40 km south of Leh, in the valley of Chemrey, a monastery by the same name sits on a rocky mound among the dry mountain tops of the Himalayas. Though the area is an unclean desert, cultivated terraced fields can be seen around the monastery. According to the widely accepted history of the monastery, it was founded by the great lama Stagtsang Raspa under the aegis of Sengye Namgyal. However, a renowned professor, Luciano Petech, differs a bit. As per him, the monastery was actually constructed between 1644-46 as a memorial to Sengye Namgyal after he died.
Presently, the monastery appearing more like a medieval European castle from the rear, is home to around 120 lamas of the Red Hat sect. Also, since, Chemrey was founded by the same lama who laid the foundation of Hemis, the head lama of the two monastery is one and the same person.
Inside
The Dukhang, or the main assembly hall of the monastery lies on the right side of the central courtyard and houses two images of the founder of Chemrey, Stagtshang Raspa, in his 4th and 5th incarnations. Murals of Sakyamuni (Historical Buddha) along with his two chief followers occupy the wall right behind the image of Stagtshang Raspa. Also seen in the dukhang are the paintings of two large mandalas - Kalachakra and Akshobhya (the Imperturbable Buddha or the Buddha of the East) as well as twenty-nine volumes of the Buddhist scriptures. These scriptures have their title pages lettering in solid silver and the text in pure gold.
Out of du-khang, move up the steps on the right that leads to the Lama Lha-khang or Lama Temple. This temple preserves various images of lamas, manifestations of the Buddha, Buddhist divinities and also Buddhist religious texts.
Ascending a couple of steps more, reach the new temple of the monastery, the Guru Lha-khang. The temple is devoted to the great translator, Padmasambhava and as such has his image dominating the room. Statues of his various manifestations, including his fearsome aspect that vanquished devil, are also prominent in this temple. Apart from the manifestation of Padmasambhava, the temple also shows various manifestation of Buddha. The murals on the walls of the temple are pretty recent - being done by a Ladakhi artists in 1977 - and one of the best in entire Ladakh.
Festival
The annual festival of Chemrey is celebrated every January. The festival is marked by procession, music and dance.
Leh
Leh is invariably the destination for a tourist planning a trip to Ladakh. This is equally because of the accessibility and accommodation convenience as well as the hordes of attractions the city has in store for its visiting tourists. The Buddhist monasteries, the Tibetan appearance and lifestyle of the people, opportunites for adventure and a number of lakes and spring are just few of them.
Other Attractions
- Takthok Monastery: Located 50 km from Leh, Tak Thok is the only monastery in Ladakh that is associated with the Nying-ma-pa sect of Buddhism, also known as the "Old Order". The annual festival is celebrated on the the 28th and 29th days of the 9th month of the Tibetan calendar.
- Stakna Monastery: Stakna Monastery lies at a distance of 25 km south of Leh and was founded in the late 16th century by king Jamyang Namgyal. It stands on the a rock shaped like a tiger's nose and it is from here that the monastery draws its name. The highlight of the monastery is an image of Arya Avaloketesvara. Stakna monastery has other monasteries as its branches, prime amongst them are Sani, Bardan and Stakrimo.
- Hemis Monastery: The exceedingly famous Hemis monastery lies at a distance of 45 km from Leh. It was built during the reigns of king Sengye Namgyal and belongs to the Drukpa or the Red Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The annual festival of Hemis, celebrated during the month of June-July, is a delight for tourists. The festival is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava.
How to Reach
By Air - Leh is the closest airport which has flights connecting it to destinations like Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar and Chandigarh.
By Road - Leh is accessible between the months of June and October through two routes, the Srinagar-Leh Highway and Manali-Leh Highway. From Leh, a bus going to Tak Thok stops at the village of Chemrey. From this village a steep and an arduous one hour walk leads to the monastery.
