16 August 2024. Our Leh Trip - 08 August - 16 August 2024.

 16 August 2024. Our Leh Trip - 08 August - 16 August 2024.

16 August 2024.

 Last day of our Leh-Ladakh trip.

Today we check out and catch the flight to Delhi.

 As I wrote earlier, we did not return to Nagpur; we went via Delhi, Indore, and then to Nagpur. The return flight route is plotted only up to and between Leh and Delhi. 

Surprisingly, there are no photos whatsoever except for a few photos of the Himalayan Ranges during the flight to Delhi.

15 August - Our Leh Trip. 08 August - 16 August 2024.

15 August - Leh Trip. 08 August - 16 August 2024.

We return to Leh.

The day being the 15th of August, we celebrated our Independence Day before starting the journey. A small function was organised on the terrace where we all gathered, sang the National Anthem and unfurled the National Flag.
The halt and the main landmarks en route: Mulbekh Maitreya Buddha and Mulbekh Monastery, Namikala Pass, Fatu La Pass, Lamayuru Monastery, MoonLand, Lunch Apple Orchard and lastly Gurudwara Patther Sahib.
Mulbekh Maitreya Buddha.It is the 30 ft high standing Maitreya Buddha rock sculpture of the “Future Buddha” aka Mulbekh Chamba that catches the attention of the passersby. This statue is believed to have been carved in the 1st century BC Kushan era. The temple walls are decorated with very beautiful paintings and tapestries of extremely vivid colours and great details.
Namikala Pass and Fatu La Pass :- NH 1 or Leh- Srinagar Highway, in the journey of 220 km from Leh to Kargil, it climbs and dips and climbs and dips, as is likely to happen in a road built in the Ladakh mountain ranges.
In the process, it passes through two passes. Namely, Namika Pass ( Namika La) and Fatu Pass( Fatu La). These passes are not as famous nor as high as Khardungla or Changla.
Nevertheless, the Border Road Organisation, in its own way, has celebrated conquering these passes by making them attractive and also making them rest cum photo shoot points.
Lamayuru Village, Lamayuru monastery is the main attraction here. It is one of the most intriguing places to visit for sure; being one of the oldest and largest monasteries in Ladakh, it has many stories and legends associated with it. Its history dates back to the 11th century, when a scholar named Mahasiddhacharya Naropa laid the foundation stone of this monastery. It is believed that his prayers caused the drying up of a lake that fed an entire village, and because the water receded, the place started to get moonlike craters. Originally, the monastery had five buildings, though now only the central building exists. Even after losing much of its valour, it still remains a favourite jaunt for photographers and inquisitive travellers. This monastery houses around 150 Buddhist monks, though there used to be more than 400 earlier.
Moon Land. Near Lamayuru. Lamayuru is known for its monastery, and for its “lunar” landscape – quaintly promoted as a “Moonscape” for tourists. The landscape is certainly incredible with its spectacularly odd geological formations. It looks totally alien to the surrounding landscape.
The Alchi Choskhor (sacred enclave) complex is one of the earliest temple complexes found in Ladakh. Built in 11 A.D. by Lotsava Rinchen Zangpo, the complex of brick houses called Lhakhangs (temples) are the Vairocana Lhakhang, the Sumtsek Lhakhang, the Lotsava Lhakhang, the Jamyang Lhakhang and the Lhakhang Soma. The Sumtsek Lhakhang and the Vairocana Lhakhang at Alchi were built by Rinchen Zangpo along with Tholing and Khojarnath in western Tibet.
Gurudwara Shri Pathar Sahib is located about 25 Kms short of Leh on the Srinagar - Leh National Highway. During his travel journey (1515 to 1518), Guru Nanak Dev Ji arrived here in 1517. After his spiritual discourse at Sumer mountain, Guru Nanak Dev Ji arrived here along the route of Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet, Yarkhand and Leh. A wicked demon was staying on the mountain overlooking this place. He used to trouble the local populace, kill and eat them. On hearing about the demon, Guru Nanak Dev Ji arrived here and started meditating on the riverbank. Seeing Guru Ji, the local populace was happy and relieved. However, the demon got angry and upset. The demon hatched a plan to kill Guru Nank Dev ji.
One day, while Guru Ji was offering his prayers, the demon rolled down a massive boulder towards him to kill him. The boulder miraculously turned soft like it was on touching Guru Ji. The rear body of Guru Ji sank softly into the boulder, and his prayers continued undisturbed. Thinking that Guru Ji was dead, the demon came down to the site. He was astounded to see that Guru Ji was perfectly alright. He got annoyed and kicked the boulder with his right foot, which also sank into the boulder. Seeing this, the demon regretted his action and realised that Guru Ji was a holy disciple of God. He fell at Guru Ji's feet and pleaded mercy for his evil deed. Guru Nanak Dev Ji opened his eyes and advised the demon to devote the rest of his life to the service of people. The demon followed the advice and lived happily ever after. After some time, Guru Ji left this place for Kashmir via Kargil.
All devotees can see the Holy boulder inside the Gurudwara Complex.
After this, it was back to our Leh Hotel. 

