite still

Above, the sky, marked with a few residual clouds, changes to a deep red, and the sun sinks over the vague horizon of the desert. For a few minutes afterwards, the underside of the clouds reflects a sun already invisible, and by a strange tilt of light the sky actually appears to become brighter and in a majestic moment lights up only the mountains opposite.. I am transfixed.. it looks like liquid gold...


Then the angle changes, the clouds turn grey, and above me is a sky of deep indigo. In this desert night the Milky Way is brilliantly clear.

A Spot of Gold.

The climb from Padum to the village of Thongde which has a small gompa, which offers spectacular vistas looking down, the view up isn't too bad either when viewed in the golden light bestowed as a parting gift from the departing day...

Whose Gonna Ride Those WIld Horses.

Horses on the way to Pyongyong Tso in Ladakh.

The vast open valley floors in Ladakh you can still find some nomads and their flocks of yaks but there are also places where Wild Horses, Kyang are also seen routinely, specially on the trek to Tso Moriri & also in the Changthang High Plateau

If you are lucky you may pass some flocks while you go on the normal tourist trail to Pyongyong Tso but these horses are not wild but belong to the Nomads who flit from grazing grounds in search of fodder.

Shanti Stupa Leh

A View from Leh looking at the Shanti Stupa & Leh Ranges



Shanti Stupa above leh looking at the Leh Ranges, if you stamd facing Leh town this mountain range is on your right hand.

The Stok Ranges viewed from the steps of Shanti Stupa



Front of the Shanti Stupa

The Shanti Stupa sits atop Changspa, near the outskirts of Leh

The Stupa was constructed by a Japanese Buddhist organization, known as 'The Japanese for World Peace'. (They are the same people who have constructed the Japanese World Peace Stupa in Darjeeling WB which is almost a smaller version of this stupa)

The aim behind the construction of the stupa was to commemorate 2500 years of Buddhism and to promote World Peace.

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama inaugurated the Shanti Stupa in the year 1985.

It offers spectacular views of the sunrise and sunset. The stupa looks best at night, when it is beautifully illuminated with glittering lights. The large viewing platform makes an ideal seat to sit and look down upon Leh.
You can also walk up to the shanti stupa by the old fort road (not recommended for fresh arrivals as its pretty steep and can knock the stuffing out of fresh arrivals not yet used to the thin air of Leh