Phyang Monastery- Off The Tourist Radar!

For a patient traveler there are plenty of unbelievable experiences waiting at every turn. And we experienced the same as we wandered around the magnificent hills of Ladakh- a land where Buddhism flourished and till date continues to be so. Some 20 km from Leh en route Nimmo in a quiet corner lies the stunning Phyang Monastery.

The deviation from the highway turned out to be even better with roads pretty much similar to the one leading to Stok Palace. The winding roads with just the monastery in sight and green fields on either side made the start of our journey even more beautiful. There is a blue mountain right behind the monastery and this is how the monastery got it's name. Phyang and Lamayuru are the only 2 monasteries in Ladakh that belong to the Dri-gung-pa sect of Tibetian Buddhism. Also called as Gangon Tashi Chodzong, it has a 900 year old museum that houses ancient thankas, age old wall paintings and has Chinese, Tibetan and Mongolian firearms and weapons. It is home to around 100 monks and houses a school to impart Buddhist Teachings along with modern education.

Upon entering the monastery we were greeted by two kids, one of them a lama, discussing the colors to be used to color their books. The monastery is massive and we were in time to be a part of their prayer rituals. We heard them play their traditional musical instruments and offer prayers. Like other monasteries, the paintings, sculptures and thankas here are simply breathtaking. We were left in awe looking at the wall paintings and they had a stark resemblance to the wall paintings found in Ajanta Caves.

The newer wing of the monastery has a massive statue of Lord Buddha in a calm meditating pose. The walls and ceiling of the hall have beautiful paintings and the massive halls provide a calm and peaceful environment. This place surely has a very positive vibe and is perfect for meditation. Though we did not meditate, we were automatically drawn to sit down, soak in the atmosphere and surroundings and surely we left with wider smiles and lighter souls.