Leh - An Incredible High Altitude City

Leh! 

The name we heard many times as the only major city in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir state in North India. But only when you get there, you will start realizing how amazing the place is! In fact, you will start realizing even before reaching there.

Here is why: Unless you fly to this remote city tucked in the Ladakh range of mountains in the Himalayan region, which is very expensive to begin with, you need to cross some of the world's highest motorable roads, no matter from which direction you come through.

We traveled from the southern road connecting to Leh. That is from Manali in Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the most scenic and rugged roads you can find anywhere on the planet. You will have all the adventure feeling you want - sharp turns, 20,000+ tall Himalayan peaks, glaciers, rushing rivers, lush green to no green mountains, snow covered dangerous passes, icicles that you can eat, road side camps, no petrol/diesel for 365 km!, and much more.. It takes a lot of time - for us nearly 2 full days to get to Leh. But it was all worth it. You get to pass through Rohtang Pass (13,000+ ft above sea level) initially and then Tanglang La pass nearing Leh. Note - Taglang La is the world's third highest motorable road at over 17,600 feet above sea level! (La in Boti language means mountain pass).  Some claim Taglang La is the second highest road, but it is definitely a very high pass.

Some of the on road small eateries provide very comfortable blankets, pillows etc. for you to rest and catchup on some breathing, before indulging in tasty noodles and other food.

If you travel north from Leh towards Siachen Glacier, the world's highest battlefield now (close to 19,000 feet above sea level), you will pass through Khardung La pass. Khardung La is the world's highest all-weather motorable road at nearly 18,400 feet above sea level, leading you to Nubra valley and then Siachen base camp. Nubra is very special as it is probably the world's highest sand desert covered by snow covered peaks! You can take double humped camel rides or ride ATVs over sand dunes, in freezing temperatures. Keep in mind, many attractions north and East of Leh, need special permit and you should talk to a travel agent or read on the web before heading to Leh.

If you travel east from Leh towards the ultimate Pangong Lake (Tso in Boti language), you will have to cross Chang La at nearly 17,700 feet above sea level, also the world's second highest motorable road. Today, Pangong is 40% with India and 60% with China after 1950s and 1960s expansion of China. A salt lake at over 14,250 feet above sea level, is a dream come true for any adventure seeker and you will know what is chilly winds if you stay at a camp next to the lake overnight.

If you travel west from Leh towards Kargil and Srinagar on National Highway 1D, you will pass over Namki La (12,100+ ft) , Fotu La - highest point on Highway between Leh and Srinagar at 13,500 ft above sea level and other passes, which are also quite formidable at 12,000 to 14,000 feet above sea level. The most scenic one is Zoji La (11,600 ft) , which is closer to Srinagar and Amarnath cave's northern point (Baltal base camp). Just driving from Leh to Srinagar, you can spend 3 days enjoying Dras (Kargil war memorial), Sonamarg resort, Zero Point, Magnetic Hill and dozens of scenic attractions.

So imagine.. no listen.. Leh has the world's highest motorable road in the north, second highest in the east, third highest in the south and a very high pass of 13,500 ft on the west. There is much more.. You can even see 21,000 ft+ peaks right from Leh!

Now you understand why I told it is very tough to get to this unique city by road, but it is worth every minute if you are brave enough to try! The best part? There is hardly any population there. Leh city, at 11,500 feet above sea level, has less than 35,000 people living permanently there, and they are very friendly to tourists.

You will need at least a week to fully see Leh and surroundings. If you have time and money, spend a month here. There is so much to see.

Shanti Stupa, built by the Japanese about 35 years ago, is one of Leh's main attractions. Whatever your duration is, keep 2 days to acclimatize to 10,000+ ft altitude. Else, you will develop breathing issues and major health upset. Also, if you have breathing issues, buy a small oxygen cylinder at a local medical store as soon as you reach Leh. Don't ignore low oxygen issues.

And, a Leh trip is not fully done, unless you take the legendary Royal Enfield's Bullet motor bike for a ride. 1000s of *crazy* folks drive all the way from Manali (south) or Srinagar (west) on their motor bikes, braving those tall snow covered peaks and dangerous slippery roads. But we took a short cut by just renting the bike in Leh and driving around the city and the national highway for fun. It is an incredible experience driving in the rugged mountains and vast uninhabited terrains.

Leh is probably the only main city in India today, where you can take a bath in the sacred Sindhu (Indus) river. I did that with my friends, and it was tough.. Water straight from Himalayan glaciers can be cold, but as a Hindu, I had to take the sacred bath. Sindhu is one of our 7 most sacred rivers, and the name Hindu, Hind, India are all probably based out of some variation of this great river. And there are many "Sangam" places like the place where Sindhu meets Zanskar river before flowing into Baltistan not in today's India's control.

