ITINERARY:

On the 15th day of the 1st Tibetan month, a 2-day festival is held at the Matho Monastery-the only Shakyapa monastic establishment in Ladakh. During this festival, the two oracles of the monastery make a public appearance in their full spiritual form. These oracles, actually monks of the monastery, meditate in complete isolation for a full month in preparation of entering in a state of trance and invoking the spirit of the deities.

On the day of the festival, they invoke and receive the deities and come into their full spiritual trance. They run over the high rise ramparts of the monastery jump from one balcony to another and execute a number of acrobatic feats, all while blindfolded! People from far and wide come to hear the oracles predict key future events and to seek answers about their own future.

09 Mar: Arrival Leh.
Arrival Leh, Wisdom representative will meet, greet, assist and transfer you to Hotel in Leh. Rest of the day free to acclimatize to the high altitude of Ladakh. Overnight at Hotel in Leh.

10 Mar: Matho Festival.
Witness the inaugural day of the annual monastic festival at Matho Monastery. Packed lunch will be served at the festival. Comeback to hotel in Leh for dinner and overnight stay.

11 Mar: Matho Festival.
Witness the closing day at Matho Monastery. Packed lunch will be served at the festival. Comeback to hotel in Leh for dinner and overnight stay.

MATHO GOMPA:
Situated on the opposite bank of the Indus across Thiksey, Matho was established in the first half of the 16th century AD and has valuable collection of very old and beautiful Thankas, some in the form of Mandalas. Its annual festival of Oracles in early March is an important event in Ladakhi religious calendar. Young monks selected as oracles undergo long period of meditation, fasting and ritual purification to gain spiritual strength. When possessed they perform astonishing feats with swords and knives, cavorting blindfolded along narrow parapets.

12 Mar: Indus Valley Monastery Tour. (80 Kms round trip)
Morning after breakfast visit Shey, Thiksey and Hemis monastery. Overnight hotel at Leh.

SHEY PALACE AND GOMPA:
Situated on a hillock 15 Kms upstream from Leh, it was once the residence of the royal family. According to tradition, it was the seat of power of the pre-Tibetan kinds. A 7.5 mts high copper statue of Buddha, plated with gold and the largest of its kind, is installed here.

THIKSEY GOMPA:
19 Kms from Leh, spectacularly sited, Thiksey is one of the largest and architecturally most impressive Gompas. There are several temples in this Gompas, containing images, stupas and wall paintings of Buddha, which are exquisite.

HEMIS GOMPA:
40 Kms from Leh, it is the wealthiest, best known and biggest Gompa of Ladakh. Its popularity stems from the major annual festival held here in summer. The festival is in honor of Guru Padma Sambhava's birth anniversary. It also has the largest Thanka in Ladakh which is unfurled once in 12 years (nest in 2004) Hemis was built in 1630 during the reign of Singge Namgyal, an illustrious ruler of Ladakh. It flourished under the Namgyal Dynasty for the royalty favored the Drugpa sect, which is managed the monastery. It is divided into two, the assembly hall on the right and the main temple on the left. The hall (Dukhang) is also used as "green room" by the dancers during the festival. The temple is known as Tshogkhang. The verandahs have a surfeit of frescoes, among them the Buddhist "Wheel Of Life" (Kalachakra) and the lords of the four quarters, besides the prayer wheel.

13 Mar: Excursion to Khardungla Pass (78 Km round trip)
After breakfast prepare yourself for the ultimate adventure of your life. We will drive upto the Kardungla Top to have a magnificent view of the surrounding valleys. After spending some time there come back to Hotel and relax. You can carry a picnic lunch or come back to hotel for a late hot lunch. (Please check the buffet timings at your hotel in case of hot lunch) In the evening take a small round trip to Shanti Stupa for the beautiful sunset view over the entire Leh Valley. Overnight at Hotel in Leh.

KHARDUNGLA PASS:
The road journey to Nubra valley leads through Khardung La pass (The highest Motorable road in the world) 18,390 ft. around 39 Kms. Away from Leh. There are two checkpoints on the both sides of the pass. Khardong is the first village of Nubra valley at higher altitude than Deskit and other villages.

SHANTI STUPA (Japanese Peace Pagoda):
Shanti Stupa/Japanese peace pagoda is build by a Japanese religious organization headed by Head monk Nakamura with the help from the organization and local people. It is situated at a hill top in Cahngspa village providing a bird eye view of the Leh town and the surrounding mountain peaks. Architecturally it has the Japanese touch with small clean rooms on the side for meditators and the main Japanese shrine at the entrance.

14 Mar: Departure.
In-time transfer to Leh airport to board flight for Delhi.

 

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