Sasidhar Darla

Hemis Monastery Guide – Timings, Poojas, and History

July 7, 2019, Sasidhar Darla Leave a Comment Filed Under: Jammu and Kashmir Temples Tagged With: Buddha Temples

Hemis Monastery is a Himalayan Buddhist monastery of the Drukpa Lineage. The monastery was re-established by the Ladakhi King Sengge Namgya, in 1672. The monastery is situated 45 km from Leh City, Hemis. It is present on a mountain on the west bank of the River Indus.

Hemis monastery attracts numerous tourists each year because of its beautiful architecture. It is the biggest and most important Monastery in Leh, Ladakh. This is one of the wealthiest gompas in India. It is famous for its rich collection of ancient remnants like the copper statue of Buddha, gold and silver stupas, sacred Thangkas, murals, and various artifacts.

What is the history of Hemis Monastery?

Hemis Monastery existed before the 11th century.
In 1630 the monastery was founded by the first incarnation of Stagsang Raspa Nawang Gyatso.
It was constructed in 1672 AD under the reign of King Singge Namgyal.

What is the Hemis festival?

The Hemis Festival is dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava. It is believed that he was born on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Monkey year as predicted by the Buddha Shakyamuni. It is also believed that his life mission is to improve the spiritual condition of all living beings. This day comes once in 12 years. It is believed that these sacred rituals give spiritual strength and good health. This festival attracts hundreds of tourists from around the world.

How to reach Hemis Monastery?

Air: There is no direct flight connectivity to Hemis. The nearest airport is in Leh. It is around 42 away from Hemis. One can drive from Leh to Hemis.
Train: There are no direct trains to Hemis. The nearest railway station is Katra railway station. It is 227 km away from Hemis.
Road: Hemis is connected to all major cities via road.

What is the best time to visit Hemis Monastery?

June: This is the best time to visit is during the Hemis festival that takes place in June. It is the summer season during this time. The summer starts in June and ends in September.
November to May: This is the is the worst season to visit the monastery. The route to the monastery becomes more difficult to cross in the winter season.

Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh

September 8, 2019, Sasidhar Darla 1 Comment Filed Under: Arunachal Pradesh Temples Tagged With: Buddha Temples

The Tawang Monastery is also known in Tibetan as Galden Namgey Lhatse. It means ‘celestial paradise in a clear night’. This monastery is the largest monastery in India and the second largest in the world. The monastery is located in Tawang city of Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh. It is situated in the valley of the Tawang River, in the northwestern part of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Tawang Monastery was founded in 1680-1681, Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso. It was built in accordance with the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso. The monastery is situated on a mountain at an altitude of over 3000 m. Tawang Monastery is one of the most important Buddhist sites in the world.

Tawang Monastery is a big monastery with living quarters, a museum, institutions and libraries. The Monastery can hold a capacity of 700 monks and is currently home to around 450 lamas.

What is the history of the Tawang Monastery?

In Tibetan, ‘Ta’ means ‘horse’ and ‘wang’ means ‘chosen’. Therefore, the name Tawang means chosen by a horse. According to the legends, Merak Lama was having difficulty in finding a good place to build the monastery. He once rested in a cave where he prayed, seeking divine guidance. When e came out, he found his horse missing. After searching for a while, he found the horse, grazing at the top of a mountain. Merak Lama realized it as a good spot where the monastery could be built.

The full name of the monastery is thus Tawang Galdan Namgye Lhatse. It means ‘The site chosen by the horse is the divine celestial paradise’.

What is the architecture of the place?

Entrance and outer walls: At the entrance to the monastery there is a Kakaling, which is a colorful gate structure. It is a ‘hut-like structure’, with side walls built of stone masonry. The interior walls of the Kakaling have murals of divinities and saints painted on them. The roof features Mandalas. Ahead of the main gate of the Kakaling to its south, is another entry. On the main entrance to the monastery, there are huge walls. The outer wall is 925 feet in length, with heights varying from about 10–20 feet.
Main buildings: The monastery is three-storied. It is built like a large mansion. There is a large assembly hall, ten other functional structures and 65 residential quarters for students, Lamas and monks. There is a center for Buddhist cultural studies. The monastery also has a school. The walls of the monastery have a profusion of Buddhist deities and saints.
Main temple: The main temple is known as the Dukhang. ‘Du’ means ‘assembly’ and ‘Khang’ means ‘building’. It was built in the year 1860-61. An 18 feet image of Buddha is deified which is gilded and decorated.