• 212 km

14 August 2024. Our Leh Trip 08 to 16 August 2024.

 14 August 2024.

Our Leh Trip 08 to 16 August 2024.

Today's road journey.

Leh - Kargil, via - Magnetic Hill and Sangam View Point.

Today we proceed to Kargil to see the Kargil War Memorial and pay our homage to all those brave hearts who made supreme sacrifices and wrote stories of unparalleled valour with their blood. 

The distance from Leh to Kargil is 220 km. 

Before reaching Kargil, we will have two stoppages, one at Magnetic Hill and the other at Sangam View Point.

Magnetic Hill is a point on the road around 27 km from Leh. It is marked by a very prominent yellow signboard on which is written.

 "WELCOME TO

 MAGNETIC HILL 

THE PHENOMENON THAT DEFIES 

GRAVITY PARK YOUR VEHICLE IN 

THE BOX MARKED WITH PAINT ON THE 

ROAD & EXPERIANCE THE WONDER"

KTN

( spell error in Experience is of KTN)

In 2024

Restaurant at Magnetic Hill 2024.

Restaurant with buggy ride at Magnetic Hill 2024.

The road was recently resurfaced. It was a brand new road where road markings like sidelines, as well as centreline markings, were yet to be done. The box where we were supposed to park our car was also not there. Parking the vehicle for any amount of time in the centre of the road to test this "phenomenon which defies gravity " was just not possible due to considerable two-way traffic with hardly any gap. There were restaurants on both sides of this tourist spot, One restaurant combined dune buggy rides as well. 

We had visited Magnetic Hill in 1997, Even then the spot was marked by a yellow board erected by the Vijayak Division of Border Roads Organisation with the writing

MAGNETIC HILL THE PHENOMENON THAT DEFIES GRAVITY 

PARK YOUR VEHICLE IN THE BOX 

MARKED WITH WHITE PAINT ON ROAD.

 Magnetic Hill 1997. 

No Restaurants no sign of anything nearby.

Other than this board, there was nothing whatsoever, no restaurants, not even a tea shack to indicate that this was an important landmark or a tourist spot.  But near the board in the middle of the road, a yellow-painted rectangle with approximate dimensions to park a car was painted. 

We looked around, as far as our eyes could see there was no traffic. No vehicles of any type could be seen. Our MTD (a moniker for Air Force driver ) Parked the gypsy in the painted rectangle. Put the gypsy in neutral and got down. Closed the door and walked to stand next to us. Nothing happened.

Both the boards had failed to mention what would happen if car was parked in the box, or what was this gravity-defying phenomenon which was on a gentle slope in the road, 

Our MTD who had taken almost every Air Force guest to this tourist attraction informed us that a car parked in the box in neutral gear "on its own rolls UP HILL". 

The MTD got in the car and drove the gypsy forward and backwards and again parked it in the box, got out and stood next to us. Again nothing happened. After a couple of more tries, we gave up and returned to AF Station. All this while not a single vehicle of any kind had passed on that road. 

