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Day 01 Delhi - Leh
Flight from Delhi to Leh. Assistance & transfer
to hotel.
Afternoon free for acclimatisation
Day 02 Leh - Sankar Monastery - Leh
Visit to Sankar Monastery in the morning. This monastery belongs to
the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) Sect. In the afternoon visit Leh Palace.
Rest of the day at leisure.
Day 03: Leh - Stok - Matho - Leh
Visit to Stok and Matho Monasteries. When monarchy was abolished
in Ladakh, the royal family was compensated by the palace in Stok.
The palace, built in 1814, houses rare royal ornaments in its
museum. The last king of Ladakh died here in 1974. Return to Leh.
Afternoon at leisure.
Day 04 : Ley / Shey - Thiksey - Hemis
Shey was the former summer palace for the kings of Ladakh. Shey
houses the 12 m tall Sakyamuni statue built
during the reign of Senge Namgyal.
45 kms south of Leh lies the most famous monastery in Ladakh, the
Hemis Gompa. The monastery belongs to the Drukpa Kargyud order of
Tibetan Buddhism. Every year the Hemis festival commemorates the
birth of the Indian sage Guru Padmasambhava. The festival is held
from the 9th-11th days of the fifth Tibetan month (usually sometime
between June and July). The biggest thangkas (religious icons
painted or embroidered on cloth) are displayed every twelve years by
the Hemis Gompa. The next event is scheduled in 2004.
Day 05 Leh - Likir - Alchi
Leave for Alchi in the morning, via Likir. The name Likir is a
distortion of the word Klu-Kkhyil or "spirits of the water.This 14th
Century monastery belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) Sect. Also
known as the Choes-kor or "religious enclave", the Alchi monastery
was built in the 11th Century by a famous scholar, Rinchen Zangpo.
The abandoned monastery is maintained by monks from the Likir Gompa.
Alchi has murals which predate the Tibetan style of painting, along
with Tabo (Spiti Valley) and Phugtol Gompa (Zanskar Valley). The
murals are the sole survivors of a style of painting prevalent in
the first millennium.
Day 06 : Alchi - Rizong - Lamayuru - Alchi
Half an hour to Rizong Monastery with packed lunch. Nearby
is Chomoling, an exclusive village of nuns. Drive on to Lamayuru.
Situated on a drained lake the monastery at Lamayuru is known for
its scenic beauty. The monastery is the oldest in Ladakh, dating
before the 10th Century, and is built on a sacred Bon (:the
pre-Buddhist religion) site. Lamayuru used to be an asylum for
criminals, though not any longer!
Day 07 : Alichi - Dahana - Alchi:
Drive back along the Leh-Srinagar highway towards Da Hana.This
Dardi village lies very close to the Indo-Pakistani border. The Dard
tribesmen are one of the purest Aryan tribes in the region.
Day 08 : Alchi - Phyang - Spituk - Leh
Drive back to Leh. En route visit the picturesque Phyang Gompa.
Day 09 : Leh - Taktak - Chimre - Leh :
Drive along the Leh-Manali road to Chimre Gompa.Taktak is a
Nhyingma (Old Sect) monastery. Guru Padmasambhava is said to have
meditated in a nearby cave. Return to Leh.
Day 10 Leh - Khardung - La / Leh :
A two & a half hour drive to the second highest motorable pass
in the world. On a clear day, one can enjoy the scenic beauty of the
Karakoram range. Return to Leh.
Day 11 L Leh - Delhi
Transfer to Leh airport & assistance on arrival in Delhi. |
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