What are the festivals celebrated in the Tawang Monastery?

Choksar, Losar, Ajilamu, and Torgya are the main festivals that are held in the monastery.

Choksar: In this festival, the Lamas recite religious scriptures in the monasteries. Following which, the villagers carry the scriptures on their back and circumambulate their agricultural land. They seek blessings for the good yield of crops without any infestations by pests and to protect against attack by wild animals.
Losar: This festival marks the beginning of the Tibetan New Year. In this festival, people visit the monastery to offer prayers.
Torgya: This festival is also called Tawang-Torgya. It is an annual festival that is exclusively held in the monastery. The objective of the festival is to ward off evil spirits. It ushers prosperity and happiness to the people in the ensuing year. It is held according to the Buddhist calendar days of 28th to 30th of Dawachukchipa, which corresponds to 10 to 12 January of the Gregorian calendar. It is a Monpa celebration.

How to reach the Tawang Monastery?

Air: The nearest airport is located in Tezpur. It is at a distance of 387 km. The nearest international airport is located in Guwahati. It is at a distance of 480 km.

Train: The nearest railway station is Rangapara Railway Station. It is at a distance of 383 km. Rangapara Railway Station is directly connected to about 88 stations.

Road: Tawang Monastery is well-connected by road to all places.

What is the best time to visit the Monastery?

Summer- March to June: This is the best time to visit Tawang. The temperature ranges between 5 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius. The days are pleasant and nights are colder.
Monsoon- July to September: It is mostly wet during monsoon season. There is rainfall all over and the temperature drops. However, this place looks even more beautiful during this season.
Winter- November to February: The temperature sometimes drops near the freezing point. The temperature gets around 10 degrees. The coldest month of winters is January.

Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath

May 4, 2019, Sasidhar Darla Leave a Comment Filed Under: Uttar Pradesh Temples Tagged With: Buddha Temples

Dhamek Stupa is one of the most famous and Buddhist stupas. It is located in Sarnath near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India. Dhamek Stupa is one of the most visited Buddhist structures in the world. This Stupa was originally built in 249 BCE, during the reign of King of the Maurya Dynasty, Ashoka. After that, this massive and prominent structure has gone through several expansions and additions. Dhamek Stupa lies inside the Deer Park in Sarnath.

The Dhamek Stupa marks the spot where the Buddha after attaining enlightenment, gave the first sermon to his first five Brahmin disciples. He revealed his Eightfold Path leading to nirvana.

What is the history of Dhamek Stupa?

The mortal remains of Buddha were distributed and buried under 8 mounds after his cremation. The embers and urn were placed under 2 other mounds. Therefore 10 such monuments consisted of the relics of Lord Buddha.

Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty reigned over almost the entire Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE. He built several Stupas that consisted the relics of Lord Buddha. and His disciples across India in his pursuit to spread Buddhism. In 249 BCE he commissioned to build the Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath. The Stupa was later reconstructed in 500 CE. It was around that time that he built the Dhamek Stupa and several other monuments to commemorate his pilgrimage at Sarnath.

Dhamek stupa boasts of a distinct architectural pattern. The stupa bears special significance for devout Buddhist. This is because it marks the ‘seat of the holy Buddha’ as he proclaimed his faith.

What is the architecture of the Stupa?

The Dhamek Stupa is a cylindrical tower. t is 43.6 m high and 28 m in diameter. The Stupa is built with red bricks and stone. The lower part being entirely covered with beautifully carved stones. These are chiseled with exquisite floral carvings of the Gupta period. The borders of the stupa are delicately carved with figures of humans and birds.

The base of the Stupa dates back to the Ashokan period. The panels of Dhamek Stupa Sarnath also consist of ‘Swastikas’. The structure of the stupa was expanded and enlarged almost12 times in the course of history.

How to reach the Dhamek Stupa?

Train: Take a train to Varanasi railway station and Kashi railway station.

Air: Varanasi airport is well connected with all the major cities of the country

Road: Varanasi is connected to all major cities by road.

What is the visiting hours of the Stupa?

The site remains open from sunrise to sunset.
It can be visited all the time during the year.

What is the entry fees of the Stupa?