During this visit in 2024, the traffic of all kinds of vehicles was so heavy that blocking the road for any amount of time was impossible. No experiment could be done. 

We were just not able to see the "gravity-defying phenomenon." After wandering around and taking photos of a few more boards erected nearby, one big board by Vijayank gave some historical facts and info about rock paintings. we continued with our journey. 

The next halt was at Sangam View Point. 

Sangam View Point is just 4-5 km from Magnetic Hill and around 30 km from Leh. This place is at an altitude of 10657 feet. From here, way below, you have a wonderful view of the confluence of two rivers (Sangam), the Indus and Zanskar. 

From the viewpoint, one sees Zanskar Valley Road, the bridge on which the Zanskar Valley Road crosses the Zanskar River, buildings of Sangam Restaurant, the valley and mountain ranges, the Sangam itself where the muddy waters of mighty Indus just refusing slate-coloured waters of the weaker Zanskar River from mixing, all these presents you with a really breathtaking view.  Took a lot of photos and set the course for Kargil.

After leaving Sangam Point we did not stop for the next 4 hours, a distance of about 190 km, till we reached Hotel Zozila Residency at Kargil where we were supposed to stay the night. No stoppages did not prevent me from taking almost 35 odd photos on the move from a moving car of whatever I felt presented an interesting sight.

The reason for the haste was to cater for the time taken for room allocation to the group members, settle the luggage in the room, freshen up, and have lunch then travel for one hour around 54-55 km to  Kargil War Memorial with sufficient time to go around and see everything before the closing time. Even though appeared to be a bit taxing, the time management by the Kaseri Tour Manager was quite good as we had plenty of time to leisurely and detailed look around The Kargil War Memorial.

The Kargil War Memorial, though not very common, but also known as the Drass War Memorial.

The Kargil War Memorial was built and is being maintained by the Indian Army to pay homage to all those army personnel who made supreme sacrifice and valiantly fought to ensure our win in the war of 1999, in one of the most difficult and hostile terrain. 

I am a curious creature by nature. "WHY" is a word, always at the forefront of my thoughts. 

As we were nearing the Kargil War Memorial, the why was " Why Kargil war."

1. We have fought many wars. The latest was in 1999 which was limited to the Drass, Turtuk and Batalik sectors in Ladakh. 

 All the earlier wars are generally referred to by the year in which they were fought. That is, the wars of 1947, 1962, 1965, 1971, however, the 1999 war is not referred to as the 1999 war but as the Kargil War. WHY?

2. As mentioned the most fierce and hard-fought war was in the Drass, Turtuk and Batalik Sectors no where near Kargil.

The closest of these places, Batalik is 55 km from Krgil town. The War Memorial is built 10 km from Drass and over 50 km from Kargil. Even then 1999 war is referred to as the Kargil War Kargil War Memorial. WHY?

The answer to both these questions is electronic media. As written by Amrita Jash  in ORF "The big boom in electronic media in India coincided with the war, resulting in live coverage and in-depth analysis of a war ... "

 Kargil was the only place where decent accommodation was available. Media reporters and TV crew were already located in Kargil when the war broke out. From the Government side free hand was given to the journalists. The Army also extended and allowed  full access to journalists even in the battle zone. Videos taken live of the fighting in the war zone, booming of the Bofors Guns and Bofors shells exploding on targets like the Tiger Hill peaks were brought to the offices and thousands in living rooms in India.  This was the first televised war in India and for that Matter in Southeast Asia.   and the "war" was brought in the drawing rooms of Indian households. Journalist Barkha Datt's interview of Vikram Batra after a fierce battle and victory, at point 5140 in which Vikram Batra says “My company’s success signal was ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’. The guys were so highly charged up that they wanted that more bunkers should have been there and we would have got more chaps.” is immortalised in the Indian psyche.

 There must have been times when there was a lull in the fighting, but TV channels projecting to the Indin households were at it full blast

 24 X7, as long as the war lasted.

And all this was "perfixed" or "ended with", so and so "Reporting from Kargil". Kargil was on every one's mind and had become a household name. 

