Yuma Changchubling, better known as the Rizong Monastery, is not amongst the oldest monasteries of Ladakh. Infact, it is pretty recent construction, less than two centuries old, being built in the year 1829. The location of the monastery amidst remote end of a valley far away from any village is extremely stunning. It gives an impression of a rocky fortress to its visitors. From Leh, the monastery is around 72 km.
The monastery, founded by Lama Tsultim Nima, follows the Gelukpa order and is quiet well known for its high standards of monastic disciplines. Currently, it is home to around 30 students ranging between the age group of 6 to 15 years. The monastery is headed by Rizong Shas Rinpoche III who, though, was born in Matho, spent most of his initial life in this monastery.
There are three rooms in the monastery which the incoming tourists make a point to visit. Two out of these three rooms house statues of Buddha while the third one has a stupa. The painting blocks of the biography of Lama Tsultim Nima, is yet another highlight of the monastery.
The Rizong Monastery is the only one in Ladakh which has a nunnery. The nunnery, Chomoling, is located little down the monastery and can be reached by an easy trek (or on the way to monastery). The nuns at the nunnery are responsible for the clothing of the lamas of the monastery and also work in the fields.
The other uniqueness of the monastery lies in it being the only one with no annual mak dance festival. The monastery believes in laying more emphasis on individual practices.
Leh
Ladakh, the high altitude plateau of north India, is surrounded by Tibet, POK, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Leh, the capital city, is situated on the banks of river Indus that divides the plateau. The highlight of the city is, unquestionably, the imposing Leh Palace which can be seen from any part of the city. All that a tourists might need during his visit to Leh is readily available in the vibrant and colourful main bazaar of Leh.
Other Attractions
- Likir Monastery : The monastery structure that stands today is not the original one built in the 11th century. After a fire caused immense damage to the monastery, a new structure came up in the 18th century. Also, the monastery was initially the follower of the Kadampa order, however it subsequently converted to the Gelukpa order. The highlight of the monastery is the twenty-five feet tall gold-covered Buddha statue. Moreover, the annual festival of the monastery, celebrated from the 27th to 29th of 12th Tibetan month, is a huge attraction for the tourists.
- Mangyu Monastery: Mangyu Monastery is one of the earliest monasteries of Ladakh and has an image of Vairocona and rare thankas (scroll paintings on the cloth) of the Panchen Lama as its major attractions.
- Alchi Monastery The Alchi Monastery was founded some thousand years back and is not amongst the active religious centres of Ladakh. The monks of the Likir Monastery are responsible for the functioning of Alchi. The monastery, located around 70 km from Leh, has thousands of miniature sized pictures of the Buddha on wall and three large sized clay images as its prime highlight.
How to Reach
By Air - The airport at Leh is the only way to reach Ladakh by air. Flights to and from here link Leh to Delhi, Chandigarh, Srinagar and Jammu.
By Road -Rizong lies at a distance of 72 km from Leh and can be reached by a 3 hour bus journey. Taxis are also available at Leh to take you to Rizong Monastery.