Leh is known for its Buddhist architecture and history. And the monasteries across all the four directions I mentioned above, are worth seeing. Some of  the world's most gorgeous view points are there in these monasteries.

And don't ever forget to visit the Hall of Fame military memorial for Indian soldiers in Leh. It is near Zorawar fort and on a breezy evening, your will have the time of your life paying homage to all those who laid down their lives for our secure future.

Did I tell, a 500 year old Sikh Gurudwara Patthar Sahib is a must-visit place near Leh? Guru Nanak ji personally visited this place exactly 500 years ago.

Leh! Undoubtedly the most unique high altitude destination on the planet. I have not even talked about 100s of high altitude snow trekking in Zanskar valley and other attractions around Leh for winter enthusiasts. 

Sadbhavana Sunday

At an event on Saturday night, my friend Gokul gave a pamphlet. Hey, tomorrow, there is a pilgrimage tour, do you want to go? I was like to which place?

In Bengaluru!

I gave a strange look. In Bengaluru? That too a day long pilgrimage? Then saw the details and got excited. Why not? So was on the pilgrimage bus at St. Mark's road at 7.30 AM. It was a good decision because I was going to enjoy the day thoroughly.. In what I call in Modi's lingo as "Sadbhavana" Yatra :)

This is organized by a Catholic Christian group in Saint Mark's Road. Most of the occupants of the bus were Christians, but there were some Hindus like me. There was one Muslim and one Buddhist. More than the composition, it was the interest of the people in other modes of worship, that was important.

All the areas we went are tracked in this map. 

1) Shri Dharmanatha Shwetambar Jain Temple, Jayanagar. 

Jainism for me is one of the Guru Paramparas of Dharmic India. But politically it is a different religion. There are two kinds of Jainism. Shwetambara and Digambara. We went to a Shwetambara temple where the prime deity is Shri Dharmanatha. He is the fifteenth Tirthankara among the 24 highly revered Jain Gurus. It was nice to see women putting pastes (Shri Gandha?) to various parts of murtis, the swastikas drawn with rice, the pious women monks who were busy in prayer and much more. This is a prayer place for many Rajasthanis in Karnataka.

Devi Padmavati's temple is in the back. Nakoda Bhairav and many other murtis exist in this temple complex. Beautiful white marble temple with soothing bhajans :)

2) Mahabodhi Buddhist Temple, Gandhinagar.

This Buddhist temple was getting decorated by the time we went in the morning, for their special Sunday prarthana. It's a beautiful temple with a Bodhi tree (Peepal). I saw some idols of Buddha gifted by Thailand as Thai language were written at the bottom. This center has mostly North East Indian people settled in Karnataka. This center follows the Theravada sect of Buddhism. Theravada as far as I know is a synonym for Mahayana type of Buddhism, which is different from Hinayana or "smaller vehicle" Buddhism. Buddhism again for me is a different Guru parampara in Dharmic traditions, but technically it is a religion now.

 

It was so nice to hear nearly 2500 year old Pali language prayer being sung in a melodious way. You have to follow men and women sections in the temple and a great place for meditation. 2500 year old glorious Indian culture comes right in front of your eyes hearing the powerful Pali hymns!

We also got nice breakfast served by the Buddhist monks. Our favourite Uppittu was made nice by the North Eastern friends :)


3) Yaqeen Shah Wali Dargah, Palace Road. 

Dargah is a type of Islamic place where a Muslim Guru or Peer's tomb exists. Not every sect of Islam accepts Dargahs, and some term these as UnIslamic.

This Dargah in my view is maintained by Sufi sect of Islam. If not, Shias. We were treated well here. There are restrictions. Women can't enter the main Dargah part, but can come near. Head cloth is suggested for men and women.

I went inside and stood next to the religious man here who sings praise or prayer. It was a soothing song and he later translated. He explained that on behalf of everyone who was there, irrespective of faith, he prayed for their welfare. I was particularly interested in the hand figures, and what they represent. The symbolism of these Hand signs and other rituals performed here had lot of Hindu influence.

There is a small mosque also in the complex where they read Namaz. Had a lot of discussions with the Dargah staff on who was this peer, how many centuries ago this tomb came up, difference between Sufi and Sunni Islam and much more. They were open in answering all. Served nice tea too later.

4) Catholic Chapel, Thomas Town.

The next visit was to NBCLC - National Biblical, Catechetical and Liturgical Centre. This is a very different type of Christian complex. It is not a typical Church, but a full inculturation center. For some inculturation is a good thing after Vatican 2 in Christianity where the European cultural way is making way for native - here Hindu, cultural way for Christians. For those who oppose this, it is a process of stealing from Hinduism. We can have that debate some other time, but let me just narrate the experience there.

