Alchi: more than just another monastery

The confluence of the Indus and Zanscar Rivers

26^th April

The morning in Leh dawns clear, but the Stok range gradually disappears into grey cloud, although the sun still shines here.

Since our departure is not until 9am, I have a leisurely couple of coffees in bed (my request for a large thermos of wake-up hot water was delivered as requested) and wait until after breakfast to have my shower.  The water that comes out of the taps is actually hot!  In all the facilities in which I have stayed, running hot water is provided only for a limited time in the morning and the evening.

The body print of Guru Namak
Made when the rock turned to wax

 My driver is delayed (roadworks and traffic?) but as I sit and wait in the hotel lobby, internet access is much better and I can actually upload another blog post and check some emails.

We stop and visit the Sikh shrine, Pathar Sahib Gurudwara, which houses the rock that was dislodged by a demon to kill Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, while he was meditating, but which turned to wax as it touched the Guru.  I learn a little of Sikhs and the Sikh religion from Riga; this man is so well read and so knowledgeable for one who has never been to school.

We are required to remove socks and shoes and cover our heads for the visit.  The shrine itself is heated – the first building I have been into in Ladakh that is – and carpeted, so it is not too much of a shock for the bare feet.  Riga had told me we should wash our feet also, but the person supervising visitors’ preparations waved aside this requirement.  Did I mention that the person supervising was an army officer, with a sizeable weapon?

Valley views from Likar Monastery

It was starting to snow as we entered the shrine and by the time we came out it was snowing heavily.

I took the opportunity of the stop and the appropriate sign to use the adjacent facilities and was rather delighted by clean (squat) toilets, which flushed.  Pure luxury!

As we proceed, we come to magnetic hill, a stretch of road that looks level but if one parks in the space so marked, engine and handbrake off, gears in neutral, one starts rapidly to roll forward.  I am guessing the “level” road is an optical illusion rather than any strong magnetism pulling the vehicle forward.  But I could be wrong.

Likar Monastery

A little further on we encounter the confluence of the Zanscar River with the Indus River.  Although there is, what appears to be a high flood plain, there is no evidence of even minimal vegetation.  This river is, apparently, toxic to plant life and quite unsuitable for human consumption.  The only areas of greenery along its length are where other watercourses feed into it.  I can only assume a mineral content level that is making this unsuitable.

 From there, a stop for Riga to eat breakfast and me to have a cup of tea and an elderly man in traditional dress, topped with an army surplus jacket requested a ride to the next village.  He is one of the few people who still farms, and has a small herd of 12 yaks, which are grazing in the mountains

Our traditionally clad hitchhiker

We head for Likar and the monastery there – almost a millennia old, outside of which is Ladakh’s largest statue of the Maitreya Buddha (the future Buddha). where we visit 2-3 temples and the museum.  From the monastery we can see many stupas dotting the village and the lower surrounding slopes – as can be seen everywhere in Ladakha.

I rather like that monasteries here charge an small entrance fee to contribute towards upkeep and maintenance.  One may also make offerings at various points in the temple and/or write one’s name in a book and make an additional offering for a puja (prayer) to be said.

We follow the Indus river towards villages that are warm enough to produce 2 crops each year – the only part of Ladakha that can.  I love the sight of apricot trees in flower against the backdrop of snow-covered high peaks, but it is difficult to photograph with the light as it is now.  Some of the tall willow trees have untidy magpie nests.  Local lore has it that if the nests are built low, it will be a cold summer.

Ladakh’s largest statue of the Maitreya Buddha
(the future Buddha)

Many of the fields are bordered by drystone walls, some of which consist of stones of regular shapes – these stones have been chipped by hand to the appropriate shape by the coolies.  

This is simply hard labour, not art (as opposed to one art installation during the 2016 Dark Mofo in Tasmania).  Some fields are already showing emerging crops, others are still being cultivated and we pass many donkeys carrying bags of manure (a new word I have taught to Riga!).  The animal manure here is mixed with the human excrement cleaned out from the traditional dry toilets.  In a landscape where life is hard, nothing is wasted.

We pass some caves, which in the past served as meditation places for monks, before the local monastery was built.

The history of Likar Monastery

 We arrive at Alchi, pass the ancient place of the local royal family, and check into the accommodation for the night – pure luxury; I have an electric jug in the room with tea and coffee supplies and there is a top sheet on the bed.

After lunch of peanut masala, I visit a small souvenir shop and look at the necklaces.  I am rather attracted by a pretty red one which the shopkeeper assures me are rubies from India (yes, believe that one) and he is asking 1500 rupees.

 More valley views from Likar

I am thoroughly out of practice with bargaining and have no idea where to start so tell him I might come back the next day.  In the meantime, I seek lessons from Riga on suitable starting points – he suggests 65-75% of the asking price.

There are some lovely plants around – apart from the apricot and apple blossom there is a small forsythia bush and what appears to be lilliums pushing their early foliage above the ground.

Stunning rocks and shales

Riga comes to accompany me to Alchi Chuskor the Alchi monastery: a millennia (or more) old monastery well known for its miniature paintings.  The monastery was built after a visit from the highly revered Lama Lotsava Rinchen Zangpo who planted his walking stick in the ground and announced that if it sprouted and grew, a monastery should be build on the site.  It did and it was.  We visit a couple of temples and admire the pictures of 1000 Buddhas on one wall, lots of something else on other walls, etc.  Some parts are so badly weather damaged that the pictures cannot be seen.  One we visit has paintings much more vividly coloured than the others – this temple is 3 stories, so the paintings have been protected from weather damage by the stories above.

Alchi Palace

There is one temple we visit, the Virukana temple, that is so much more than just another temple.  As I walk into this one I can feel something special about it.  After Riga has explained about the statues and the founder of the monastery I request that we just sit for a while.  If I have ever encountered a perfect place to meditate, I think this might be it.  It is incredibly peaceful and exudes a sense of spirituality.

Virukana Temple at Alchi Monastery

After the monastery visit we went for a short drive in the general vicinity, viewed (from a suitable distance) the nearest small hydro electric project (Chinese activity of a similar nature upstream has seriously impeded the flow in the river)

Riga has Bublu stop and announces we will walk up to a view point – the small effort was worthwhile.  Great views in one direction of the valley with its productive fields and all around the high peaks, many of them snow clad. 

Riga brings some camera memory cards to share photos with me – some great shots of high level treks (one he described as summiting 6 peaks in 7 days) and another he did with a friend in a river valley – not a tourist route – in October, several years ago.  

More colour than usual in the landscape
as we look towards the Hydro development

The trip involved many river crossings as the gorge was narrow and they were sometimes walking up to half an hour in the cold water, which might be almost waist deep in places.  Carrying packs of around 40kg each, this sounds like an epic trip for strong young men.  His companion requested they turn round at one point rather than attempt to complete the trip.  They had no way of knowing how far along the river they were.

Just another gratuitous shot of snow clad mountains

Dinner came pretty much as ordered, apart from the addition of vegetable soup which was not really very nice.  Riga sat down and shared my meal – always serving me before himself and trying to give me the last of everything.  My meal is included in my tour, and always comes as more than I can eat, although I do order far fewer dishes than anyone seems to think is reasonable.  Still, Riga gets much better fed eating what I cannot eat than eating the food for drivers and guides.