On the third day of my trip to Ladakh, a strange painting in Hemis monastery caught my eyeballs. I asked the tour guide about it out of curiosity, and he retorted with an illuminating response. He began to narrate the story of four friends — the elephant, the monkey, the rabbit and the bird. The story revolved around themes of respect, obedience and duty towards our elders. I will come to the story later in this article but let me first explain how it all began.
It was 10th of September when my father first asked me whether I'd like to accompany him on his trip to Ladakh the following week. I was reluctant at first, but agreed after further deliberation with him.
He told me that we were to be accompanied by a friend of his, Mr Rafiq, a very learned man who had spent his years as an architect and city planner in the West.
We left on Sunday (September 15), at 8 am in the morning. Our driver was a polite man who had been to Ladakh many times before, just like my father who was going on his ninth trip this time around while it was just my first.
September 15, 2024:
On the way to Leh, we had to pass through Kargil and stop there for the night. The drive to Kargil was a long one and we reached there by 3 pm. We ate our lunch (much later in the day) at a local restaurant before checking in to our hotel on the left bank of the sublime Suru River.
After taking a little rest, we went to a museum not far from our hotel. The museum was a family-operated public museum known as Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum of Central Asian and Kargil Trade Artifacts; many relics of that era were housed there.
It surprised me how the daily-use objects that we consider trivial today, such as our toothbrushes, pieces of chalk and cloth, were kept safely in glass cases, indicating their importance. However, the things that interested me the most were the ways the stuffed animals were displayed in the museum.
There were taxidermies of many animals such as the heads of bear and goats, whose horns were long and curved back towards their heads. There was the pelt of a snow leopard's tail preserved there along with the rifle which was used to hunt it. The horns of antelopes were also displayed.
September 16:
The next day, we left for Leh. The road between Kargil and Leh is long and gradually increases in altitude. During the journey, we made many pit-stops. At this point, it was clear that we were in Ladakh as the mountains had scanty vegetation and seemed dry and naked with no soil to cover them from the blazing sun. Rocks were falling from the mountains onto the highway revealing the brittleness of the craggy mountains.
Indus & The Rocky Mountains
The highway we drove on is alongside the Indus, a river with great geographical, cultural, economic, and climatic importance for the region. Wherever the Indus flows, small patches of greenery follow, which provide a sort of relief from the vast landscape of dry mountains. Willow and poplar trees flourish alongside the banks of the river.
The Wall of Fame
As we finally reached the city we closed in on our destination, the Grand Dragon Hotel there in Leh. It is a large hotel with architecture that invoked the local cultural heritage in its design. Photos of the celebrities who had stayed there before hung on the wall. There were many familiar faces for the Indian eye, such as Amir Khan and Salman Khan. However, the celebrity who caught my eye was Chris Hemsworth who towered amongst his peers in the photo.
That same day, the hotel staff was generous enough to provide us with a driver, named Ali, who was adequately well-versed with the area. Ali was both our driver and our tour guide. His knowledge was vast and he rattled off answers to all our curious questions, as he took us sightseeing to a couple of places.
As we drove through the city, we noticed how clean it was. There were poplar and willow trees which grew parallel to the road in rows. These trees had not grown naturally but had been planted by the people. However, this was only visible in old Leh, where today's elders had planted them. There were not so many trees in the newer parts of Leh, and this was a very disappointing thing to see.
Old Palace of Small Doors
We also visited the Shanti stupa and the Royal Old Palace. The palace was far from comfortable. The low, narrow doorways were a source of mounting frustration, as I could hardly pass without bumping my head. This inconvenience was common among visitors, as evidenced by the soft padding affixed haphazardly to the door frames to prevent injury. As I departed, one thought lingered: the rulers who once inhabited this palace must have been remarkably short to walk through the short doors and navigate such cramped quarters with ease.
We also went to the Jamia Masjid in the Main market that evening. The architecture of that mosque was unlike the general architecture of the rest of the mosques I have been to. Our hotel manager had earlier mentioned that the architecture of Leh-Ladakh was unique and we could see it everywhere we went – including the mosque.
At dinner that night, I had a small conversation with Rafiq Sahib about his childhood. He told me that he was also a student of the Biscoe School and told me a bit about his interests. He said that he was inclined towards swimming and had been a percussionist in the school band for a while before he decided to leave the band.
