MOONLAND, as they call it!
Nestled among the mountain folds is this quaint little village Lamayuru in Ladakh (11,890 ft above sea level). A dramatic topography which resembles the surface of the Moon and an enchanting monastery atop a hill render Lamayuru a unique, timeless charm. Lamayuru monastery, built in the 11th century, is one of the oldest and significant monasteries in Ladakh. Legend has it that, the place was a vast lake which got dried up by saint Naropa to lay foundation to this monastery. It is believed, after the drying up the the unusual rock formations and moon like craters appeared on the land. The yellows and maroons of both the ‘gompas’ and the attire of the Buddhist monks stand strikingly stark against the barren, rugged sparsely vegetated, monochromatic landscape. The bubbly & gleeful novice monks effortlessly running up and down the steep stone steps amazed me, who found climbing every ten steps a struggle!
Lamayuru village
Lamayuru Monastery
The stupas and the prayer wheels
The little, gleeful monks at Lamayuru Monastery
The road that took us to Lamayuru
House Sparrow 
How nice to see you, and what an interesting collection of photos you’ve brought us. I didn’t know anything about stupas, so I read a little extra about them. I was surprised to see the photo of the novices; they seem quite young. Do they begin training as children? Do they choose to join the monastery, or are they selected? So many questions! They certainly do seem to be enjoying themselves. As for that road …. I don’t think I’d want to drive that one, unless the traffic was very, very light.
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Thank you so much,Linda. So good to see you too! This trip to Ladakh was a great experience.Rough terrain,harsh living conditions, but happy people leading simple lives. The roads are maintained well by the Indian Border Road Organisation.There’s not not much traffic on the mountains. Khardung La Pass is one of the highest motorable passes in the world. Most of the Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh are situated atop cliffs. The novice monks below 14, I think, would have been sent by their families. They seem to be too young to choose this spiritual life. Thanks and take care!
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