The entry fees of the Stupa is:

Rs. 5: Foro Indian citizens and visitors of SAARC and BIMSTEC nations.
Rs. 100/: Others.
Free: For children up to 15 years of age

Rumtek Buddhist Monastery, Sikkim

September 8, 2019, Sasidhar Darla Leave a Comment Filed Under: North - East Temples Tagged With: Buddha Temples

Rumtek Monastery is a Gompa. It is also known as the Dharma Chakra Centre. This monastery is located at Sikkim, Gangtok. The monastery was originally built in the mid-1700s, under the direction of Changchub Dorje. It is one of the most significant monasteries in Sikkim. The shrine was established to spread the teachings of the Buddha throughout the world.

This monastery is a storehouse of many religious art objects. It also houses some of the world’s most unique religious scriptures. Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies, a Buddhist college, is situated opposite to the monastery. The monastery gained its importance after China annexed Tibet because of which many religious gurus relocated from Tibet to Sikkim.

What is the history of Rumtek Monastery?

The Rumtek Monastery was originally built in the mid-1700s, under the direction of Changchub Dorje. This monstery served as the main seat of the Karma Kagyu lineage in Sikkim for some time. However, when the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, in 1959, he found that the monastery was in ruins. Rangjung Rigpe Dorje fleed from Tibet. He then decided to rebuild Rumtek. The construction of the monastery was completed after 4 years.

The 16th Karmapa officially inaugurated the new seat, on Losar in 1966. It was called ‘The Dharmachakra Centre’: a place of erudition and spiritual accomplishment, the seat of the glorious Karmapa.

It is said that the 1st Karmapa spent many years meditating in a cave here. Ten thousand fairies came to congratulate the Karmapa and each offered him a strand of their hair. The Karmapa wore these strands of hair as a black hat. This was passed down and is still worn by the karmapa on ceremonial occasions.

What is the architecture of Rumtek Monastery?

The Rumtek Monastery is a fabulous and piece of work. It has used some of the rarest Buddhist religious artwork in the form of wall murals and thanks.

The Rumtek Monastery is a three-storeyed building. The monastery contains a marvelous main temple. It has a monastic college where the relics of the Sixteenth Karmapa are preserved. The monastery also has a golden stupa and a magnificent Buddha statue.

The main structure of the Monastery has been made in accordance with the traditional designs of the Tibetan monasteries.
The top floor of the monastery has a terrace and also a tiny stupa.
The ground floor of the Monastery has a large prayer hall. The floor is decorated with large hand painted and intricate murals, statues. silk paintings and thankas.
There is a shrine in the main building. The decoration of the shrine is a traditional manner with religious texts.
There are buildings for the monks to live in front of the main monastery.

How to reach Rumtek Monastery?

The Rumtek Monastery is located at a distance of 23 km from Gangtok.

Train: Take a train to Siliguri or New Jalpaiguri (NJP). From there you can drive to Gangtok. It takes around 4-5 hours.

Air: Take a flight to Bagdogra, West Bengal. From there you can drive to Gangtok.

Road: Sikkim is well-connected to all major places via road.

What are the timings of Rumtek Monastery?

The Rumtek Monastery is open for the tourists on all days a week.

The timings are 7:00 am – 7:00 pm.

What is the entry fees of the Rumtek Monastery?

The entry fees of the Monastery is Rs. 10 per person.

What are the festivals observed in the Rumtek Monastery?

There are two festivals that are observed in the Rumtek Buddhist Monastery.

Vajrakilaya Drupchen: This is celebrated on the fifth month of the lunar calendar of Tibet. It pays homage to the Guru Padmasambhava – the most important monk. This festival is celebrated for ten days.
‘Lama’ dance: This traditional and holy dance is performed on the last day. It is a delight to watch the performance.

The Great Stupa- Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh

May 4, 2019, Sasidhar Darla Leave a Comment Filed Under: Madhya Pradesh Temples Tagged With: Buddha Temples

The Great Stupa is not only an important Buddhist monument but also one of the oldest stone structure in India. The stupa is a Sanskrit term that means ‘heap’. It was built by Emperor Ashoka in honor of Lord Buddha in 3rd century BCE. The Stupa was built during the Mauryan period. It is located in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh. It has its listing in UNESCO’s world heritage sites. It is believed that this Stupa houses ashes of Buddha.

