Magical legend of Lamayuru Monastery in Ladakh, India

Located in the faraway land of Ladakh, Lamayuru Monastery is perhaps one of the most intriguing places that you can see. Considered to be one of the largest and oldest monasteries of Ladakh, it's also a place which has numerous stories and legends associated with it. Using a few of those, I built the story after my visit to Lamayuru, and I must confess right in the beginning that it's part legend, part fiction.

Lamayuru Monastery in winters with grim clouds in the background 

Legend of The Monk who built Lamayuru Monastery

It was a hot day and for miles no one was visible, only dry mountains and a wild river by his side. The Monk had been walking alone for days in search of something, something that he didn't know about. The last time he had met anyone was a about month back when he passed a small cluster of five houses and asked for some food and water. As was customary in those days, he was given both he blessed the family. The youngest in the family, Rigzin, got especially attached and wanted to travel with him, and surprisingly even the family agreed. The Monk had to politely refuse as both his journey as well as his destination were still unknown to him. He left before the break of the dawn and Rigzin was already awake and gave him a teary goodbye. The Monk promised to come back one day and take him along for a epic journey…

That was month ago, and today The Monk could feel something in the air. He knew he was close to something, but his destination was yet to revealed. He drank some cold water from the river, walked till it was dark and then decided to sleep in a small cave he found close by. His sleep was short-lived and soon he could feel himself rising in the sky. It was only when he reached much higher up and he looked down that the secret was revealed to him. He knew instantly that this was the place where he would set up his monastery!

When The Monk got up in the morning, he took a bath in the wild river and started work. He made a small symbolic gompa to mark the spot and then started his walk again in search of helping hands. He went back to Rigzin’s house and the entire village agreed to come along with him and help him build the monastery, and amongst them Rigzin was the most enthusiastic. Soon news spread and the King of the region also heard about it. Moved by the quest of The Monk, he decided to provide the funds for building the monastery. As work started, the river too receded and it was almost like the entire universe was conspiring with The Monk to build this monastery. A few years later the Lamayuru stood like an imposing beauty amidst the moonscape of the region.

The weather improved and it was all blue :)

Looking down at the road we took to come from Leh

Lamayuru Monastery: Now

About a thousand years later, today Lamayuru is well known much beyond the Buddhist world, though still only a small number of travellers visit the place. It was originally a collection of five large buildings, out of which only one survives now. Even after losing much of its might, Lamayuru is still one of the oldest and the grandest monasteries of Ladakh and houses about 150 permanent Buddhist monks, though in the past this number used to be more than 400.

Situated at a height of 3,510 metres (11,520 ft), the monastery is located on the extremely scenic Srinagar-Leh highway. I have been to the monastery twice, once during summers and recently during the extreme winter when temperatures plummet to minus twenty degrees in the night and day is considered warm if temperatures are not lower than minus then. Each trip was unique, but the experience of a visit in cold winters is certainly more vivid and easily the one I would recommend. 

An old local rotating the prayer wheel 

Another view of the monastery from a distance 

Even though only a small part of the Lamayuru monastery survives, the place is still quite large. The prayer hall is the only part of the main monastery which is accessible to the travellers. When we reached there, the place was actually shut, though the head priest obliged us by opening the doors of the monastery and letting us in. It was quite uncommon to have guests in winters, and they certainly did't want us to go back without spending some time making a personal connection with God. I even managed a short conversation with the priest and he showed us around a little, showing some old wall art and some extremely old Buddhist scriptures. Due to the winter month, the place was extremely quite and I took a small corner and sat by myself.

| Monasteries can truly help you contemplate in peace |

Just outside the prayer hall, I sat on the edge and looked around me at the barren mountains and scenes of life going on in the village below. With no one around, the empty monastery and the Lamayuru village below felt like my own home. They both invited me inside and allowed me to overstay happily. 

What else can you do at Lamayuru Monastery?

While you are in Lamayuru, make sure you take a walk in the village also, apart from the monastery. Use the universal Ladakhi greeting, Juley, and a big smile and people will open up to you easily. Ladakhis are extremely warm and generous people and some might even invite you home for tea.

Lamayuru town from the monastery - look at those cave on the right!

Local kids who loved my camera :)

Another local managing the mountain goats 

And he smiled :)

You must also try a little bit of hiking on these moon-like formations. They are extremely unique and make for some great pictures as well. Hike is not tough and unlike other mountains in the region, it’s also much less slippery :)

Lamayuru is also famous for a two day cultural festival called Yuru Kabgyat, which takes place in the 2^nd month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. This is also known as the mask festival as monks wear masks and dance during the procession. I have not yet attended the festival, but it’s certainly high on my agenda.

How to reach Lamayuru Monastery?

The easiest way to visit Lamayuru is from Leh in a cab, and during winters that’s also the most practical way as buses rarely ply on the highway in those months. In summers you can take a local bus as well though the journey would take much longer and would be much more fun as well (apart from being very affordable).

The drive to Lamayuru is also magnificent. The landscape changes as you leave Leh, yet it remains almost always dry and arid, except a few patches of green farmland. There is food available in small dhabas even in the winters, so there is no need to worry on that front as well. If you are lucky, you can also see some wildlife - we saw some antelopes :)

The road trip is stunning as well

Some wild animals on the way

And finally, plan to leave early in the morning so that you can be back safely in Leh before afternoon. The weather turns of the worst at that time almost everyday and getting stranded on the highway in winters is not recommended. Reaching back on time was the single most important concern for our driver and that meant we couldn't stop at many places on the way. Summers are different and weather is not so bad.

If you are visiting Ladakh in the winters, you must certainly do the Chadar Trek as well. It’s an experience of a life time!

Read more: Chadar Trek - a trek on the frozen Zanskar river

Disclaimer: The story of the Monastery is part fiction-part legend. I constructed it based on some of the stories I heard and read, and also on my own vivid imagination. Do let me know what do you think about this kind of storytelling :)