Religion in Ladakh – A Spiritual Experience
If you’ve been to Ladakh and you’ve seen the prayer flags flying, you will know there’s no other sight as mesmerizing and as peaceful as that. The glittering prayer wheels spinning about bring to mind lovely music and utter calm that you will find in not too many places. It’s quite something to experience true Buddhist culture and spiritualism in one of the most important sites for Buddhism. Religion in Ladakh flaunts a very beautiful and harmonious form of Tibetan Buddhism that will surely make its way into your heart.
The best part about religion in Ladakh are all the gorgeous gompas or monasteries that you will keep sighting everywhere. Gompas are Buddhist monasteries but unlike any other temples or places of religion in the country, these gompas are the epitome of quietude and serenity. The walls of these gompas are very often covered in beatific illustrations of Lord Buddha and his followers. These gompas come to life because of these murals and represent the monastic side of Buddhism.
Some of the most beautiful gompas in Ladakh are the Hemis gompa, Lamayuru gompa and Thiksey gompa. The Shanti Stupa, considered to be a manifestation of Lord Buddha himself, is one of the most peaceful places you will visit in Ladakh. The Stupa holds the relics of the Buddha at its base, making it the most spiritual sites in Ladakh. The outer sides of the gompas are lined with metallic, cylindrical prayer wheels that one may rotate clockwise. It is said that doing so releases positive vibes and is very beneficial for the person spinning it.
As such, religion in Ladakh is more of a way of life than anything else. It is about spirituality, peace and brotherhood, and taking life one day at a time!
