One wouldn’t need a specific reason to come to Ladakh, this place’s beauty and marvel atmosphere are so powerful all by itself, I could stand under this outrageous sky for the rest of my life with no purpose or itinerary at all and be completely content. Be that as it may, we are all here for such a purpose, a reason to get out your travel shoes, leave your old world behind and travel to the farthest reaches of the globe - for we are here to inaugurate the new Gompa for Karma Dupgyud Choeling Monastery and Karmapa himself will be arriving in just a few days time.
The preparations have been actually going on for years - as this region only gets about four months a year of workable climate in which to construct, the winter time is simply not possible to build and therefore the summer months are supercharged with activity, the celebration of the completion of this Gompa is surely something that is well overdue and ripe for celebration. The building itself is striking, jutting out into the blue sky with those traditional tibetan contrasty potent colors mixed with a hint of modern architecture, an entire wall of glass windows adorns each side making it truly unique and a mirror to the sky as you gaze upon it. The clean stone bricks have crimson red paint in the grouting as a special highlight, every inch of this building has been looked after and carefully planned, it’s truly gorgeous and quite a sight in person standing quite tall indeed. The colors are magnificent, the detail and craftsmanship remarkable, and on every wall hangs thangkas and statues that are all equally stunning, there is also a great collection of snow lions which I have a great affinity for. New paint and trim is happening everywhere; painters, flower arranging, torma making, brocade and festive adornments on every surface, colored cloth draped from all sides and walls, monks and lamas working all day and night, everyone pitching in a hand, working literally around the clock to make sure it all gets done in time, the clock ticking down as in less than four days His Holiness will be here. This is also Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje's first visit here to Ladakh, marking a new chapter for the monastery with his blessing and inauguration completing their grand unveiling of a brand new building years in the making. The wait has been worth it in my humble opinion, even though it’s been a long time coming the event is shaping up to be one for the history books and one not to be missed. This is a really special place and I am so honored to be here, to take a small part in this historic occasion, and to breathe in the air of peace and tranquility, the deep true Dharma that only Ladakh can provide.
The monks here are growing in numbers everyday, as more and more pour in from all over India, bus loads from KIBI, Kalimpong and Rumtek have already arrived and the numbers are now close to a hundred. In the next few days we are expecting another hundred VIP and invited guests, so we will have a full house for the event’s packed and exciting schedule with Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje's arrival on the 26th kicking things off. The atmosphere here is really wonderful too, every person you encounter, be it a workman or a monk, a lama or a local Ladakhi painter, everyone is so incredibly friendly it’s really heart warming and makes one feel immediately at home. Such huge smiles from everyone, such warm and inviting hellos, Namastes and Tashi Deleks, this place is just brimming with positive energy. I was explained this morning that Ladakh, a district of India where Leh, the city in which we are currently in, is actually almost 90% buddhist, a true Dharma state if you will, and a very special place for those who come from here. They have their own dialect, their own customs, and quite a bit of homeland pride that is well deserved for coming from a place such as this, I can’t even imagine being able to call this dreamland home, but for now I will happily settle to be here for the time being. I took the opportunity at the end of the afternoon to take a nice walk with a nice new friend, to a monastery sitting atop a nearby mountain top. The walk was lovely, the monastery is three floors with a huge statue on each level, Guru Rinpoche, Chenrezig and Amithaba at the top. I wasn’t allowed to take any photos inside, but the view from the top was breathtaking. The weather moves so quickly here, you could actually see it coming from miles away, the rich blue fading into distant and great black swirling storm clouds, prompting us to start the trek home. While this monastery was beautiful and placed high above the world, it felt quite empty without a single monk or resident, almost like a tourist attraction. In contrast to where I am staying, where every moment I get to meet another joyful smiling face, greeting me like an old friend or a member of the family, with the new Gompa just beckoning us all to come and take a peek inside its new decor, one couldn’t even begin to compare the two. Just a few more days and this whole place will be alive with the great excitement and energy of a Karmapa event, only this time it will not be in KIBI or in Europe as we’ve seen before - this time it will be under the outrageous skies of Ladakh that he will be royally welcomed for the very first time.
