Dhangkar – The Cliffside Monastery

Posted on by Khushi Malhotra

Dhangkar Gompa is something not from this world. Situated on dangerous cliffs, the monastery is over 1000 years old and is perched at an elevation of 12,774 feet. The Dhangkar complex is built on a 1000-foot (300-metre) high spur overlooking the confluence of the Spiti and Pin Rivers. In 2006, World Monuments Fund selected Dhankar gompa as one of the 100 most endangered sites in the world. Dhang or dang means cliff, and kar means fort. Hence Dhangkar (or Dangkhar as it is also spelt) means “fort on a cliff”. Dhangkar fortress served as the traditional home of the royal family of Spiti - the Nonos - for many generations before falling into disrepair in the late 1800's, when the Nono shifted his headquarters to Kyuling. In recent years, due to the deterioration of the building, some sections of the gompa have been abandoned and a new gompa has been built further down. Meanwhile, the fort of Dhangkar, destroyed by an earthquake in 1975, now lies in ruins, but is still a place worthy of a visit. From the remnants of the fort one can see vast expanses of the Spiti valley. Sadly, Dhangkar is slowly deteriorating has been listed as one of the World's Hundred Most Endangered Sites. Check out the Dhangkar Intiative, set up to help the restoration of this magnificent monastery. Here we are on our way to Dhangkar. Climbing the mountains, we survey the Spiti valley below... We stop to admire what I call the soldiers of Spiti. These massive rock formations are formed naturally through weathering by the harsh wind. The end up looking like a formation of guards, standing at attention, often 100s of feet high. The first images of Dhangkar shock me. These huge rock pillars cluster behind the monastery, almost as if they rose from the earth! The largest building is the new hall being built for the Dalai Lama. Dhangkar sits embedded in the cliff, overlooking the entire valley. The deterioration of the landscape is evident - who knows what force holds this monastery up! The houses fit in to the nooks and crannies of the cliff. More towers The entire cliffside complex. Dhangkar is one of those places where you lose sense of space and time! The monastery on mars... Tampi and Nono admiring the view, and looking very dignified A close up of the giants - talk about protection from the elements! A view from the Gompa of the purple mountains. Spiti has the most bizarre color palette I have ever seen. Just chillin - perched high on the cliff, ready to take-off! I wonder what life would be like if I lived on the precipice of a giant cliff... Walking through the cliffs to get to the main temple... Here it is, the entrance to the good stuff...all of these holy spaces inhabit damp dark places, built into the earth.  The Yogis always preferred meditating in caves... The confluence of the Spiti and Pin rivers...these rivers split into many little tributaries, looking like the branches of a tree from a bird's eye view The kids in Spiti are adorable, the stuffed up and snotty from the dry air and harsh climate. This little one saw me walking through the village and demanded to be picked up so who I am to refuse? Walking through the village that sits next to the monastery. The roads are extremely steep and we find ourselves slipping and sliding We truly live in a global world. What would a remote village nestled deep in the deserts of India be without a satellite dish? These structures were built to last through all the harsh elements - even if they do smell like Yak poop My hilariously sarcastic guide poses for a key shot Now there is a view you cannot forget. The sun beaming of the Pin River, standing on the roof of the gompa More mountains, more rocks...maybe it gets old for you, but not me Founded between 7th and the 9th centuries, Dhankar's old temple complex is known by the name of Lha-O-pa Gompa (monastery of the followers of Lha-O). The monastery consists of a number of multi-storeyed buildings perched together, giving a fortress like impression.Most interesting at the Lha-O-pa gompa is the small chapel on the uppermost peak above the main monastery - Lhakhang Gongma. Another view of these ancient treasures...what is it about old things that always makes you want to touch them?? The building is decorated with depictions of Shakyamuni, Tsongkhapa and Lama Chodrag on the central wall. Working our way up to the roof we enjoy the view while trying to catch our breaths at the high altitudes... Can you say more cliffs please? Chhering Bodh's advice: don't look down. Here we are at the entrance to the cave meditation room. Budhhist writing on the wall which I can only imagine welcomes the visitor with an: Om Mani Padme Hum. This is the chief mantra associated with the compassion of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, who is especially venerated in Tibet. The literal meaning of the mantra is often given as ‘Praise (Oṃ) to the jewel in the lotus, hail (hūm)!’, the lotus symbolizing the ordinary human mind with its inherent jewel-like potentiality for enlightenment (bodhi). I get goosebumps and ask if I can sit in the meditation room alone for awhile and do some practice. As I enter the room is dank and dark, sacks of barley on the floor, and paintings of the Buddha and the dalai lama in the front. A flame burns eternally in the center... As I close my eyes, all I literally hear is OM reverberating throughout the entire room. Charged with the spiritual energy of practice for the past 1000 years, it is no wonder this room feels as if it is alive. Chhering Bodh was nice enough to wait for me to come out of my little cave....reluctantly...It gave him time for a little nap before we continue on Prayer flags flying in the whipping … Continue reading Dhangkar – The Cliffside Monastery