That is why it is The Kargil War and not the war of 1999.

 Kargil War Memorial / Drass War Memorial.

During the war capture of Tololing Hill, the first enemy position to fall, was the turning point of the war and a psychological blow to Pakistan.

Fittingly the War Memorial is located at the base of TololingHill which is about 10 km from Drass and 50 km from Kargil.

We visited the memorial on the 14th of August, the next day being Independence Day, major functions and parades were planned for, and when we visited, practice for the next day's programme was going on. Due to this, we could not get a closer look at  Cenotaph,   and the Wall of Fame. . 
For ease of description and viewing, the War Memorial can be subdivided into the following areas. 

Vijay Path,
Cenotaph,
Wall of Fame,
Veer Bhumi,
Hut of Remembrance,
The Tri-Colour,
The war Machines on display.: The Mig-21,
155MM FieldHowitzer77B02:Bofors Gun, 75/24 Pack Howitzer.

Vijay Path.

Just after the entry gate, Standing at the beginning of "Vijay Path" or Road to Victory. [ 'Vijay' means Victory & 'Path' means Road]
Road to Victory is a broad well well-maintained black-top road. Approximately 130 meters Long, it is lined on both sides by evenly spaced flowerbeds with flowering plants. 

During our visit, all the flowering plants were in full bloom and presented a riot of colours. Between the Vijay Path and the flowerbeds tricolours proudly flutter on evenly spaced flagpoles.
On either side of the Vijay Path, just outside of the flowerbeds,  Eight bust statues of those brave hearts who won the highest of gallantry awards of the nation, four on each side, two of the winners of Param Veer Chakra and six of Maha Veer Chakra winners are installed.

The first two bust Statues, on either side of the Vijay Path, are those of Capt Batra and Maj Manoj Pande both winners of Param Veer Chakra, the highest national award for gallantry in war.

All in all, Vijay Path looked very impressive and beautiful. As our visit was on the eve of Independence Day the whole place was being beautified further.

Cenotaph,

The central feature of the memorial is a pink sandstone wall bearing a brass plate engraved with names of the soldiers who died during Operation Vijay the code word for The Kargil war called by Army Headquarters.  It houses the Amar Jawan Jyoti or the ‘eternal flame’ for soldiers, and carries an extract from the poem ‘Pushp ki Abhilasha’ by Makhanlal Chaturvedi

चाह नहीं, में सुश्बाला के गहनों में गूँया जाऊ,
 चाह नहीं प्रेमी माला में बिद्य प्यारी को ललचाऊँ । 

मुझे तोड़ लेना, वनमाली, उस पथ में देना तुम फेंक,

 मातृभूमि पर शीश चढ़ाने, जिस पथ जाएँ वीर अनेक

Amar Jawan Jyoti: The Amar Jawan Jyoti, or the Flame of the Immortal Soldier, is a sacred and solemn feature of the memorial, that symbolizes the eternal spirit and sacrifice of the soldiers. It is a large and circular structure, that has a cenotaph in the center, with a rifle and a helmet on it. The cenotaph is surrounded by four pillars, that have the words "Mera Bharat Mahan" (My India is Great) on them. The cenotaph also has a flame that burns continuously, day and night, in the memory of the martyrs. The visitors can pay their respects and offer their salutations to the cenotaph, and observe a moment of silence.

Wall of Fame(,Memorial Wall).

 The memorial wall is the most touching and emotional feature of the memorial, it bears the names of 527 soldiers who laid down their lives for the nation. The wall is a long and curved structure, that has granite panels with the names, ranks, and units of the martyrs engraved on them. The wall also has the words "Shaheedon Ki Chitaon Par Lagenge Har Baras Mele, Watan Par Marne Walon Ka Yahi Baaki Nishaan Hoga" (There will be fairs on the pyres of the martyrs every year, this will be the only remaining mark of those who died for the nation) on it. The wall is a place where the visitors can feel the pain and pride of the families and friends of the martyrs, and express their gratitude and admiration for them.

