Himalayan view from plane - Delhi - Leh.
Descending toward Leh, a high mountain lake
Leh Valley, Himalayas
Leh Valley and Indus River, Himalayas
Opening satsang at hotel
Walk through Gompa Village toward Sankar Gompa
Gompa Village
Calf and large enclosed prayer wheel
Stupas in village
Gompa resident and Shalina
Village views
Tzos (cross between yak and cow) and Ladakhis plow field
Ladakhi woman
View from Shanti Stupa overlooking Leh and mountains
Leh
Small temple below Shanti Stupa
Main baazar, Leh
Moon setting over mountains from hotel window
Energisation exercises in courtyard of hotel
Breakfast...
Tikse Monastery (Gompa)
Tikse and mountains
views from Tikse
Prayer wheel, Tikse
Tikse structures, paintings, and mountain view
Meditating in Tikse prayer hall: Radha, Subash, Rita, et al...
Madhulika, Archana, Ashis and Kiran meditating
Rishu meditating, exquisite paintings in background
Srikanth
Sunai, Jyoti, Sangeeta
Altar
Buddha Shakyamuni, Buddha of current age, (in back room of temple)
More Tikse views
Large Maitreya Buddha (Buddha of the future age)
Radha, Madhulika, Daya, Jyoti
Hemis Monastery
Hemis courtyard
Padmasambhava statue at Hemis
Prayer hall, Hemis
Kiran meditating
Sushma
Ashis
Our fleet of Innovas in front of Hemis
Young monks on the road from Hemis
View of Stakna Monastery, Karakoram Mountains
View of Stakna, Karakoram Mountains and Indus River
Small bridge to reach Stakna
Stakna views
Stakna dog
Prayer wheels
Stakna Hall
Prayer Hall, Stakna: Ashwani, Surabhi, and Sangeeta
Subash, Rita, Shalina, Keshava, Ashis, Archana
Recently deceased Buddhist monk's belongings
Dorjey explains paintings
Indus and desert views
Rajeev, Daya, and Rita
More views from Stakna
Prayag where Sanskar river joins the Indus
Group shots....
Town near Alchi
Walking into town of Alchi
Santosh by river
Alchi prayer wheels
Sumtsek temple at Alchi, created by Kashmiri Buddhists under guidance of Rinchen Zangpo, "the great translator," in 11th century. Zangpo built 108 temples throughout Kashmir and Ladakh, and translated many ancient Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into Tibetan.
Large sculpture of Avalokiteshvara, Buddha of Compassion, 4 meters high. Lower garmet filled with miniature scenes of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, palaces, temples, priests, horses, etc. On walls are hundreds of miniature Amitabha Buddhas, spiritual descent of Avalokiteshvara.
Sculpture of Maitreya, 5. 18 meters high. His garment is filled with images of various episodes of Buddha Shakyamuni (of current age).
Alchi complex
Entering Manjushri Temple
Manjushri sculptures
Group photo in courtyard
Entering Dukhang hall, doorway in shape of mandala.
Leaving Alchi temple
Souvenir shopping
Lunch at resort near Alchi
Kiran
Rizong Temple, with Ravi, Vahini, Sujata and Madhulika
Monk with Dorjey, Prashant in back ground
Monk watches our group walk by
Views from Rizong
Group
Painter - young monk - enjoys tea and watches us
Shakyamuni and Maitreya Buddhas, and stupa
Paintings of life of Gautama Buddha (aka Shakyamuni)
Rizong
Jyoti walking down to car from monastery
An almost glimpse into monks' quarters
monks
Daniella has lots of fun holding onto and running with turning prayer wheel
Santosh practices "laughing" with young monks
dinner
Meditating with early morning monks chanting at Tikse
A stop by the Indus river for fun and photos; Rishu, Shalina, Sangeeta
Madhulika and Rita
Sushma enjoys some time by the river
Dorjey assists Sushma across the rocks
Group shot with Stakna and Indus in background
Thak Tok Monastery, where it's said Padmasambhava (who brought Buddhism to Kashmir, Ladakh, & Tibet) meditated for three years
Views from Thak Tok
Meditating in Padmasambhava's cave
Altar in cave
1000 armed Avalokiteshvara
Padmasambha
Danielle
Daniella
Keshava and Daya
Shalini, Srikanth, Danielle, Sangeeta, and Santosh
Archana, Ashis, and Ravi with Padmasambhava in prayer hall
One of the "protector dieties" of the Dharma
In Thak Tok prayer hall
Beautiful architecture and paintings, Ravi and Rajeev
Sushma and Sunai with view from Thak Tok
Views driving to Chemrey from Thak Tok
Chemrey Monastery, mountains
Chemrey Monastery
Prayer hall
Padmasambhava and prayer hall
Five Dhyani Buddhas (Meditation buddhas)
Santosh leads us in laughter exercises, on World Laughter Day
It was fun...
Lunch in Tibetan restaurant: yummy momos and tsam-pa.
Last night at dinner
Our group with four other hotel guests - who shared their 25th anniversary cake with us.
Flight from Leh to Delhi - more spectacular Himalayan views
