Hanle Monastery

Hanle Monastery is a 17th-century gompa of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism located in the Hanle Valley, Leh district, Ladakh, India on an old branch of the ancient Ladakh-Tibet trade route. The valley is home to about a thousand people, with about 300 people living in Hanle village. The monastery is home to about ten monks while another 33 or so come regularly for prayers. It is only 19 kilometres (12 mi) from the disputed frontier between India and Chinese-controlled Tibet. It is 255 km southeast of Leh, 208 km southeast of Upshi & 75 km southeast of Nyoma. The main monastery, one of the largest and best known of Ladakh's monasteries, was built under the patronage of the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal (r. c. 1616-1642 CE) with the assistance of the famous Tibetan lama and traveler Taktsang Répa Ngakwang Gyatso (Wylie: stag tshang ras pa ngag dbang rgya mtsho). It was the first to be associated with the Drukpa Lineage and which, under the patronage of the Namgyal family, became very important in Ladakh, functioning as a serious rival to the reformed Gelug school. The monasteries in Hanle, Hemis, Chemrey and Stakna all belong to the Drukpa school. Sengge Namgyal died at Hanle on his return from an expedition against the Mongols, who had occupied Tsang and were threatening Ladakh. Outside donations established the Tashi Choeling ("Auspicious Dharma Centre") in 1983 providing support for resident nuns (who numbered 47 in 2003). In a January, 2004 article it is said to have had only 10 resident monks with 33 coming regularly for prayers. It is also home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory. The location of both the village and the observatory are highly sensitive due to the close proximity of the Tibetan / Chinese border and special permission is needed to visit either by the government of India. Fukche airport is 24 kilometres (15 mi) away and Ukdungle is close by.

Hanle Monastery
Hanle Monastery
Religion
Affiliation	Tibetan Buddhism
Sect	Drukpa
Location
Location	Hanle, Leh District, Ladakh, India
Location in Ladakh union territory, India
Coordinates	32°47′26″N 79°0′7″E / 32.79056°N 79.00194°E / 32.79056; 79.00194
Architecture
Style	Tibetan Architecture
Founder	Sengge Namgyal
Established	17th century

Hanle Monastery is a 17th-century gompa of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism located in the Hanle Valley, Leh district, Ladakh, India on an old branch of the ancient Ladakh-Tibet trade route. The valley is home to about a thousand people, with about 300 people living in Hanle village. The monastery is home to about ten monks while another 33 or so come regularly for prayers. It is only 19 kilometres (12 mi) from the disputed frontier between India and Chinese-controlled Tibet.^[1] It is 255 km southeast of Leh, 208 km southeast of Upshi & 75 km southeast of Nyoma.

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The main monastery, one of the largest and best known of Ladakh's monasteries, was built under the patronage of the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal (r. c. 1616-1642 CE) with the assistance of the famous Tibetan lama and traveler Taktsang Répa Ngakwang Gyatso (Wylie: stag tshang ras pa ngag dbang rgya mtsho).^[2] It was the first to be associated with the Drukpa Lineage and which, under the patronage of the Namgyal family, became very important in Ladakh, functioning as a serious rival to the reformed Gelug school.^[3] The monasteries in Hanle, Hemis, Chemrey and Stakna all belong to the Drukpa school.^[4]

Sengge Namgyal died at Hanle on his return from an expedition against the Mongols, who had occupied Tsang and were threatening Ladakh.^[5]

Outside donations established the Tashi Choeling ("Auspicious Dharma Centre") in 1983 providing support for resident nuns (who numbered 47 in 2003).^[6] In a January, 2004 article it is said to have had only 10 resident monks with 33 coming regularly for prayers.^[7]

It is also home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory. The location of both the village and the observatory are highly sensitive due to the close proximity of the Tibetan / Chinese border and special permission is needed to visit either by the government of India.^{[citation needed]} Fukche airport is 24 kilometres (15 mi) away and Ukdungle is close by.