Originally the Stupa was a simple structure. However, it got destroyed in the 2nd century BCE. The Stupa reached its final form after repairing and enlarging it in the 1st century BCE. Currently, the Stupa is 54 feet high and 120 feet high.

The Great Stupa is located 46 km north-east of Bhopal, on the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, India. One can visit the Stupa from Sunrise to Sunset. The Stupa remains open for visitors from 8 am to 5 pm.

What is the architecture of The Great Stupa?

Every Stupas has three identical features.

Anda (hemispherical mound): The Anda is a dome-shaped mound of dirt. It was made to cover Buddha’s remains. The earliest Stupas contained actual relics of the Buddha. With time, the hemispherical mound has got a grander symbolic meaning. It represents the mountain home of the gods at the center of the universe.
Harmika (A square railing): The Anda is surrounded by a Harmika. It represents the world mountain. It is inspired by a square railing or fence that surrounded the mound of dirt, marking it as a sacred burial site.
Chattra (A central pillar supporting a triple-umbrella form): The Chattra is a triple umbrella structure. It represents the three Jewels or Triantha of Buddhism—the Buddha, the Dharma (doctrine), and the Sangha (community). These three Jewels are the keys to a true understanding of the faith It was placed over the mound to protect it from the elements.

The other unique features of the Sanchi Stupa is:

Medhi (A circular terrace): Medhi is a circular terrace. It is surrounded by a similar three-bar railing. The railing supports the Anda and raises it off the ground. It likely served as a platform for ritual practice.
Toranas(wall with decorated gateways): The wall is marked in light blue highlights. The toranas are marked in yellow. Torans are the wall that surrounds the entire structure, with its trademark three horizontal stone bars. The Toranas of the Great Stupa are the greatest achievement of Sanchi sculpture. Each gateway is made up of two squared posts. These posts are topped by capitals of sculptured animals or dwarfs, which are surmounted by three architraves.

All the elements are covered with relief sculpture that depicts the events of the Buddha’s life. There are Jataka stories -about the Buddha’s previous lives, scenes of early Buddhism, and auspicious symbols. The names of donors are also inscribed. The most notable is the ivory workers of Vidisha.

What is the significance of The Great Stupa?

Stupas were made to remind the Buddhist practitioner of the Buddha and his teachings. These were made almost 2,500 years after Buddha’s death. The practice of building stupas spread with the Buddhist doctrine to Nepal and Tibet, Bhutan, Thailand, Burma, China and the United States where large Buddhist communities are centered.

Building Stupas has Karmic benefits for the Buddhists. Karma plays a key role in Buddhism and Hinduism. Karma means the energy generated by a person’s actions and the ethical consequences of those actions. A Buddhists believe that building a Stupa would help them be born in a good location and they will not suffer from extreme poverty.

Buddhists visit Stupas to perform rituals that help them to understand the Buddha’s teachings. Buddha’s teachings are pointed in Four Noble Truths. Once a person fully understands The Four Noble Truths, they are able to achieve Enlightenment (the complete knowledge of the dharma).

The Four Noble Truths are:

Life is suffering. Suffering means Rebirth.
The cause of suffering is Desire.
The cause of desire must be overcome.
When desire is overcome, there is no more suffering.

Buddha means ‘The Enlightened One’. Buddhist practitioners seek the knowledge that the Buddha gained on his way to achieving Enlightenment.

What are the timings of The Great Stupa?

The Great Stupa is open for the visitors on all days.
The timings are from 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM.

What are the entry fees of the Great Stupa?

The entry fees of the Great Stupa is:

Entry fee for Indians: Rs. 10.
Entry fee for Foreigners: Rs. 250.
Entry fee for Children up to 15 years: Free.

What is the best time to visit The Great Stupa?

The best time to visit Sanchi Stupa is during the months of November to March. Majority of the festivals take place during this time.
The climate of the great Stupa remains moderately hot throughout the year.
Avoid making a trip during the hot summer months.

How to reach The Great Stupa?

Air: Nearest airport for reaching Sanchi stupas is Raja Bhoj airport at Bhopal city. Sanchi lies in 55 km north-east of Bhopal airport.
Train: The nearest railway station is Bhopal. It is connected with direct trains from major cities.
Road: Sanchi is well connected by road with other cities. It lies on Bhopal-Sagar state highway.