A TRAVEL TO THE SPIRITUAL HIMALAYAS - Paradise on Earth

MANALI | ROHTANG PASS | SISSU | SARCHU | PANG | TAGLANG LA | HEMIS LEH

It was a journey, a trip that will stay put in my heart forever–each moment, each day. And not just as an individual, I will remember and prize it as a group in a huddle. A long trip that should have been weary but was rather rejuvenating, realizing, no fuss, not a single strain. My greatest journey as a traveler. And as a travel reporter, I’d recommend it to all my friends, readers, viewers and well wishers. But remember, this one is for the spirited ones! A travel to the spiritual Himalayas made us witness a widespread flying Himalayan eagle, the humped Bactrian Camels, the Himalayan Marmots, the pristine and godly lakes, the highest motorable roads, the mystic monasteries in the middle of nowhere, the dizzying heights accompanied with freezing winds, unending chain of gigantic mountains with meandering rivers coursing through them, and the best part of it all, freedom to do Yoga and meditation anywhere out in the open. Just choose any cave, any gorge, any base of mountain, any patch of grass, any rock near the river–from Rohtang La to Khardung La, Ladakh is perhaps one of the greatest places to do Yoga, meditate and also attain wisdom.

Nimmu is a beautiful valley that marks the confluence of the Indus River and Zanskar River. The Indus River drains the dry and deserted terrains of Ladakh's landlocked valley and serves as its lifeline.

A beautiful place to meditate in Sarchu on way to Leh. There are many amazing spots on way to do Yoga and remote meditation. Sarchu is also known for its starry nights and galaxy watching.

Travel to SISSU

SOUL STIRRING

The journey from Kullu to Leh is a lifetime experience in itself. Kullu is known as ‘Devalaya’(land of the lords) and along with Manali, it is a beauty with the gentle Beas river and a spring at almost every step. But when one hikes the Rohtang Pass, the heights of the Himalaya scare you for thefirst time. Coming down from Rohtang, one enters the Lahaul & Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh which is getting more and more popular with the tourists these days. Sissu, a small remote town located in the Lahaul valley at an altitude of 3120 m above sea level, is an unexplored destination in this region. During a travel to the spiritual Himalayas, we camped in Sissu on the banks of the Chandra river just 50 m from an amazing waterfall “Palden Lhamo Dhar”. While meditating in the open, we all could feel the vibration of the waterfall that is considered very sacred here. Some of us could even listen to the vibration during a state of sleep in the night. Evenings, though cold, were a paradise under the starry sky. We trekked to the waterfall on our second day and performed Yajna (fire ceremony) chanting mantras for syncing with the elements within. Starry nights, Sunny days, Mystical Waterfall, Remote surroundings, Quiet Gompa, and Inner vibrations made our 3 day stay in Sissu only wanting for more and perhaps the most soul touching experience of life.

Rocks with the mantra “OM MANI PADME HUM” inscribed upon them; A view of the Chandra River from the remote Sissu Gompa

Dizzying heights, rarefied air and brutally cold temperatures– Taglang La is all this and more. A photograph by the board which says World’s Second Highest Motorable Road Alt 17480 ft. is one amongst the cherished souvenirs for many travelers after a trip to Leh Ladakh.

Hemis, Ladakh

A WONDER THAT BOWLS YOU OUT

It was late in the evening when we reached Leh and checked into the hotel. When I woke up morning fresh, the tiredness had disappeared. I was ready for a fresh day and a fresh adventure. One of our friends had read about the Hemis monastery in some book on Jesus’ visit to India and he was very eager to visit that monastery. So, after a hot shower and a continental brunch, without wasting any further time, we headed for the Hemis

monastery. It was only 40 km away and we reached in a jiffy. It took a little over an hour and there we were, in a Buddhist monastery surrounded by mountains. After visiting the

temple and offering our prayers at the gates of Padmasambhava, we were led to the library which supposedly had proof about Jesus’ visit to India. The monks in the library spoke local language that we did not understand, and the books and scriptures too were in some other language. Actually, most of them were in Pali. We were offered butter tea at the monastery and that was quite a treat. What was really striking about this monastery was the humility and modesty of the monks, their treatment of guests, and their firm faith in the preachings of their master. Faith is a very strong thing, perhaps the strongest of all, and Sean was so right when

he said–“Their silence gives us a thousand invaluable messages. This is what we need to pick up during a travel to the spiritual Himalayas, as our memories and learnings from this journey.”

Leh, the capital of Ladakh, is quite a comfortable town to stay actually and packed in a hotel room, you won’t actually feel that you are in Ladakh, only a few hundred kilometers from the dreaded Aksai Chin. Located at a reasonable altitude, Leh is close to great destinations like Nubra Valley, Diskit, Hunder, Pangong Lake, Tsomoriri Lake, and the famous passes–Khardung La and Taglang La. Leh is also home to the Namgyal Monastery and Leh Palace apart from Stok and Hemis. Leh has a reasonably good market where one can shop and enjoy different cuisines for a break.

By Ishan Mukherjee Feature Writer

Vol.1, Issue 1, April May 2025- Rishikesh Yogalaya