On the Way (to and from) Mars

Posted on by Khushi Malhotra

So Spiti is always a place I will associate with Serendipity. For me, the two names are interchangeable because of the series of events that led me there. Mainly, bumping into a distant cousin of mine (whom I had never met) at the guest house I was staying at in Solang Nala. I had pretty much decided not to venture over to Spiti because of my time constraints and also I was a little wary making it there by myself because it is such an arduous journey.  Goes to show - never be fixed in your thoughts or actions, the only constant is change. When I got back from my magical journey to Beas Kund, my cousin Tampi offered me a trip to Spiti to tag along with him while he took take of some business. I am SO HAPPY I said yes - now Spiti is embedded in my heart as an absolutely ancient and holy space. And what better person to go with? The citizens of Spiti believe that Tampi had spent much time there in previous lives, hence his attachment and devotion to the preservation of Spiti. So off we go! 3:30am the next morning and I am giddy in our 4x4, ready for a whole different type of adventure. I know nothing of Spiti, and Tampi keeps me entertained the entire journey with folktales and legends of this strange place. He has even written a book called Spiti through Legend and Lore, and has worked to preserve the magic of this place. I am cursing myself for leaving my copy in Delhi...these posts would be a lot better informed if I had it with me! ah well... So our first hurdle is Rohtang Pass, a mountain pass that connects Kullu Valley with Lahaul & Spiti. Situated at about 13,000 feet, it offers a view all the way to China! OK OK just kidding, that is what they tell the tourists haha! Above is the silence and peace of the pass as the sun is about to rise. I was lucky to experience this place without the obnoxiousness of tourism creeping in, and to imagine what it must have been like before it was ruined. To the right is what Rohtang is normally like - covered with so many humans, they look like ants. Do you think Bollywood has influenced this scene or what! Tampi and I had great fun making fun of the tackiness of our surroundings           Nothing like honoring a great mountain pass with....snowmobiles!!! and donkeys, and trash, and tubing...   The locals like to make idiots out of all the tourists, convincing them to buy full snowsuits, fur coats, and ridiculous boots. In the middle of the day, all that is required is a long sleeved shirt! You can always tell the newlyweds - the woman is wearing a full red snowsuit with painful heels and her chooras( wedding bangles). Tampi and I had great fun laughing at everyone...     And we had too good a time cracking up at this guy...a little unsteady on our 'snow legs' are we? I wonder if he knows he has a huge stain on his butt... This guy has to embed his name forever in the snow. Or maybe he is professing his love to his girlfriend by showing the immortality of their bond by writing their initials in the snow...until it melts and gets washed away of course!   Ok enough of the trivialities of Rohtang - Let us move onward into Lahaul valley where the mountains are unforgiving! Coming down from Rohtang Pass we enter Lahaul Valley. At first the way is narrow and winding along the Chandra River, but it soon opens, inviting us to gape at its splendour. The valley formed by the Chandra River is known as Rangoli. It is a wild and desolate valley, with vast stretches of snowfields and glacial formations. It is uninhabited until we reach Khoksar, the first shanty village in the valley.During summers there is a rich growth of alpine flowers, beautiful potato fields and numerous water channels . Herds of goats and sheep can be seen grazing around. And here is one of those crazy glacial formations that we have to drive through. Did I mention it is the end of July here? The road is very precarious to Spiti (about a 12-15 hour journey), and already we have to slow down from hitting a boulder at Rohtang. A 4x4 is no match for nature! Maybe that is why man feels the need to buy  bigger and bigger cars...fear of the unknown. The Chandra River is not subtle. She is mighty and fast, the color of steel blue. Chand means the moon in Hindi, and like the moon, she causes turbulence and is ever-changing. Very appropriate for such a terrain! More of the open majesty of the Lahaul Valley. Did I mention it just gets better from here? It seems the more 'far out' you go, the more ridiculously bizarre the terrain gets. I have always had an affinity for the moon. So driving along the Chandra, I was entranced by the way she moved, and cut through the valley with ease. I found my favorite river. And my favorite dhaba!!!! So if you ever find yourself travelling to Spiti, make sure you stop at Chandra dhaba. It is by far the tastiest place I have ever eaten at. And the owner, Dorje, and his wife are open 24/7 for the weary travellers to come eat, share stories, and rest by the warm glowing fire. Ah yes, weary travellers. We saw a surprising amount of motorcycle gangs, both Western and Indian, roaming around these parts. They asked us if the road was as bad to Spiti - we had to lie and say it was good to keep their morale up!   Dorje working his magic. Nothing like curry, rajma and chawal with some delectable sweet pickled pears. My God it was heaven. At the ashram, we … Continue reading On the Way (to and from) Mars

