Hemis Monastery: Situated at a distance of
around 40 km southeast of Leh, Hemis is located in the Ladakh
division of the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. It takes its name
from the world famous Buddhist Gompa situated here.
The Hemis monastery was established in 1672 AD by the then king
Senge Nampar Gyalva. Across the stillness of the wide expanse, the
Hemis gompa stands upright built in Tibetan style, jutting out of
the mountain top. The practices at the Hemis monastery are a direct
lineal descent of the teachings expounded in the Mahayoga Tantra
school, or the esoteric school of vajrayana.
Hemis Monastery simply conjures up an image of magnificent snow
covered peaks, alpine green valleys and high altitude passes. It
reflects the Buddhist culture and living life in harmony among such
harsh climatic conditions of Ladakh. There are a number of shrines
around this great courtyard, all of them of considerable interest.
Hemis, however, it best known to tourists because of its colorful
festival held in July. At this time, monks perform their traditional
dances to celebrate the birth anniversary of the monastery's
founder, Padmasambhava. Its resident Lamas perform sacred masked
dances leading to the destruction of the evil forces, & sacrificial
offerings. The festival takes an auspicious turn every 12 years in
the Tibetan year of the Monkey (2004).