Veer Bhumi,

On the left side of the War Museum is the memorial ground called “Veer Bhumi,” where the names of Indian soldiers along with their rank are inscribed on the memorial stones. It also mentioned when and how they gave up their lives fighting enthusiastically till their last breath.
A magnificent sculpture of the soldiers is created to celebrate the victory, with soldiers holding India’s tricolor flag against a mighty hill.

Hut of Remembrance,

This is also called  Capt Manoj Pandey Operation Vijay Gallary.  Zoom and See the plaque constructed on the right bottom of the photo.
The Hut of Remembrance is divided into three sections. In the first section, the revered ashes of the martyrs named Shradha Soman Kalash are kept in a pot. The Shradhanjali Kalash is presented to the Indian Army every year on Vijay Diwas (26 July). It is featured by a Delhi-based NGO known as “Citizen’s Society of India” in memory of the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice during Operation Vijay.
In the same section, we saw some letters of the Indian Army to their families and nationalistic poems written by the soldiers during the war. The poem “Agnipath” by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, with a message from his famous son Amitabh Bachchan, was an absolute source of inspiration for anyone who reads it.
In the second section, we came across some real pictures of the army men from the war and the places where the battle occurred. On the other side, photographs of some of the famous war heroes along with the national awards presented to them were also displayed on the wall.
In the third section, some seized weapons like the G-3 Rifle, Universal Machine Guns, and AK47s were kept in a showcase. On the wall, images of Pakistani forces and their captured identity cards proved the fact that the intruders who occupied the Indian territories were from Pakistan. Towards the end of the war memorial, we saw an inverted Pakistani flag captured during the battle. It reminded us of our glorious victory and the humiliating defeat of the rival forces.

The Tri-Colour.

A magnificent Tri Colour flies proudly near the Centopath

This giant National Flag was presented by the Flag Foundation of India to the Kargil War Memorial on 26 July 2012.
It measures 11.4 by 7.6 metres (37+1⁄2 by 25 ft) and weighs 15 kg, It is mounted on a 30-metre (100 ft) flag pole.

The war Machines on display.: 

The Mig-21,

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21  NATO code name: Fishbed, is a supersonic jet fighter, interceptor and ground attack aircraft.
The MiG-21FL was the first of four major variants to serve with the IAF.
Mig 21 has served as the backbone of the IAF's fighter fleet for over six decades, participating in numerous conflicts and operations. From
Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971 to the Kargil War of 1999, the Mig has been instrumental in defending Indian Air space and conducting precision strikes against enemy targets as it had done in the Kargil War.
Its agility, speed, and versatility have made it a formidable adversary in aerial combat scenarios.

This Mig 21, at display at Kargil War Memorial, belonged to 17 Sqn which took part in The Kargil War. The Squadron Was commanded by Wing Commander Ajay Ahuja who made the supreme sacrifice when he was shot down by an enemy missile while strafing a well-defended enemy position.
 He was awarded posthumously Veer Chakra.

155MM FieldHowitzer77B02:Bofors Gun,

The Kargil War proved to be one of the most fierce artillery exchanges of independent India'. When images of bofors gunfiring three round bursts, in high angle, despite enemy counter bombardment, were etched on the indian psyche. The gunners fired over 2.5 lakh roundsof ammunetion, causing  causing over 80% enemy casualties during the operations, and facilitatedthe capture of one objctive after another by our indomitable infentry.
Text taken from the Information board displayed near the gun.

Here are some data points for the 155 mm Bofors gun:

• Caliber: 155 mm
• Crew: 6 people
• Maximum speed: 70 km/h when towed, 8 km/h when self-propelled
• Rate of fire: 10 rounds per minute (maximum)
• Gun elevation/depression -3° to +70°
Traverse: ±60° in total
Maximum ammunition range: 24,000 meters standard, 30,000 meters extended 

The 155 mm Bofors gun is a mainstay of the Indian army's artillery firepower. 

75/24 Pack Howitzer.

