Thikse Gompa – Infinity By The Indus -
Thikse is the third way to experience Ladakh. The first is with open eyes, chaperoned by local guides, along the familiar tourist traps – Leh, Shey Palace, Pangong Tso, Khardung La. The second is with determined eyes, trekking slowly across the vastness – spiti, Parang La, Sarchu, Phirtse La, Padum, Hemis, Kargil. The third way is with closed eyes, meditating upon infinity.
(Thikse Village As Seen From The Gompa)
A silent prayer hall in Thikse's ancient Buddhist monastery is where you find the Third Way.
Thikse is 19 km south of Leh on the Leh - Manali road (NH21). Leh is connected to Delhi and Srinagar by morning flights in the summer. This costs you rates starting at about Rs. 6000/- (book well in advance). Else you can get to Manali by road from Delhi via Chandigarh and start from there. Catch buses going to Leh, they cost about Rs. 800/- per person and include an overnight stay at Sarchu. Else, you can take a shared cab from Manali, costing about Rs. 1500.
(View Of Karakoram Mountain with GREF camp in Foreground)
From Leh Airport, you can hire pre-paid taxis to take you to Thikse; they charge about Rs. 600/-. Else get to Leh (4 km away from the airport), and catch a local bus towards Thikse (fare Rs. 40/-) from the New Bus Stand.
Leh is cold, cold, cold. Apart from your woollens (you may have to wear two sweaters, even in summer, when the maximum temperature is rarely above 16 deg. C), carry wollen socks, gloves, and caps. Thick shoes are a must. The altitude of over 14,000 feet may not suit everyone. If you get headaches, ringing ears and nose bleeds, you might be experiencing altitude sickness, and may have to descend quickly. The best course is to pop a Diamox pill the night before flying out as a preventive measure.
(View Of Tourist Complex From New Temple)
You could, if you need all thee material comforts of daily life, stay in a hotel in Leh and make day trips to Thikse. But that is no way to experience Thikse at all. There is a hotel in Thikse village run by the authorities of the monastery. It is fitted with several luxuries (including internet connections), and is often used by foreign tourists.
(View Of the Gompa from North Face)
(View Of the Gompa from the Thikse Village)
The correct way, however, is to stay in the Gompa (monastery) itself, among the Lamas. Thikse Gompa runs a hostelry, where you can hire a bed for as little as Rs. 125 a night. The facilities are basic, but clean. There is no fan, but I've never seen a fan anywhere in Ladakh. Simple vegetarian food is available in the canteen. Do try the simple but delicious thukpa there. A souvenir shop run by the Gompa will sell you Tibetan incense sticks, traditional incense burners, prayer flags, tangkha paintings etc., along with T-shirts, caps and other tourist-y knickknacks.
(Ornamental Entry Gate at the Gompa)
(Main Courtyard Of The Gompa)
If you have military connections, you may choose to stay at the nearby GREF encampment. Mobile connectivity is rare in Thikse, but you can walk down to the GREF camp and make STD calls.
(Large Prayer Wheel At The Thikse Monastery)
Thikse monastery is one of the more centrally located ones in Ladakh. It is built on an easily accessible small hill, overlooking Thikse village to the south and Shey to the north. The monastery follows the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and is headed by an abbot called the Khenpo Rinpoche.
(Ornamental Windows of the Old Temple)
(Prayer Wheels In The New Temple Courtyard)
The monastery consists of three parts. The Old temple is closed to tourists and houses the residences of Khenpo Rinpoche and other senior Lamas. The New Temple houses the main Hall of Prayer and the Maitreya Hall, where a two storey high statue of the Bodhisattva Maitreya has been installed. The remainder consists of administrative offices, a school for boy Lamas, the kitchen etc. Dozens of brick huts surround the Gompa, which house the Lamas. There are also several stupas as well as prayer-wheels scattered all over. Many walls, both on the inside of the halls and the outside are painted with frescoes from the rich mythology of Tibetan Buddhism.
(New Temple with Maitreya Hall in the Right)
Walk a parikrama around the Gompa. The path takes you over some flat walks as well as steep steps. You get a magnificent view of the Indus and its tiny alluvial plain, the Karakoram Range to the north and the Great Himalaya to the south.
Not far from the Thikse is the partially ruined Shey monastery and palace.
Activities
(Boy lamas going about their Chores)
(Fresco Despicting A Scene From Budhist Mythology)
Thikse is a place for meditation and prayer. The activity begins at daybreak, when the Lamas blow the kangling – a horn thats about 10 feet long and made of bone and metal. This is the summons to assemble in the prayer hall. The main prayer ceremony then begins in the Main Hall, as the Lamas assemble. Lay Buddhists and non-believers are admitted to some parts of the prayer; for some sections one is requested to step out.
(Stupas with Lama Hostel In The background)
(A lama Residence)
(Tin cans Turned Into Prayer Wheels)
The prayer consists of chants from the holy books, interspersed with the beating of drums and the blowing of short horns. Huge tangkha paintings hanging from the ceiling, the smell of strong incense and the imposing figures of the Buddha, Tara, Bodhisattvas, Milarepa etc create an awesome effect on you. The prayers ask for the welfare and blessings of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama, the Khenpo Rinpoche and other senior figures of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as common people. It is a great and moving ceremony, which will not fail to have an effect on you. Finally the monks have their ceremonial meal of tsampa, and the prayer concludes. Sadly, I have no photographs to show you, as photography is disallowed within the temple.
This is the time when laypersons can take the blessings of the abbots. The traditional method is to present a thin silk scarf to the Khenpo Rinpoche, who will bless it and return it to you. These scarves can be bought at the souvenir shop.
(Om Mani Padme Hum at Bodhisatva Maitreya)
For the rest of the day, the Lamas disperse to continue their study, meditations or rest in their chambers. You can wander around the Gompa visiting some of the smaller shrines, or sit in the Main Hall meditating. You can also do what many Lamas do – find a secluded spot in the open air, and sit there meditating with closed eyes.
The monastery also houses an important museum of artefacts fromLadakhi life – both religious and secular. You can see the full history of the monastery, which was founded in
Visiting Thikse can be expensive, so make it a part of a larger Ladakh trip. Apart from the travel and stay expenses, keep about Rs. 5000 for food and any purchases you wish to make. It is an ideal place to visit all by yourself, when you can dedicate yourself to meditation and self-discovery, free of distractions.
Closure
Sit in front of the serene Bodhisattva Maitreya and hum Om Mane Padme Hum to yourself gently. Slowly lapse into silence, and free your mind from all thoughts. You will experience blankness for a short while, when you have attained samadhi – union with infinity.
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4 Comment
Thank You raghavan for the Praise!
Thank You Reshma for the Praise!
wow!! makes me wanna go there...
a nice and different beginning , well worded and expressed