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Himachal Pradesh is a state of high mountains and beautiful valleys. Its mountains are snow covered its lake crystal blue and its valleys filled with fruits, flowers and pine and deodar forests. This land of the Gods is particularly influenced by Lord Shiva, Durga and Buddha along with numerous Rishi’s and other gods of the Hindu religion. This love for the sacred way of life can be seen in the vast numbers of temples in the state. You can find the Shikara, Pagoda, and Mandap, Flat-roofed, Gompa and Cave styles of temples. The monasteries with their Gompas (temples) that are found here are both old and new. The old ones date back to ancient times some more than a thousand years old. When Buddhism was introduced into Tibet, the Gurus who went to Tibet traveled through Himachal Pradesh. Even today, you will find a temple at some of the places where they stopped and meditated. This accounts for some of the old monasteries that are found in the state. In 1959, China attacked Tibet and forcibly took control over Lhasa. The young 14th Dalai Lama had to escape in the middle of the night. He sought refuge in India and since then has been fighting for the cause of the Tibetan people from Dharamsala in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh. The Tibetan refugees who settled in the state have built a number of beautiful Gompas and Monasteries. The districts of Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti; Chamba and Kangra are quite influenced by the Buddhist faith. Some of India’s most ancient and beautiful monasteries can be found in these districts. The ‘TABO MONASTERY’ in Spiti is also known as the ‘Ajanta of the Himalayas’. It celebrated its millennium year in 1997 when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama performed a ‘Kalachaura Ceremony’. This monastery is a very sacred one for the Buddhist monks. It is said that the great monk ‘Atisa’ meditated and preached here. He lived here for three years from 1042 to 1045 AD The monastery has a temple building as well as caves in which monks retreat for meditation purposes. The monastery has 9 temples and the frescoes in the temples rival those of Ajanta. The 50 or so monks who stay and study here practice Tibetan Buddhism. Another beautiful monastery of Spiti is found on a mountain in Danker. The ‘DANKAR GOMPA’ casts its subtle spell upon a person. Anyone, who visits it, finds himself unable to forget this place. The Dhankar monastery is about 25 kms. east of Kaza. About a 100 Lamas reside here and a number of Buddhist scriptures in the Bhoti language can be found here. Buddhist paintings and sculptures are found here and the main figure in the monastery is that of the Dhyan Buddha facing all directions, sitting back to back. The Dhyan Buddha is also known as ‘Vairocana’. The ‘Ki (Kye) Monastery’ serves the western part of Spiti. It lies about 12 kms. North of Kaza. It holds the honor of being the oldest and biggest monastery of Spiti. It is a well-known religious training centre for the Lamas, whom you will find dancing, singing and playing on their pipes and horns. You would also find murals, books, scriptures and paintings of Buddha and other Goddesses. Situated in a narrow gorge of the Kaza nallah is the ‘THANG YUD GOMPA’. The Lama here is usually from Tibet. In the Pin Valley is the ‘KUNGRI GOMPA’. In Lahaul is the ‘KHARDANG GOMPA’. This monastery lies on a mountainside opposite to the Kyelong village. The monastery is about 200 years old and the head Lama is called ‘Narbo’. The architecture and sculpture of the monastery are typically ‘Lahaul and Spiti’ style. The frescoes are colorful and the murals fascinating. This monastery has a huge prayer drum containing strips of paper upon which is the sacred mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’. This mantra has been written a million times. Another monastery is at ‘TRILOK NATH’ where you will find a six-armed image of Avalokiteshvara Boddhisattava. The image is in pure white marble. It is said that ‘Guru Padma Sambhava’ meditated at this temple. The ‘SHASHUR GOMPA’ was founded in the 16th century. It is dedicated to Lama Gotsang – of Zanskar, The Gompa belongs to the Red sect of the Tibetan Buddhist. They are also known as the ‘’Gelug-pa’ and have spiritual links with the Lion Cave Temple of Bhutan. The most well known monastery of Lahaul is the ‘GONDALA GOMPA’. Situated on a mountain above the joining of River Chandra and Bhaga, it is also known as the ‘Guru Ghantal Gompa’. Some of the monasteries of the state are the well-known monasteries at Mcleodganj (Upper Dharamsala) in the Kangra district. This place is also known as the ‘Little Lhasa’. