Wednesday, July 27th, 2022 - Monks and Bakers in and Around Leh.

 Sometimes travel plans don't go exactly as one hopes. Tuesday was a down day for me - I wasn't feeling well, so an early return to the hotel and an afternoon of rest, allowed me to wake refreshed and well on Wednesday morning for a dawn visit to the Thiksay Monastery near Leh.

The Sun Emerges at Thiksay Monastery

It was a beautiful morning as the rays of the sun broke through the clouds.

Fresh Snow on the Stok Range

The monastery, or gompa, was founded in 1433 AD. 'Thick' means 'exactly right', and the story of its founding involves a man from Leh who went to study Buddhism in Tibet in the 1400's. When he returned, he met the local King and began spreading his teachings. After a while, the monk found a large yellow rock, which seemed a special place, so he had a celebratory cake made for it. Instead of it being eaten on the rock, a bird stole the cake and dropped it at a palace on a nearby hill, which became the site of the gompa. (He apparently had established good relationships with royalty by then, which helped serve the growth of the monastery in the ensuing years/centuries.)

Monks Prepare the Dungchen

Part of the reason for our early arrival, was also, to hear and see the long, 12 foot long Tibetan horn or dungchen being played. 

A Small Noise in a Vast Landscape

The horns are long - I found myself worrying about the sag in the middle and hoping they wouldn't break. There was something very poignant about the scene - this noise that we would normally view as large, disappeared rapidly into the silent and still air on top of the hill. I reflected on the hundreds of years that the villagers must wake to the sound from the monastery, reassured that spiritual life was active each day.  For the monks, I imagined the practice as a futile way of saying to the universe - 'Yes we are here, and Yes, we matter!'

A Workout for the Lungs

To call the sound 'musical', is a bit misleading. It is somewhat of a monotone - Wikipedia compares it to the singing of elephants. A more elaborate description says it is 'a long, deep, haunting wail that takes you out somewhere beyond the highest Himalayan peaks and at the same time back into your mother's womb'! If I were a videographer, I would have video for you, but as compensation, here is a clip from the same monastery from youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntf75csds6k 

A Special Way to Wake Up

It was a very special way to start the day.

Please Check Your Shoes at the Door

Most monasteries do not allow photography inside, so we were pleased to learn there was a morning puja being conducted, which we were able to attend and photograph. It is the custom to remove shoes when entering the temple.

The Puja was Active - Yellow Hat School of Buddhism

The puja, or prayer, was busy - people coming and going, tourists, photographers. The image of the Dalai Lama, the leader of this yellow hat or Gelug school of Buddhism, was front and center and it was quite dark in the temple. 

There are rules for visitors - one may not point ones feet at the Buddha, or a monk. The bottom of the feet are seen as the dirtiest part of the body and it would be regarded as an insult. This was difficult for a person like me whose days of cross-legged sitting are in the past - so I found a spot on the wall, with my knees up, and just stayed there.

I Promise - I Didn't Disturb Him!

I was behind this young monk. He kept looking around, but after a while, someone (not a monk) came and sat near him and kept talking to him. I think it must have been a relative, as they seemed to know each other. I kept on wanting to point to the sign saying 'Please do not disturb monks during prayer time'  so the young monk could focus on the sutras being read/chanted. You'll be glad to know I managed to restrain my 'teacher-like' tendencies!

The Puja Became Breakfast!

All of a sudden, I noticed a big tea kettle going around. We were given paper cups and offered tea - it was a mild, salty, milk tea. I appreciated being included - it was like being offered communion in a church - an opportunity to feel included, with no obligation to attest to any beliefs.

Cereal for the Monks

In addition, the monks placed some type of white powder in their little bowls and added the liquid to that. They ate with care and left no morsel to waste. It was not a social meal - but a focused, attentive eating.

Elderly Monks

Before we leave this scene, I share this photo of a couple of older monks who sat in a brightly lit area on the opposite side of he room - kitty corner to me. The alcove they sat in shows some of the details of the wall paintings, offering bowls and other religious objects that surround them.

While we were there, there was mainly chanting - reading of sacred texts - taking place. I kept on wanting to se the young monk hit the drum, but it was after we had left that we heard the cacophony of horns, bells and drums etc. I was sorry not to have been in the room at that time. 

Again, I cheat by giving you a taste of similar sounds from youtube. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbXGrYze5PA

It was a fairly lengthy ceremony - starting each day this way would definitely clear cobwebs from the brain!

Geraniums

Although the ceremony continued, we moved on to another smaller temple containing a beautiful Buddha statue. I give you this photo of the stairs leading to it, as I loved the geraniums that lined the center of the steps leading up.

Buddha Statue at Thiksay Gompa

The statue dominated the small room - only the head and shoulders could be seen at our level. Note the photos of local religious dignitaries attached to the drapery that surrounds Buddha's head. 

A Gilded Buddha

The face was beautiful, with a very strong feminine feel. This was no nappy-haired Buddha like ones I have seen elsewhere - instead it was ornate, gilded and highly decorated.

Praying Hands

I particularly liked the statue's hands.

Exercise in the Courtyard at Thiksay Gompa

As we were leaving, we saw a group of people exercising in a nearby courtyard of the monastery. Their white shirts were striking and their poses deliberate and dance-like. They were videotaping themselves. I thought it made a nice scene.

Thiksay Gompa

Now that there was enough light, we were able to photograph the substantial monastery on the hill. The rocks in front are prayer stones - inscribed with the Buddhist mantra 'Om-mani-padme-hung', which translates simply as the 'jewel is in the lotus'. The actual message it conveys is, of course much more complicated than that, and I certainly can't explain it!

Bakery in Leh

Upon our return to Leh, we visited an area of bakers, making naan in tandoor ovens. It felt as if I had stepped back in time two millennia - the small, dark shops had no signs of modernity.

The Working Man

In the first shop we stopped at, the man on the left was working away, diving into the tandoor to get the bread out. You can see his flour spattered clothing here, yet he worked cheerfully.

The Public Face of he Business!

In the meantime, his buddy stood at the door and posed enigmatically for us!

The Naan Looked Fantastic

The resulting bread was wrapped in newspaper and looked fantastic!

The Happiest Bakers!

Meanwhile, my attention turned to a shop across the street, where three men were working. Their smiles were enormous! The man at the back spoke some English. He explained that the man in the middle was lighting a new oven for the next baking. The man in front was the one who dove into he tandoor to pull out the bread.

Pulling the Naan from the Tandoor

The tandoor is a clay oven that curves inward at the top to concentrate and intensify the heat. These ones were heated with wood fires. The smells were delectable.

The Tandoor

You can see how the bread sticks to the sides of the clay oven - I imagine if the dough is the wrong consistency, it results in some type of disaster!

Success is Met With a Huge Smile!

The energy in this little shop reminded me of the famous Pike Place Fish Market in San Francisco, where the fishmongers choose to turn their work into play, by throwing the fish around before wrapping it. Here, they were not throwing the bread around, but the joy they experienced from their work together was as delicious as their bread and left a smile on my face for quite a while!

A Nearby Tailor Shop

On the way back to the hotel, I found this little tailor shop. It showed a little more of the modern world with plastic wrapping and scissors etc....and the face mask!

The Tailor's Fabrics

Because I love fabrics, I asked to take photos and shove my camera into this pile of his offerings. I have not noticed people wearing these plaids and stripes, but presume they are used for traditional male clothing.

A Happy Tailor

When he voluntarily removed his mask for a photograph, I went home happy with my encounters for this morning. You can be glad I gave myself the rest of the day off, otherwise this blog (which I thought would be brief) would be much longer!

Enjoy!