Footnotes

[edit]

^ Lang and Klum (2004), p. 90.
^ "Taktsang Repa Ngawang Gyatso". Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
^ Rizvi (1996), pp. 67-68.
^ Rizvi (1996), p. 219.
^ Rizvi (1996), p. 70.
^ Lang and Klum (2004), p. 97.
^ Lang and Klum (2004), p. 90.

References

[edit]

Lang, Karen E. and photos by Mattias Klum. "In their own world: The sacred community of India's forbidden Hanle Valley." National Geographic Magazine. January 2004, pp. 88–99.
Rizvi, Janet (1996). Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia. Second Edition. (1996). Oxford University Press, New Delhi. ISBN 0-19-564546-4.

Union Territory of Ladakh

Capital: Kargil; Leh

State symbols

History

Pre-Independent India	Maryul Namgyal dynasty of Ladakh Tibet–Ladakh–Mughal war Treaty of Tingmosgang Dogra–Tibetan War Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir
Post-Independent India	1947–1948 India-Pakistan War 1948 military operations in Ladakh 1971 battle of Turtuk 2010 Ladakh floods 2019 Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh reorganisation
Conflicts	Demchok conflict India–China conflict India–Pakistan conflict Kashmir conflict Siachen conflict

Administration

Geography

General	Four types of Himalayan ranges Geology of the Himalaya
Ranges	Baltoro Muztagh Ladakh Range Saltoro Mountains Zanskar Range Kailash Range
Plateau	Depsang Plains More plains Sirijap Teram Shehr Plateau
Valleys	Leh Rupshu Salt Valley Mushkoh Valley Padum Shyok Suru Valley Nubra Zanskar Aryan valley
Glaciers	Chumik Glacier Drang-Drung Glacier Machoi Glacier Parkachik Glacier Shafat Glacier Siachen Glacier
Lakes	Tso Moriri Pangong Tso
Rivers	Sutlej Beas Ravi Shyok Chenab Drass River Indus Zanskar Tsarap Doda Yapola Suru River Markha Galwan Chip Chap
Passes	Bilafond La Chang la Fotu La Gyong La Indira Col Karakoram Pass Khardung La Kongka Pass Lachulung La Taglang La Marsimik La Namika La Pensi La Rezang La Rimo Sasser Pass Sia La Shingo La Spanggur Gap Zoji La
Mountain peaks	Bana Top Chumik Kangri Ghent Kangri Gurung Hill India Saddle K12 Saltoro Kangri Sherpi Kangri Tiger Saddle

Human
settlements

Culture

General	Music of Ladakh
Languages	Ladakhi Purgi Balti Zangskari Changthang Brokskat
Festivals	Bono-na festival

Tourism and
wildlife

Wildlife	Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary Hemis National Park Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary
Tourism	Khurnak Fort Ladakh Marathon Shanti Stupa, Ladakh Siachen Base Camp
Indo-Tibetan Buddhist monasteries	Alchi Bardan Basgo Chemrey Diskit Hanle Hemis Hundur Korzok Karsha Lamayuru Likir Lingshed Mashro/Matho Monastery Mulbekh Namgyal Tsemo Phugtal Phyang Rangdum Rizong Sani Sankar Saspul Shey Monastery Spituk Stakna Stok Stongdey Takthok Thikse Tserkarmo Tonde Wanla Zangla Zongkul

Transport

Airports	Kargil Airport Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (Leh) Military AGLs
Roads	Darbuk–Shyok–DBO Road India-China Border Roads Leh–Manali Highway NH1 Leh–Kargil–Srinagar Highway Nimmu–Padum–Darcha road (under construction) Sasoma–Saser La Road
Railway	Bhanupli–Leh line (planned) Srinagar–Leh line (planned)

Infrastructure

General	Indian Astronomical Observatory
Dams and hydroelectric project	Chutak Dumkhar Salal
Education	Central Institute of Buddhist Studies Defence Institute of High Altitude Research Druk White Lotus School Eliezer Joldan Memorial College Leh, Ladakh Government Degree College, Kargil Phuktal Monastic School Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh University of Ladakh

Hanle Monastery

See also

Footnotes

References