Temples of Himalayan Shrines
Ladakh
Ladakh, a vast region of arid tracts and bare mountain ridges, lies to the east of the Kashmir Valley at a height of 9,000 to 18,000 feet above the sea leve. It is bounded by Sinkiang, Tibet and Gilgit, now under occupation of Pakstan. Leh, the district headquarters of Ladaks, is now linked with Srinagar by a well metalled road (434 Kilometres) which passed through the Zozi-la pass and the Fotela pass, at a height of 13,400 feet. Leh is also linked by air with Delhi, Sringar and Chandigarh.Buddhism seems to have entered this forbidden land before the beginning of the Chostian era and has been a living religion there through the ages. Today, the whole of Ladakh is dotted with monasteries, known as gompas or the monasteries at or around Leh. The most important ones are: the Lakhang monastery at Leh; Sankar gompa, just 3 kilometres from Leh; Hemis gompa, the largest and the most sacred monastery of the Red Order founded by Padmasambhava in A.D. 8th century, 45 kilometres from Leh, on the Ladakh-Tibet road and Thiksey and Shey gompas, on the way to Hemis gompa. The monastery of Lama-Yuru, 96 kilometres from Leh on the leh-Kargil Road, contains a 16 th century statue of Avalokititevara with eleven heads and thousand hands. The Alchi monastery, beyond Lama-Yuru, and about 10 kilometres off the highway, has beautiful paintings on its walls of the period from A.D. 9th century to A.D. 12th century. Other important monasteries in Ladakh are: Likir, Spituk, Nimaun, Skara, Phoing, Stagna, Rizong, Chimre, Mathoo and Sakte.
Sikkim
Sikkim, also known as Densong (rice-country), is the most fascinating region of the Himalayas. It lies on the southern sloped of the western half of the eastern Himalaya. It is bounded by Tibet on the north, Bhutan on the east and Nepal on the west. From Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, the nearest rail-heads are Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri, at a distance of 114 kilometres and 125 kilometres respectively. Gangtok is also connected by road with Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The nearest airport is Bagdogra, 124 kilometres from Gangtok.Sikkim became a separate political entity in A.D. 1642 when three lamas gyalwa Lhatsun Vhhempo, Sempa Chhempo and Rigzim Chhempo of Tiber of the Nyingmapa sect, consecrated Phunshog Namgyal (1604-1670) as the King of the Lepcha land with the title of Chogyal (King who rules according to Chhorighteous law, and enforces respect for it) at Yaksam in western Sikkim. On 14 May 1975, Sikkim became a State of Union of India. With this, the institutuion of Chogyal was abolished.
There are about 70 monasteries of gompas in Sikkim. Of these, the most important ones are:
Pemayangtse Monastery
The Pemayangtse Gompa at Gyalshing in western Sikkim is the most important and the principal religious centre in Sikkim. It belongs to the Nyingmapa sect, and was founded by Gyalwa Lhastsun Chhempo, the Chief Lama, who performed the consecration ceremony at Yakam in 1642. The main images in the gompa of gold gilted husge statues of Guru Padmasambhava and Guru Tsengyat. There are also many other precious images and holy objects.Tashiding Monastery
The monastery, in the centre of Sikkim, is the most holy place in Sikkim, having been blessed first by the great Padmasambhava in A.D. 8th century and later in the 17th century by Ngadak Sempa Chhempo, one of the Lamas who consecrated the first Chogyal at Yaksam in 1642.
Rumtek Monastery
This monastery in East Sikkim was founded in the 18th century. It belongs to the Karma Karyud sect. After the Chinese occuption of Tibet, His Hoilness of Gyalwa Karmapa of Tibet, came to Sikkim with a number of Lamas, monks and lay followers. The late Chogyal of Sikkim mada a gift of 74 acres of land to his Holiness for building up a monastery in the vicinity of Rumtek monastery. The Prayer Hall of the new monastery is embellished with beautiful mural paintings, and 1001 miniature golden images of Lord Buddha enshrined in niches on the wall facing the wide front door besides other statues of Buddhist Pantheon. Other important monasterics are: Enche (at gangtok), phensang, phedong, Tholang (in North Sikkim), Ralong Sanga-Choling, Khachod Palri, Dabdi, Sinon (in West Sikkim).Himachal Pradesh
The Lahul-Spiti Valleys in Himachal Pradesh lie at a height of 10,000 to 16,000 sea level and are separated from Kulu Valley by the famous Rohtang Pass, which is also known as the Pass of the Dead. The important monasteries in lahul Valley are at Keylong, Kardurg, Billing, Shashan and Sissue, and those in Spiti are at Ki, Kye, Kito and Kibor. The ancient monasteries have wooden structures with pyramidal roofs and some of them have beautiful paintings depicting scenes from the Jatakas and Lord Buddha’s life. The most important shrine in Lahul is Trilokinath, 3 km away from Keylong, the district headquarters of Lahul. The Buddhist monastery here is believed to have been founded by Guru Padma-Sambhava in A.D. eighth century.The important monasteries in the district of Kinnaur (Kinner Desh) in Himachal pradesh are at Kalpa, Kanum Poo and Chini. Of all the monasteries in Kinnaur, those at Kanum, a village at an elevation of 9,600 ft. just on the Hindustan-Tibet road about 86 miles from simla, are the most important. Kanum has as many as 7 temples. Of them, the Kangyur monastery is the most ancient and is situated in the heart of the village. This monastery has a very good library containing 108 kangyur and 200 Tanjur books written in Tibetan script. The Landup ganfel Gompa is situated on the top of the village and is said to have been built by Shakya virabhadra of Kashmir, the last Sangharajam of Inida, who fied from India in about A.D. 1213 and lived for 10 years in Tibet. On his way back, he stayed for some months at Kanum and founded this Vihara. The present structure is, however, of recent origin. This Gompa is quite spacious and has beautiful mural paintings on its walls. Riwalsar, 15 miles from Mandi, is also an important Buddhist shrine in Himachal Pradesh. Here, a fair called Sichu takes place every year in the month of Phalguna (March-April) in the Mani-Panni temple- an old shrine dedicated to Padma Sambhava who meditated here before going to Tibet in AD. 747.
