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
Taking a break from my longer posts, here is a photoblog... of a waterfall we saw near Pelling...
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| This is what you first see when you stop by the road |
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| On the side is a smaller one |
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| You turn a little and climb a flight of stairs built into the stone, and this is what you see |
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| Another view of the main falls |
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| Water flowing over the rocks is a pretty sight |
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| And, on the other side, the river is a pretty sight too! |
These falls, for some strange reason, are called 'Kanchenjunga Waterfalls', and apparently are a big tourist attraction here. Our driver insisted we see the falls, though we were already running late. Samhith, I must say, wasn't too impressed, having recently visited Jog Falls. But these falls were impressive in their own way, with so much water in winter, and the sheer surprise of seeing the falls just off the road.
It was already getting dark when we reached the falls, which meant that we were the only ones there. We were told that there would have been quite a crowd, had we reached just half an hour earlier! Thank the Lord, I thought, for being late!
Information:
These falls are about 28 Km from Pelling, on the route to Yuksom. If you want to see them, combine a visit with a trip to Rabdentse, the Pemayangtse Monastery, and Khecheopalri Lake
Nice little falls.
ReplyDeleteYes Niranjan. That just about sums it up!
DeleteYes Niranjan. That just about sums it up!
Deleteoutstanding pictures! :)
ReplyDeleteI had been to this very waterfall last June and wasn’t too impressed by this sight. There wasn’t much water when I was there but we did get a beautiful background for some nice snaps. If you are in the locality, this spot is worth a visit.
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