Ladakh
Tour Packages
Hemis Festival Tour
Day
1: Arive Delhi
Arrive Delhi. Assistance on arrival, transferred to hotel . Rest of
the day is a leisure to recover from the flight.
Day
2: Delhi to Leh,
Reach Leh by Indian Airlines or Jet Airways flights. Leh is main Centre
of Ladakh. With the inhabitants of 50,000, Leh is located in small valley
just the north of Indus valley. The tourists are advised to take complete
rest for the proper acclimatization to the high altitude atmosphere.
Day
3: Leh to Hemis Monastery for the festival (48 km)
Just after the breakfast, the group will visit the Hemis monastery for
the festival and about 3 p.m. in the afternoon the group will move back
to Leh and on the way, the group will visit two more famous monasteries
i.e Shey and Thiksey.
Hemis
Monastery:
This is biggest and the most important monastery in Ladakh. It is
situated 49 kms to south of Leh, a little off the main Leh-Manali
road. It was built in the 17th century by Chapgon Gyalshas and ever
since has enjoyed the patronage of the royal family. Hemis is the
headquarter of the Drukpa order and all the monasteries throughout
Ladakh are administered by it. It also trains Lamas for the royal
monasteries at Leh, Shey and Bazgo. In the 19th century it faced a
siege by General Zorawar Singh. The Gompa was saved to the skillful
handing of the situation by the head Lama. In 1956 the head Lama Hemis
Gompa disappeared mysteriously never to be seen again. A 12 years
old boy was brought from Dalhousie. In 1976 to be appointed as head
Lama. He will assume authority after his training period is complete.
The monastery contains quite a few gold statue and stupas decorated
with precious stones. It has a superb collection of tankhas, including
one, which is supposed to be the largest in existence and is exhibited
only once every 11 years. The monastery has annual festival, is a
big tourist attraction. Masked dances are held on that day.
Thiksey Gompa:
En route to Hemis Gompa, the Thiksey monastery is a most imposing
structure providing a panoramic view of the green Indus valley from
its vantage atop a hill. It has chambers full of statues, stupas and
tannkhas.
Shey Palace and Monastery:
Also on the way to Hemis Gompa and 15 kms from Leh
is the summer palace of the erstwhile, Raja of Leh, set upon a hill
sitting Buddha wrought with copper and gold that leaves one lama before
hand. Many chortens can be seen to the east of the monastery.
Day
4: Leh to Lamayuru (124 kms)
The whole is dedicate to for the local sightseeing Lamayuru: After exploring
villages around the area, it comes as a surprise to find that Lamayuru
is a scruffy little place. The gompa is the completely overshadowed
and most famous spectacular monastery in Ladakh. On the way the group
can also visit the Alchi and Rizong monasteries. Alchi monastery is
famous gompa for the 1000-year old wall painting, which make a visit
more than worthwhile. Rizong monastery about the six kms along a steepish,
rocky track from the main road is the starts of the area with the nunnery
of Julochen and the gompa of Rizong belonging to the Gelukpa factions.
Day
5: Local Sight seeing, Leh Bazaar, Leh Palace and Sankar gompa
The whole day is dedicated to the shopping and to discover some interesting
things about Ladakhi art and cultural by the visiting the Tibetan refugees
camp Choklamsar, Library and Ecological Development etc. The women's
vegetable market in the afternoon and some interesting place to visit.
And the evening the Sankar monastery.
Leh
Gompa:
It is situated above the Leh Palace and was built in 1430. It contains
a 13.7 metres high statue of the Buddha which the Ladakhi call Chamba.
According to the Lamas this splendid statue is the future Buddha. A
butter burns day and night in front of this statue.
Sankar
Gompa:
Just 3 kms from Leh is this monastery that has a formidable collection
of miniature of pure gold and a number of exciting painting. It is well
lit and may be visited in the evening as well.
5th Day: Leh to Delhi Tourists will fly back to Delhi, by the Indian
Airlines flight.
Day
6: Leh to Delhi
Tourists will fly back to Delhi, by the Indian Airlines flight.
Day
7: Depart Home