The preparations have been actually going on for years - as this region only gets about four months a year of workable climate in which to construct, the winter time is simply not possible to build and therefore the summer months are supercharged with activity, the celebration of the completion of this Gompa is surely something that is well overdue and ripe for celebration. The building itself is striking, jutting out into the blue sky with those traditional tibetan contrasty potent colors mixed with a hint of modern architecture, an entire wall of glass windows adorns each side making it truly unique and a mirror to the sky as you gaze upon it. The clean stone bricks have crimson red paint in the grouting as a special highlight, every inch of this building has been looked after and carefully planned, it’s truly gorgeous and quite a sight in person standing quite tall indeed. The colors are magnificent, the detail and craftsmanship remarkable, and on every wall hangs thangkas and statues that are all equally stunning, there is also a great collection of snow lions which I have a great affinity for. New paint and trim is happening everywhere; painters, flower arranging, torma making, brocade and festive adornments on every surface, colored cloth draped from all sides and walls, monks and lamas working all day and night, everyone pitching in a hand, working literally around the clock to make sure it all gets done in time, the clock ticking down as in less than four days His Holiness will be here. This is also Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje's first visit here to Ladakh, marking a new chapter for the monastery with his blessing and inauguration completing their grand unveiling of a brand new building years in the making. The wait has been worth it in my humble opinion, even though it’s been a long time coming the event is shaping up to be one for the history books and one not to be missed. This is a really special place and I am so honored to be here, to take a small part in this historic occasion, and to breathe in the air of peace and tranquility, the deep true Dharma that only Ladakh can provide.
The monks here are growing in numbers everyday, as more and more pour in from all over India, bus loads from KIBI, Kalimpong and Rumtek have already arrived and the numbers are now close to a hundred. In the next few days we are expecting another hundred VIP and invited guests, so we will have a full house for the event’s packed and exciting schedule with Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje's arrival on the 26th kicking things off. The atmosphere here is really wonderful too, every person you encounter, be it a workman or a monk, a lama or a local Ladakhi painter, everyone is so incredibly friendly it’s really heart warming and makes one feel immediately at home. Such huge smiles from everyone, such warm and inviting hellos, Namastes and Tashi Deleks, this place is just brimming with positive energy. I was explained this morning that Ladakh, a district of India where Leh, the city in which we are currently in, is actually almost 90% buddhist, a true Dharma state if you will, and a very special place for those who come from here. They have their own dialect, their own customs, and quite a bit of homeland pride that is well deserved for coming from a place such as this, I can’t even imagine being able to call this dreamland home, but for now I will happily settle to be here for the time being. I took the opportunity at the end of the afternoon to take a nice walk with a nice new friend, to a monastery sitting atop a nearby mountain top. The walk was lovely, the monastery is three floors with a huge statue on each level, Guru Rinpoche, Chenrezig and Amithaba at the top. I wasn’t allowed to take any photos inside, but the view from the top was breathtaking. The weather moves so quickly here, you could actually see it coming from miles away, the rich blue fading into distant and great black swirling storm clouds, prompting us to start the trek home. While this monastery was beautiful and placed high above the world, it felt quite empty without a single monk or resident, almost like a tourist attraction. In contrast to where I am staying, where every moment I get to meet another joyful smiling face, greeting me like an old friend or a member of the family, with the new Gompa just beckoning us all to come and take a peek inside its new decor, one couldn’t even begin to compare the two. Just a few more days and this whole place will be alive with the great excitement and energy of a Karmapa event, only this time it will not be in KIBI or in Europe as we’ve seen before - this time it will be under the outrageous skies of Ladakh that he will be royally welcomed for the very first time.