Beas Kund – The Sacred Pool

Posted on by Khushi Malhotra

After a relaxing trip to East Himachal I headed up North to Solang Nala, and I knew at once I had found my home. The epic Himalayan snowcapped mountains I had been looking for were right in front of my eyes. Khema, the owner of the guest house, told me about a trek to Beas Kund, the sacred pool where Rishi Vyasa had bathed in and done his meditation everyday. Through the shakti of his practice, from the pool emerged the sacred river Beas which now enervates Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Beas is thought to be a corruption of the older name Vipasa in Sanskrit. The river got this name, Vi-pasa, the one who removed the bondage or pasa in Sanskrit), according to a myth related to sage Vasistha. Vasistha, tried to commit suicide due to the death of his son, Sakthi, by jumping into this river after tying himself with knots. But as soon as the sage fell into the river, all the knots got untied and he could not die. So suffice to say, that this river is full of blessings from the rishis themselves.    Ready for my trek! The way to Beas Kund is long and tiring. And like any good trekker I made sure to leave bright and early...by 9am haha! We were told it would take us a total of 7-8 hours, depending on our speed. Tired to begin with, I knew I had to muster an enormous amount of strength to get to Beas Kund, and of course to find my way back! And yes, I am wearing a ski jacket. Although warm that day, being up in the mountains I often donned my thermals! My trekking partner Bani, leading the way through the meadows. Even though we left fairly late for such a trek, we still managed to make excellent time. Met some nice folks along the way.... The animals relaxing in the meadow...I swear that guy winked at me. The bovines and sheep in the Himalayas are cut from a different cloth. Peaceful creatures, they teach us how to simply be with nature. And when you are in nature that is purely mythic, you cannot help be humbled!   This picture up top is in my Top 3 - It literally looks like I am photoshopped in. And yes, those are real mountains - trust me, they are a lot bigger than even that. Most of the mountains around here are above 20,ooo feet. Surprisingly my lungs felt better in this air, and my stamina astounded even me! Trekking here allowed me to pay even more homage to the diaphragmatic breath - best thing you could ever learn in yoga! We had to traverse some unsteady boulders to get to our destination....rather a whole field of boulders!! And the paths here aren't like the U.S., nicely marked with white diamonds on trees....you have to use a little more of your brain than that! Good thing I had Bani with me, I was seriously considering going alone! Even in June, there are large glaciers, stoic in the mountain-scape... We had to cross this huge one to get closer to our destination     Bani taking a well-deserved rest amidst the gorgeous landscape. Huge boulders flanked by sharp cutting mountains - now I think I have a better understanding of what nature truly was before we came and ruined Her.         Ah yes - here in the Himalayas, these are the trail markers...small rocks piled on top of each other, waiting for the trained eye to pick them out amongst 1000s of rocks...         We had to climb this huge steep ridge to get to the other side, by Beas Kund. Here we are at the top, if there was sound you could hear us trying to catch our breath as we take in the majesty. A small flag waves in the wind, marking a small accomplishment...         Here are my feet, frozen and purple...after trekking for three hours, we came across a large barren field covered with rocks and tiny tributaries that would eventually form the Beas River. Not tiny enough, however, to skip across. After removing my shoes and socks, I walked across freezing cold waters to get closer to my destination. And just imagine - water just melted from the snow tops of the mountains, the first source - that is how cold it was.        Now this waterfall was very close to the ridge I climbed, and I thought YAY!! we have reached Beas Kund...but no, we still had to traverse the entire valley across to get there, far off in the distance, another waterfall...I was ready to pass out from hunger (no i didn't eat) so I ravenously inhaled one of my cucumber  and tomato sandwiches, and i told myself, just a little bit more...strength comes easy in the Himalayas, harder to muster that here in the world as we know it         What would a pilgrimage to a sacred site be without one of Shiva's protectors looking over us?! He came and lounged as we fell asleep, letting the earth and this spiritual space give us more energy for the way back! OK maybe he was there for the sandwiches...         This is the view looking from Beas Kund across that barren field to the mountain range on the other side...I wish I could convey to you the absolute HUGE-ness of it all...     Here is this beautiful range, placed up against the snowy peaks...I found myself squinting at all the little dots on the mountain, so I zoomed in with my new digital cam...     SHEEP!! THAT is how big...now do you have an idea of the scale? I felt like I needed proof to convey to those back home...     There I am!! Don't I look like a serious mountaineer? Ok maybe not yet, but I still felt pretty damn good. … Continue reading Beas Kund – The Sacred Pool