The 75/24 Pack Howitzer (75/24 Indian Mountain Gun) is a towed howitzer developed in India and saw extensive use in the Indian Army.The circumstances leading to the defeat during the Sino-Indian War led to a lot of introspection. The difficulties faced in the deployment of artillery on the heights led to the army to develop a light mountain gun. This programme was led by Brigadier Gurdial Singh and it delivered quick results.

By 1963, the first prototypes of the 75/24 mountain pack howitzer had been developed by the Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) and other Ordnance Factories based on a Canadian design. The Solid State Physics Laboratory, Delhi was involved in the development of the VT fuze of the howitzer.^] This thus became the country’s first indigenously made artillery gun. The Gun Carriage Factory Jabalpur started manufacture of the guns in 1968. The gun is lightweight and can be disassembled into multiple units and transported by mules in mountains as well as carried by helicopters. It weighs 983 kg and could fire up to a maximum range of 11,104 metres

By the time we finished going around it was approaching 1530 and we had to travel far to reach Kargil. With a heavy heart, we bid goodbye to the Kargil War memorial.

13 August 2024 . Our Leh Trip - 08 TO 16 August 2024.

Our Leh Trip - 08 TO 16 August 2024. 

 13 August 2024 

Today's road journey.

Pangong Tso - Changla Pass - Hemis Monastery - Rancho's School - Leh.

Pangong Tso was quite pleasant and we were comfortable in a shirt during the day.

Evening, at the banks of Pangong Tso light sweater was sufficient. However, the nights were very cold. The resort had catered for cold nights and provided sufficient wam covering.

Early morning was cold and a windcheater had to be worn to keep warm. 

Set a course for the return journey after breakfast.

This time we were travelling on the same route we had travelled in 1997. But what change in the road condition, it was as good as any of the national highways and may be better than quite a few. Around Tangste the road was as smooth as a baby's bum, there were even street lights along the road.  In 1997 it wasn't easy to discern the road and boulder-strewn landslide. 

The first halt for tea was at Nomadic Farm and Restaurant, after about 70 km about an hour and 15 minutes, this timing should be a very good indication of the road condition. The restaurant was not open, however,  the proprietors and staff were around as it seemed to be yak milking time. Milking operations continued but they also opened the restaurant and took our orders. The tea menu for restaurants in this region, Kashmiri  Kesar Qawa, Shahi Qawa and various types of tea eg Milk Tea, Masala Tea, Lemon Tea, Ginger Tea, and Mint Tea to name a few, seem to be the norm. By the time we got and finished our tea, milking operations were over and all the animals were let out for grazing in pastures across the road from the enclosure. By then we were also ready to proceed with our journey.

Next halt was Changla Pass. 

What a change from the scene in August 1997 to August 2024. 

In, 17 -22 August, 1997.  It was a plain 9-foot-wide blacktop road passing through a desolate land. Except for a few workers of Border Road Organisation and our fellow bus passengers, not a soul was around. There were snowbanks by the roadside and plenty of snow on the surrounding mountains. See photos. 

In 8-16 August 2024, This time there was a paved area of interlocking blocks the size of almost a football field., with a two-lane highway, at least 40 to 50 vehicles and hundreds of tourists. Lots of billboards announcing the presence of Gunners and other army units, an MI Room ( medical Inspection room) to provide medical assistance. Photo and View Points made and marked as such where people were clicking away merrily on their smartphones. We also paid a visit to the reception room of  Trishul Divison. There was a small temple of Changla Baba, a Stupa or Chorten as stupas are sometimes called. Lots of colourful buntings. Changla Pass presented a festive and mela-like atmosphere. Snow was notable for its absence. Unwelcome side effects of progress and ever-increasing popularity of Leh-Ladakh as a tourist destination. 

After thoroughly enjoying all that Changla Pass had to offer we continued with our journey.  Next halt Hemis Monastery.

Information given below is from the text given on the information board at the central courtyard of Hemis monastery.

Hemish Monastery. 

