Lamayuru is one of the most ancient monasteries in Ladakh, the oldest surviving structure dating to the 11 th century CE. What makes this monastery particularly fascinating, is its location, amidst what is today called the “moonscape”, for the spectacular natural rock formations, which truly are “out of the world”! As per legend , there once existed a huge lake in this area, populated only by the Nagas (serpents). It was prophesized that there would be a great monastery built here. This prophecy came true when the great acharya Naropa (756-1041 CE) arrived. He emptied the lake, meditated for many years inside a cave, and built the first monastery here. The present structure is a new one, built around the cave where Acharya Naropa is said to have meditated. This legend seems to fit well with the geological formations seen in the area, which suggest this was a paleo-lake, which disappeared around 1000 years ago. Lamayuru is about 130 km from Leh , and the Indus River flows along th
I am at Coorg now, enjoying a much needed break, taking a long overdue vacation with both Shankar and Samhith. It was a wonderful day, filled with the kind of stuff that makes our day! A lovely morning spent in peace, watching birds, then a bit of heritage at the Nalknad Palace, and an afternoon spent on the plantation,walking around, spotting spiders, and finally kiddo trying a bit of adventure sports. What better way to end the day than with such a beautiful sunset!
For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page.
A lovely shot.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful sunset!
ReplyDeleteYou were at the right place at the right time. Just lovely photo.
ReplyDeleteJM Illinois~U.S.A.
A lovely sky shot.
ReplyDelete