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who is the spiritual head of the Tibetans, lives here. Next to his palace is a very beautiful monastery called the ‘Namgyal Monastery'? Mcleodganj and Dharamsala have other well-known monasteries. Among them is the ‘Tse-Chokling Monastery’ and the ‘Prayer Wheels’ in the middle of Mcleodganj. In most places of the Kangra district, you will find beautiful monasteries quite near to the temples that you may be visiting. In Mandi district too a monastery near Lake Rewalsar is held quite sacred. It is said that Guru Padmasambhava meditated here, before he moved up North. ‘Recong Peo’ monastery in the Shimla district is well known because of the ‘Kala Chakra Sermon’ delivered here in August 1992 by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The monastery is very new. Another new monastery is the one built at Manali. The ‘JANGI MONASTERY’ and the ‘LIPA MONASTERY’ of the Kinnor district are well established and worth a visit. You can also pay a visit to the Chango Monastery in the Chango village and if visiting Dalhousie and Chamba, you must not miss the giant frescoes and relief paintings on the boulders of the main roads of Dalhousie. LAND AND ITS CLIMATE The entire state of Himachal Pradesh is composed of the Himalayas. In the south are the Shivalik Hills and then a vast expanse if gentle valleys towards the Western side of the state where as the Eastern part abruptly gives way to the Himalayan Ranges. From here in when you travel north, you are forever crossing one range or the other of the Mighty Himalayas. The Himalayas are a series of parallel ranges, with huge valleys and meadows and plateaus in between. The valley of Beas is the widest in the Shivalik range of mountains. The lower Himalayan ranges while the northernmost part is made up of the Upper Himalayan ranges cover the middle part of Himachal. To the north of Himachal Pradesh is the state of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh; In the west are Punjab and Haryana and on the east you have Uttar Pradesh and Tibet. The mountains are rugged and snowy with a large number of glaciers. The Shauladhar Range loams above the Kangra valley and the Pir Panjal, Great Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu and Kinnaur. Five major rivers with lots of tributaries flew through the state. The eastern border with Uttar Pradesh is made of the Yamuna River and the Giri and Pabar tributaries flow through Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The largest river is the Sutlej and it enters Himachal at Shipki (6,608 m.) on the eastern borders of the state. The Spiti River and the Baspa River (Kinnaur) join it, Nogli stream (Shimla hills) and flowing through the Bilaspur district it enters Punjab at Bhakra where the world’s largest dam has been constructed. Due to this dam, a manmade lake in the Bilaspur district has been formed. It is called the Govind Sagar Lake. Beas flows through the Kullu and Kangra valleys. It rises at the Rohtang Pass and has Parbati, Sujoin, Phojal and Saraswati as its tributaries. In the Mandi district, Uhal, Luni, Rana, Binwa, Hansa, Tirthan, Bakhli, and Jiuni, Suketi, Panodi, Son and Bather rivers join it. In Kangra it has Binwa, Neogal, Banganga, Gaj, Dehr, Chakki, Kunah and Man rivers. The Southern tributaries of this river are seasonal. The Ravi River rises from ‘Bara Bhangal’. It flows westwards and then southwards. It cuts across the Chamba district and is joined by its many tributaries. The Chenab starts as the Chandra and Bhaga rivers from the opposite sides of the ‘Bara Lacha’ pass. They join at Tandi and feed both Lahaul and Chamba districts. The rainfall in the state is varied according to the elevation of the mountain ranges. The Southernmost part receives about 70 inches of rain whereas the Northern part remains snow bound for half of the year. The rain here too is about 65 to 70 inches. The middle of the state receives about 40 inches of rainfall. The weather in the state is always cool even in the summers, which are most pleasant. The Lahaul and Spiti valleys are barren and quite dry, Due to the high mountain ranges on all sides these valleys are quite cold and glacial. The mountains of Himachal are quite humid especially during the pre monsoons and the monsoons. Except for Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti regions, the rest of the state is a perpetual delight for the visitor who finds himself fascinated all year round. The spring here is beautiful and fills the valleys with flowers. It is the case with autumn. You will find coniferous trees like deodars, chir, pine, silver fir, spruce and kail. In other parts of the state are the sal, ban oak, nobru oak, kharsu oak, walnut, bird cherry, chestnut, maple, older, poplar, toon, shisham, alder trees.