"Ηemis Monastery is the largest monastic institution in Ladakh. It belongs to the Drukpa Lineage or the Dragon Order of Mahayana Buddhism, with His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa as its supreme spiritual head. Gayalwa Gatsangpa Gonpo Deric (1189-1258), a main disciple of the 1st Gyalwang Drukpa, Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (1161-1211), and one of the most celebrated yours in the Himalayas, came to Ladake in the 13th century and established the Drukpa Lineage here. Gyalwa Gotsangpa mediated in a cave on the edge of the mountain above Hermes Monastery, where a meditation centre named after him was established.

In the 17th century, the 1st Taktsang Repa, Ngawang Gyatso (1593 1637 popularly known as "Taktsarig Shambunath" and also in Ladakhi Language as "Staktsang Raspa", who was another great Drukpa Lineage master, became the Royal Preceptor of the Kingdom of Ladakh and with the support of King Sengge Namgyal (1616-1645), he founded the Hemis Monastery. Taktsang Repa was sent by his gurus, the 5th Gyalwang Drukpa, Pagsam Wangpo (1593-1653), and the 1st Drukpa Yongdzin Rinpoche, Lhatsewa Ngawang Zangpo (1546-1615), to Ladakh in order to spread the teachings of Lord Buddha and to benefit the people here.

Taktsang Repa arrived in 1624 and founded Hanley Monastery, the first monastic institution belonging to the Drukpa Lineage. Two years later Taktsang Repa arrived at Hemis and was received by King Sengge Namgyal and members of the Royal Court. The King had the abode known as Samter Ling, which is still intact, built at Hemis, where Taktsang Repa preached for many years. Taktsarig, Repa's arrival resulted in the flourishing of the Drukpa Lineage in Ladakn and neighbouring Himalayan regions. He and his successive reincarnations became the spiritual gurus of Ladakhi Kings and their people.

The 2nd Taktsang Repa took the great-grandson of King Deden Nanıgyal, Prince Mipham Tsewang Thrinley Tenzin Migyur Dorje, popularly known as Gyaisey Rinpoche, under his care and gave him the basic spiritual education. Gyalsey Rinpoche later went to Tibet to receive his full ordination vows and spiritual training from many great masters.

The Annual Hemis Festival that takes place on the 10th and 11th day of the 5th Lunar Calendar was introduced by Gyalsey Rinpoche. 

Hemis has more than 200 branch monasteries in the Himalayas and more than 1,000 monks under its care. It is an important living monument and heritage of the Himalayas and its people."

There are three wings/ temple complexes each has wonderful hanging silk tapestries, statues works of art and paintings. Photography is prohibited in inside these temples. It deprives the visitor of a record of their visit. More importantly, it denies them the pleasure of re-looks at these beautiful sacred objects. I have never understood the policy of denial of photography inside such institutions. There is a large museum with a vast collection of rare, antique and historical importance. If one wants to visit this museum sincerely one full day must be spent just to see the museum. There is a shop operated by the monks selling memorabilia related to Ladakh and Hemis Monastery.

While on the way back from Hamis Monastery saw a magnificently beautiful Stupa. Unfortunately, we did not stop, as is my habit took a few photos on the move from the moving car. A little bit of research revealed that this place is Naropa Stupa/Naro Photang. Where a grand yearly festival takes place. Wish we had stopped to have a look.

 Then on to lunch at a place called Neryok's Indus View Camp. Beautiful location with a great view. The food was also OK.

 Next halt was at the famous Druk Padma Karpo School or Druk White Lotus School, Many, including myself had never heard of this school. This school not only became famous as a household name " Rancho's school" from the hit Bollywood film '3 Idiots'. Also became a tourist attraction. Initially, unrestricted access was allowed to the visitors, however, the adverse impact and disruption caused in the studies of the students nowadays only limited access is now granted.  Rancho's wall a bit of garden and a "bum seat' area and the suvonier Shop are the only places where entry is allowed. Got a photo sitting in three idiot bum seats. Wondered if I looked like one :-)

 After Rancho School, it was back to our hotel in Leh. 

On the way took photos of anything that looked interesting or took my fancy.

In the evening went to Summer Harvest restaurant to have local cuisine. The Restaurant and food were quite nice.

1997

1997

1997

2024

2024