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About Karsha Monastery |
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Karsha Monastery or Karsha Gompa is a
Buddhist monastery in the Padum Valley of the Zanskar region
of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. The Doda
River flows past the monastery from its source at the Drang
Drung glacier of the Pensi La (14,500 feet (4,400 m)). It was
founded by the translator, Phagspa Shesrab.The monastery, also
known by the name “Karsha Chamspaling’, was founded by Phagspa
Shesrab, under the Gelugpa Order or the Yellow Hat Order.
The Karsha Monastery of Ladakh is located in the Karsha
village of the Zanskar region. The full name of Karsha, the
largest monastery of Zanskar, is Karsha Chamspaling. Phagspa
Shesrab, this monastery was first founded by the translator of
Zanskar.The monastery, as it stands today, was the result of
the efforts of the Teacher, Dorje Shesrab. It was under him
only that the monastery flourished and prospered. Shesrab
Zangpo of Stod was the one to introduce the Gelukpa Order in
the Karsha Gompa of Leh Ladakh.
The monastery consists of lots of
temples and boasts of some of the most wonderful wall
paintings, by the Lama Dzadpa Dorje. The collection of Karcha
Gompa also includes the bone relics of Dorje Rinchen. It
serves as the residence of approximately 100 monks. The Gustor
Festival is celebrated at Karsha every year, on the 28th and
29th day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar. The
celebrations also include the performance of the sacred dance.
Temples constructed by Rinchen Zangpo,
the translator, known as the Thugsjechhenpoi Lhakhang and the
Lhakhang Karpo, are positioned near the Karsha Monastery. Also
close by are the monasteries of Khagsar, Purang and Phagspa
and a nunnery called Dorjezong, located at the top of the
valley. |
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History of Karsha Monastery |
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Karsha is the largest and most
significant monastery in Zanskar. It is attributed to
Padmasambhava, and there are ancient rock-carvings at the site.
The oldest remaining structure, an Avalokiteshvara temple,
Chuk-shik-jal, contains wall paintings which seem to link it
with the era of Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055).
The monastery is under the charge of
the younger brother of the Dalai Lama. Behind his seat in the
chapel is a statue of Lhaso Cho Rinpoche, which was brought from
Lhasa in the 1960s and has a golden crown with turquoise and
carnelian decorations. The most significant festival, known as
the Karsha Gustor, is celebrated with masked cham dances on the
26th to the 29th day of the 11th Tibetan month, which is usually
in January.
Mons of the Khesa race were dominant in
the past in the region of western Himalayas. The Mons have been
Buddhist in the region from the time of the Kushan dynasty,
established by Emperor Kanishka. Mons are the main population in
the village in the Zanskar valley and said to belong to an Aryan
race connected to Kaniskha’s period as their features do not
match with that of the local tribes or with the Mongolians. Mons
are credited with building 30 monasteries, chortens and temples,
including the Kursha Monastery in the main Zanskar valley; some
of the other monasteries built by them are the: Teta, Burdal,
Muni, Phugtal, Pune, Padum, Togrimo, Tondhe, Pipting, Sumda,
Zangla and Linshot.Gelugpa monastery is another important
monastery that is situated in Khursha village, which has a
superb display of mural arts. |
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Structure of Karsha Monastery |
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Karsha monastery, the largest monastery
of Zanskar, has lot of shrines and has been decorated with
beautiful paintings done by the Lama Dzadpa Dorje.It also houses
the relics of Dorje Rinchen. 100 monks live in this monastery.
The popular festival held in the monastery grounds is called the
Gustor festival, which is celebrated between the 26th and 29th
day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar, when events such
as the sacred masked cham dance take place. The monastery also
has bone relics of Dorje Rinchen and serves as the residence of
approximately 100 monks.
Other temples built close to the
monastery are Thugsjechhenpoi Lhakhang and the Lhakhang Karpo.
