Alchi Monastery, Ladakh, India

Gelug Tradition, 11th century.

Alchi Monastery or Alchi Gompa is a Buddhist monastic complex of temples in Alchi village in the Leh District of the Ladakh Union Territory. It is administered by the Likir Monastery.

The complex has four separate settlements, with monuments dated to different periods. Of these four hamlets, Alchi monastery is said to be the oldest and most famous.

Alchi Monastery. Photo: Steve Hicks, Wikipedia

Location

Alchi is part of three villages in lower Ladakh region, which constitute the ‘Alchi group of monuments’; the other two villages adjoining Alchi are the Mangyu and Sumda Chun.

The monuments in these three villages are stated to be of "unique style and workmanship’, but the Alchi monastic complex is the best known.

History

The creation of the Alchi complex is attributed to the famous scholar-translator Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055) in the 10th century, along with the Lamayuru Monastery, the Wanla, the Mang-gyu and the Sumda.

During the tenth century, the Tibetan lama-king Yeshe-Ö of Guge, in order to spread Buddhism in the Trans Himalayan region, took the initiative by allocating 21 scholars to the region.

However, due to harsh climatic and topographic conditions, only two survived; one of them was the esteemed scholar and translator Rinchen Zangpo who established Buddhist activity in the Ladakh region and other areas of India including Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

During his sojourn there, he also went to Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. Zangpo became known by the epithet "Lotsawa" or the "Great Translator"; he is credited with building 108 monasteries in his quest to disseminate Buddhism.

Zangpo engaged Kashmiri artists to create wall paintings and sculptures in the legendary 108 monasteries; only a few of these have survived, with the Alchi Monastery complex in Ladakh having pride of place among all monasteries that he built.

Since the monasteries of this period did not belong to any of the established Tibetan schools, they were initially brought under the control of the Kadampa order.

When the condition of the monasteries deteriorated, they were mostly taken over by the Gelugpa order, with the exception of Lamayuru which was placed under the Drigunkpa sect.

After worship at Alchi monastery ceased for some reason in the fifteenth century, it also became under the Gelugpa sect controlled from Likir.

Features

The artistic and spiritual details of both Buddhism and the Hindu kings of that time in Kashmir are reflected in the wall paintings in the monastery complex. These are some of the oldest surviving paintings in Ladakh.

The complex also has large statues of the Buddha and "lavish wood carvings and art-work — almost baroque in style."

The Dukhang or the Assembly Hall is at the heart of the monastery complex, where monks perform worship and ceremonies. Many additions were made to the ancient structure during the 12th and 13th centuries.

The colonnaded veranda leads to the hall from a front courtyard and frescoes of one thousand Buddhas are depicted in the passageway.

The Wheel of Life and Mahakal can be seen at the outer gate. The walls of the Dukhang, dedicated to Panch Tathāgatas, are painted with six different mandalas that surround the Vairochana, the main deity worshipped in the hall.

The mandalas are set among by many paintings of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, goddesses, fierce divinities and guardians of dharma, and lesser divinities.

Sumtseg means a three storied building and is one of the most outstanding features. Its purpose is not clearly established. It is built with loam and natural stone, in the Tibetan building tradition.

The luxuriant woodwork columns, facades, walls, clay images and paintings in the interior of the monastery were made by Kashmiri artists. The niches depict the main images of three Bodhisattvas (all in standing posture and about 4 meters) and the associate secondary deities.

Except for the main wooden door on the top floor, which is dilapidated, the rest of the Sumtseg is well preserved in its original form, as built in the early 13th century.

Image of Maitreya, the largest in size (4.63 meters), is deified on the back wall and flanked by the images of Avalokiteśvara and Mañjuśrī.

An inscription in the main niche states that Maitreya symbolizes the Buddha body of reality, Avalokiteśvara the pure rapture and Mañjuśrī the emanation body.

Dating of the Sumtseg has been made based on the names of the priests inscribed on the top floor of the structure. The last name is that of Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel(1143–1217) of Drikungpa school, from which it is inferred that Sumsteg was established in the early 13th century.

Mañjuśrī Temple, also called 'Jampe Lhakhang', is built around the four central images of Mañjuśrī (seated back to back) on a common platform. Each wall in the shrine is dedicated to a Buddha image.

Mañjuśrī is depicted on the main wall, seated on a lion throne, and the side walls have images of Amitabha and Aksharabhya. Mañjuśrī is adorned with jewelry and a crown.

In the base of the throne on which the Mañjuśrī image is deified, is a depiction of 'Seven Jewels' and 'Eight Auspicious Symbols'¹.

The Great Chörten and the Small Chörten (stupa) were built in the early 13th century, following the building of the Sumtseg. They are decorated gateways known locally as 'Kakani Chörten' and 'Ka-ka-ni mchod-rten' that are considered unique to Alchi. More chortens were added between the 13th and 14th centuries, some having ancient paintings.

Festivals

• Chötrul Düchen, also known as Chonga Choepa or the Butter Lamp Festival, is one of the four Buddhist festivals commemorating four events in the life of the Buddha, according to Tibetan traditions.

Chötrul Düchen closely follows Losar, the Tibetan New Year. It takes place on the fifteenth day of the first month in the Tibetan calendar during the full moon (Bumgyur Dawa). The first fifteen days of the year celebrate the fifteen days during which the Buddha displayed miracles for his disciples so as to increase their devotion.

During Chötrul Düchen ("Great Day of Miraculous Manifestations"), it is believed that the effects of both positive and negative actions are multiplied ten million times.

• Dajyur or the Damxung Horse Festival takes place at the beginning of the eighth month of the lunar calendar (solar September). The festivities last for ten days with events such as horse racing, bicycle riding contests, and rock-carrying competitions contributing to a time of merriment and celebration.

• Galdan Namchot is a festival to commemorate the birth, parinirvana (death) and the Buddhahood of Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419 AD), a famous Scholar/teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Galdan Namchot also marks the beginning of the new year celebrations in Ladakh.

• Monlam also known as The Great Prayer Festival, falls on 4th–11th day of the 1st Tibetan month in Tibetan Buddhism. The event of Monlam in Tibet was established in 1409 by Tsongkhapa.

• The Sho Dun Festival, commonly known as the Yogurt Festival or Banquet is an annual festival celebrated in the summer, from the 15th to the 24th of the 5th lunar month - usually about the middle of August, after a month's retreat by the monks who stay within their monasteries to avoid walking on the emerging summer insects and killing them.

It began in the 16th century with a banquet given by the lay people for the monks, featuring yogurt. Later, summer operas, or Lhamo, and theatricals were added to the festivities.

Travel and Visiting

A good time to travel to Alchi monastery is from May to September or October when the roads to Leh are open from Srinagar and Manali. These roads are closed from November to May due to snow. Air travel is the only option to reach Leh, and further to Alchi in Ladakh during wintertime.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchi_Monastery
• https://devilonwheels.com/alchi-monastery-travel-guide-leh-ladakh/

Footnotes

1. The Eight Auspicious Symbols are: The Parasol or Dug, The Golden Fishes or Ser-Nya, The Treasure Vase or Ter-gyi Bumpa, The Lotus or Pema, The Right-Turning Conch Shell or Dhung ya'-kyil, The Endless or Glorious Knot or Pal-be'u, The Victory Banner or Gyaltsen, The The Whell or Khorlo.

The Seven Precious Jewels are: The Precious Wheel, The Precious Jewel, The Precious Queen, The Precious Minister, The Precious Elephant, The Precious Horse, The Precious General