The Fascinating Cave Temples of LadakhPosted by: Admin Pragya |
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The architecture of Ladakh and Zanskar has a strong Buddhist influence, most seen and associated with monasteries and gompas dotted throughout the region. Apart from these sacred places there are several cave temples that exist here. The majority of the Buddhist caves in Ladakh and Zanskar are associated with Buddhist monks who are said to have meditated in them at some time. These stunning cave temples also reveal a lot about the mystic Buddhist culture and have centuries of history behind them. Here are some of the cave temples that one can find in these regions: Locally known as Brag-khung Kha-ba-chen (snowy hole in the Crags), white – walled buildings on the left bank of the Indus shelter the two caves, near Spituk. The walls of one cave are completely covered with soot and the solitary recognizable part of a mural is a corner of a mandala (a spiritual symbol representing the universe) on the back wall. In the second cave it is easier to recognize the murals. Three mandalas with decorative motifs and several miniature divinities are clearly visible. Hemis Shugpa, named after the juniper trees that grow there, is situated in a narrow valley lying along the ancient track towards the north leading from Basgo to sTing-mo-sgang through a narrow gorge. The caves along the mountain ridges offer a splendid view of the Indus valley. There are two stucco images of Naropa and Padmasambhava. There are two chortens (stupas) below the cave and a juniper tree, which is believed to be inhabited by a serpent deity. A group of caves are situated above the village - Saspol near the ruins of an old fort. Among the group of caves, the first is dominated by a mural of Sãkyamuni, repainted in unskilled hand in later years. The cave also contains other murals of Sãkyamuni, Avalokitesvara, Akshobhya and Vajradhara, miniatures of a thousand Buddhas and two large murals of Padamasambhava and Maitreya. The second temple has murals of Sãkyamuni and ElevenHeaded Avalokitesvara, of Tsong-kha-pa and five Buddhas. The third cave is the largest in size. The murals are in good condition and represent a variety of divinities. The main murals are of Bodhisattvas, Vajrapani, Amitãbha, Avalokitesvara, Atisa, Chos-kyi-skyabs, and many others. The fourth and fifth temples have murals of preaching Buddha and mandalas but are gradually disappearing as the loose moraines are sliding down hill. The caves are completely open and the murals can hardly be recognized.
Rock carvings around Ladakh provide an interesting area of study of the local cultural history. The rock carvings are of three types: simple drawings of men and animals, pictures of chortens and written inscriptions. They are found in river terraces near Saspol, Alchi, Khaltse, Nurla, between Leh to Nimmo, also across the Khardung-La pass where Nubra and Shyok rivers meet. |
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6 Comment(s) |
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Leave a comment... | |
* By: Subhro Ganguly - Jharkhand, India
Posted on: 07-May-2013, 15:22 pm |
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Highly laudable effort. Thanks for bringing out this blog. | |
* By: Dorje Tondup - Spiti, India
Posted on: 10-Feb-2013, 15:16 pm |
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I appreciate this initiative. Himalayan art & architecture is spectacular. | |
* By: Shivani Dixit - Raipur, India
Posted on: 27-Jan-2013, 15:08 pm |
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I've been to Spituk and Saspol. Not as grand as Thikse of Hemis, but fascinating none the less. Good to read about them. | |
* By: Pradeep Kumar - Chamoli, India
Posted on: 21-Jan-2013, 14:57 pm |
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Amazing! Haven't had a chance to explore these although I've been to Leh. The zone is culturally very rich. No wonder it attracts people from across the world. | |
* By: Tsering Angmo - Ladakh, India
Posted on: 19-Jan-2013, 12:41 pm |
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Very happy that someone wrote about this. Please come to visit this places. You will learn a lot about our old days and history.Thank you for writing this. We wish many people reads this and come to visit. | |
* By: Ankita Hazarika - Assam, India
Posted on: 19-Jan-2013, 12:31 pm |
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Have visited the place. Really wonderful. Thanks for writing about this. Not too many people know about these. Pangong and Nubra are the main tourist attractions. These get overshadowed by popular destinations. | |
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