The Buddhist influence in West Bengal is mostly limited to the hilly regions. The town of Darjeeling and Kalimpong have a number of monasteries in and around it. Darjeeling The town of Darjeeling has three main monasteries
The monasteries elaborate and ornately decorated. It enshrines an image of Buddha. The monks here are hospitable and take you through an extensive tour of the monastery. Foreigners are welcome and there is no prohibition for entry. There is also near by monasteries Ghoom it. Though relatively less known it is called Sonada. Darjeeling is a well-connected town. It can be reached by bus, car, taxi etc. Kalimpong At a population of roughly 42000, Kalimpong is an expounding and active town. At an altitude of 1250m the town has mainly three monasteries. Through much smaller town than Darjeeling has a conspicuous Buddhist presence. Tharpa Choling monastery - Belonging to the Gelukpa order or the yellow hat sect. Tharpa was established in 1922. This Grlupka sect is the name sect to which. The Dalai Lama belongs. It is 40km walk from the town. 2) Thongsa Gompa – also called as the Bhutanese monastery, thongsa is the oldest in the area and was founded in 1692. The present building is a redone one as the Gurkhas during the Rompage destroyed the original one across Sikkim. 3) Zong dog Pairi to Brand monastery- Built in the midst 1970’s the Gompa is located burpin Dara Hill. The Dalai Lama constructed it.
It is to be noted that on this crested land i.e. Sikkim there are 67 monasteries oldest being the Dhubdi Monastery or The hermits cell. Some important & well-known monasteries of Sikkim are Pemayangtse Monastery & Rabdantse Palace in Ruins. This monastery was originally built as a small temple in last 17th century by Latsun Chempo. It was later rebuilt & this temple was restructured into a monastery. This monastery is around 6 km from Gyalsing town. Rabdanste was the second capital of Sikkim and was established in the 17th century by the "Chogyal" of Sikkim. The Rabdanste Palace is in ruins and one has to trek about 2 km from main road near Pemayangtse monastery through a thick forest to reach it. The Tashiding Monastery - The elevated central glory This majestic monastery lies in the very heart of Sikkim. Tashiding is the holiest of holy hills of Sikkim. It is an important place of pilgrimage of the Buddhist world. Nagadak Sempa Chempo during the region of the third "Chogyal" Chakdor Namgyal built this monastery in 1717. The festival of Bumchu is performed here. Phoelong Monastery This monastery is located about 40 km from Gangtok on the Northern Sikkim highway. The main annual Puja is performed on the 28th And 29th day of the 10th month of Tibetan calendar, when the religious dances are also performed. Labrang & Tumlong Monasteries A short walk of another 1km uphill from Phodong monastery leads to the Labrang monastery, just between Labrang and Phodong monasteries the third capital of Sikkim i.e. Tumlong. Rumtek Monastery Rumtek is the seat of the Karmapa Lama who heads the Kagyupa sect of Buddhism. It is about 22km drive from the countryside. It was built in 1717. The present monastery was constructed by his holiness Gyalwa Karmapa in 1960’s & his monasteries the largest in Sikkim. Tsuk - La - Khang Monastery The famous Phang Labsol & Lossang festivals are celebrated in the ground adjacent to this monastery which is located in the palace premises near the Ridge of Gangtok. Sanga Cheoling Monastery The oldest monastery of Sikkim was built in 1697. Sanga Cheoling means, "The Island of esoteric Teaching". It is 7 km from Pemayangste & is an important centre of learning. Dubdi Monastery It was built in 1700. Dubdi means " The Retreat". It is near Yoksum on a hilltop. Melli Monastery Melli mean "A Lepcha village". It is located near Yoksum. Sinon Monastery It was built in 1716. Sinon means " The Suppresser of intense Fear". & Is located 10 km from Tashinding. It is perched on a hilltop, which enhances its popularity. Dalling Monastery Dalling means "Thunder bolt". It is located near Kewzing in South Sikkim & was built in 1840. Yangyang Monastery This monastery was built in 1840 and is located at Yangyang. It is 10 km from Rabongla. Here Yangyang means " The Ridge of Fortune". Namchi Monastery This monastery was constructed during the reign of Chogya Gurmed Namgyal at Namchi In total there are 64 monasteries existing in Sikkim. |
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