Everything is "Hindu"ised here. From names of buildings to dress to window pane drawing to gopura (top of Chapel).. I mean everything! Building names are Sacchidananda, Brahma vidya, Shanti sadan etc. You won't find a saree wearing Mother Mary sitting in padmasana, with and Indian dressed baby Jesus like this anywhere else in the world.

Here, the resident sister explaining the central point of the Chapel. The whole building and the central God and Jesus concept is built on Hindu Kundalini Chakra concept. It is just narrated in a different way, which you might not find in the Bible.

A Catholic lady from Mumbai who was with us, explained that at the start, Christians find it difficult to pray in a place like this with Indianized (Hindu-ized) symbols. But later they feel much more home than a European style Church. I was explained how multi cultural symbols are so essential for Christianity in today's world. I talked to a few Fathers/priests too who told the same thing. There are courses conducted here in inculturation for Christians from around India.

5) Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara, Halasuru.

The next stop was by mid day to Sikh Gurudwara. Here, cloth over head is mandatory. They provide it right in the front, and even tie to your head if you wish. I found the discipline of Sikh devotees simply amazing. Men, women and children come inside in strict lines and bow before the Granth Sahib (holy book). There's a Granthi who reads from the Guru Granth Sabhib book. There were narrations in Punjabi language on heroes of Sikhism, how weapons are needed for self defence, how to sing Kirtans and praise the Gurus and more. I think the term for singing before meal was Ardas. I also saw people having a small knife as a part of the 5 basic tenets of Sikhism, called Kirpan. Women too had turbans in some cases.

This is one place where we spent maximum time. I heard many songs or Bhajans. They were sung melodiously and they were so close to how we sing bhajans at Hindu temples. Again, I found this just another Dharmic place, but we are told it is a different religion. I felt completely at home even though I understand only basic Punjabi.

The most impressive part of Gurudwara was after the soothing prayer session. There is a community kitchen called Langar, where anyone can go and prepare food. There is free food served for anyone who comes, no questions asked. Just keep a cloth over your head and take food obediently the way everyone else takes. I was amazed at how 100s of people, men and women - went about contributing to food preparation. The amazing discipline in preparation, serving (every serving is praised on Wahe Guru), and cleaning up. It's like you can be anything in this Gurudwara. You can sing, preach from the holy book, clean, cook, keep shoes, volunteer at gate... anything! A truly open system.

I had never seen in my life, well to do middle class people coming and cleaning up plates after lunch, with bare hands. Never.. These are well to do middle class people. I literally saw people using thumbs to wipe out the plate after we ate, to remove every single grain or vegetable piece onto other containers. They probably don't waste a single grain. Just amazing! And next step was another bunch of volunteers cleaning up with water and making the plates ready for the next round.

After enjoying a great prasad (offered food) at Gurudwara, I was thoroughly satisfied with what I saw. The discipline and Bhakti at a Gurudwara is something you just have to see for yourself!

6) Masjid al Nur, Halasuru.

The final stop for me was the Sunni Muslim mosque. It's a big and grand mosque built not many years ago. We went at a time when Muslim prayer, or Namaz was not being read. So we had a chance to go on a guided tour, well conducted by a friend of mine, Syed. Head cloths over head are mandatory during prayer, but was kept optional for visitors on guided tour. Also, for women, there is a separate prayer hall opposite to the main mosque.

Unlike other places of worship we visited, this Mosque had lots of questions from the team. People asked questions right from namaz direction, to where women assemble, to what's inside Kaaba etc. Syed answered everything very patiently and showed us things. Right from Wazu, where you use water to clean before prayer, to how prayers work, how many times, why pray, what are the key tenets of Islam and much more.

The team came out much more educated about Islam after this trip. Of course, we were served nice soft drinks and biscuits outside the mosque.

In summary...
The pilgrimage was later going to Hindu place of worship after this, but I had to drop out due to another engagement. I am not unfamiliar with Hindu temples and ashramas anyway :)

All pictures in here if you have more time.

Some more videos if you want to watch:

• Buddhist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFCPtDFCBzE
• Catholic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tleki95ZtG8
• Catholic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo9IOz4ix_k
• Sikh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiU4qhstVkQ

So here is the final collage.. A memorable day wherein I learned a lot about fellow Bharatiyas! After all, we are all very close to each other as humans, and once we understand the differences clearly, we can find ways to co-exist with minimal friction. The primary goal of every mode of worship is to make you a better human. That's what is Sad (good) Bhavana (feeling or intention) :)

Try it once.. You can do it yourself, of go with an organized pilgrimage. Contact Ashirvad, 30, Saint Mark's Road in Bengaluru for the next trip.