Other Monasteries in the vicinity are the Phagspa Monastery ,
Purang Monastery and Khagsar Monastery. A nunnery known as 'Dorjezong',
is situated at the top of the valley. In the nunnery, a holy
image of 11-headed Avaloketeshvara is deified.
In the Karsha monastery there is a
cloth painting, unfolded by the Lamas, which is intricately
decorated in gold and colourful threads on an orange cloth,
which depicts Buddha surrounded by his tutelary deities.
"Karsha was built against the craggy
hillside like a massive white fortress, with deep-set,
black-edged windows. From a distance, village, gompa and
mountainside were merged together,It was a medieval world. Lamas
of all ages gossiped and giggled, lounging on the steps in front
of heavy wooden doors with iron studs. In the evening sun the
angles of the roof and squared lintels cast black-and-white
shadows in geometrical patterns. Mastiffs still sheltering from
the day's heat stretched out in shady corners squalid with gompa
debris - old bones, pieces of cloth, and the odd tattered boot.
Despite the midsummer warmth the old lamas' maroon cloaks were
of heavy tweed. The cheeky, shaven-headed boys wear their cotton
cloaks slipped off one shoulder and their yellow hats at a
rakish angle.
Lamas wearing red and yellow robes and
brocade hats sat in lines to sing the evening prayers. Serving
lamas, two to each heavy copper kettle, moved up and down
pouring salt tea. Ibex heads looked down from the ceiling, and
there was a banner which depicts running deer, yaks and a
leopard, partially hidden by dust and cobwebs. Murals
illuminating scenes from the life of the Buddha glowed with rich
pigments, and multicoloured tsampa and ghi offerings were
displayed.The last rays of the sun glinted off the gold brocade
in the altar cloth and off the rows of thankas. Images of the
Buddha, three times the size of man, stood above the altar,
dominating the theatrical scene. Trumpets blasted, cymbals
clashed and conch shells were blown through cupped hands, the
sound escaped through the closed windows and curtained doorways
into the courtyards and out across the valley." |
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Chortens |
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A Chorten in the grounds of the
Kursha monastery houses the mummified body of an incarnate
lama called the Rinchen Zangpo and sealed in a wooden box
with silver lining. Chortens represent not only various
stages of the spiritual attainments of Sakyamuni Buddha,
as a memorial structure but also interns the physical body
of Buddha kapala. In the dome of the chorten, in addition
to confining the mortal remains of lamas and saints, it is
also said that their spiritual elements are infused in
them. Chorten is identified with a wonderful human body.
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Geography |
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Karsha is at the confluence of the
Lungtsi river, which raises from the Lingti peak of Doda basin
that forms the Zanskar River. Zanskar takes a turn at Karsha and
flows in a northwesterly direction to join the Indus River at
Nyemo. Below the Khlangpu peak (5,160 metres (16,930 ft)) of the
Zanskar hill range, the river flows in deep ravines near Karsha
monastery. It is in this stretch of the Zanskar river in the
Lungti and the Doda valleys that there is a maximum awareness of
villages. |
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Visitor
information |
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It is a highly honored monastery in
Khurshan village, which is 14 kilometres from Padum village. The
village has a market, a dispensary ,school, and post and
telegraph offices. Interesting information for visitors to the
village is of the facilities available for river rafting in the
Zanskar river; it is a five hours ride on a very rough river, in
the gorge portion of the Zanskar river called the "Grand Canyon"
of Asia, in freezing cold conditions. The rafting starts from
Remala and ends in Karsha village near Padum (30 kilometres (19
mi)) rafting in the river in ‘Rapids of Class II category’
considered appropriate for beginners); after completing the
rafting, a short walk from the camp would lead to the Karsha
monastery for an evening prayer. Zanskar valley is closed from
November to May due to heavy snow conditions.
Leh is the nearest airport; while
Srinagar is also another airport that could be used. Kargil (6
kilometres (3.7 mi)) from Pakistan border) is at a distance of a
240 kilometres (150 mi)) from Padum, which is a further 14
kilometres (8.7 mi)) away from the monastery. |
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