September 17:
The next day, we left for an extensive tour of the city and its suburbs. This time, the hotel manager gave us a tour guide and driver separately and we travelled across the city with them.
Before leaving, we had a hearty breakfast at the hotel and Rafiq sahib and I ate together while my father was getting ready. He asked if I had visited any other places before and I told him about my travels across the country.
While we ate, a couple sat next to us. Rafiq sahib and I exchanged some pleasantries and we had a nice chat with them over breakfast. They told us that they were both South Africans Their accent reminded me of Freddie Mercury, the great British musician who had roots in Africa. I was mistaken in assuming that Freddie Mercury was South African. He was born and raised in East Africa, Zanzibar to be precise. It was a pleasure for me to talk with them, however they both finished their breakfast and left by the time my father arrived.
Shey Palace & The Magnificent Buddha
The first place we visited was the Shey Palace. Here, a room dedicated to meditation, served as an attraction, alongside the thousands of flags fluttering over the palace. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable when it came to Buddhism and explained all the intricacies of the religion.
He explained that the flags which were present everywhere had the same mantra written on them and were printed in different colours to represent the five elements: fire, water, air, sky and land, without which life was impossible. He drew our attention towards the prayer wheels which were built into the walls of the stupa and told us that rotating these wheels was a way of repenting for our sins as they had some powerful mantras engraved on them inside.
Inside that palace, we saw one of many great statues of Buddha that were here in Ladakh. This one was massive, larger than any statue I had seen before, standing at approximately 43 feet. The statue was so large that it occupied two stories of space inside the temple.
On the second storey, from where we viewed the torso of the Buddha, there were a couple of tables with bowls filled with many food products such as grain, milk, fruit and sweets. There were many bowls of plain water as well along with currency notes. Our tour guide explained that these were all offerings made to the Buddha and this practice was something I also observed at the other monasteries I visited.
The detail in the statue was impeccable. The whole structure was supposedly gilded, that is to say, it was covered in gold. The attention to detail was also praiseworthy and something that stood out was the Buddha's fingernails. They had cuticles painted on to them which is something I didn't expect to see.
Another detail was Buddha’s hairstyle. Through my research, later on, I found out that this top-knot was called the ushnisha. I was more intrigued that Buddha’s hair was in shades of blue - that was a part of the art style and was merely an aesthetic choice.
The Forgotten Minerals
Once we left the palace, we made our way down the stairs towards the road. As we prepared to leave, I saw a building with Rock and Mineral Museum written on it. The rest of our party was not willing to go as our tour guide felt it wouldn't be too impressive, but I insisted and went on my own for a couple of minutes.
Inside, there were samples of the many minerals found in Ladakh such as pyrite, also known as fool’s gold and amethyst. Many of these minerals would be classed as valuable gemstones after being polished and cut, but even so in their raw form their beauty was still nothing to sleep on.
Personally, it pains me how we fail to look at the physical world and acknowledge its beauty. It seems as though many people come here only to neglect the material world to embrace the spiritual. As for me, a balance is much needed.
Hemis Monastery
Afterward, we visited the largest of the monasteries here in Ladakh, the Hemis monastery where we were introduced to one of the major sects of Buddhism, the dragon sect, who wear red hats. One of the most interesting features of this monastery was the museum that was built on the monastery land.
This museum displayed and preserved plenty of artifacts that had both originally belonged to the monastery and had been given to them. Some of the most interesting artifacts there were human bones, which were apparently charred, and used as trumpets in some sort of ceremony and the information plaque stated that they were created as a reminder of human impermanence, though I would object, since making the bones into instruments would only immortalize them in my opinion.
Despite being a sanctum of peace, the museum was not impoverished when it came to weaponry. The weapons on display were symbolic and not meant to be used by ordinary humans. Rather, they were given to the spiritual protectors of the monastery.
Thikse Monastery Invoked Michaelangelo’s work
After leaving Hemis, we made our way to Thikse, another major monastery here in Ladakh. Here, we were able to see some more statues of the Buddha and saw some tapestry on the walls which depicted the life story of the Buddha and I could understand why, but for some reason, it reminded me of the western style of tapestry present in works such as the "Creation of Man" by Michaelangelo.
Here, the atmosphere was more mundane, or as the locals would describe it, peaceful. The only thing that seemed out of place was the cardboard cut-out of the Dalai Lama which I found in one of the rooms. There was also a ceremonial drum in that room and I felt the childish urge to play it. I tapped it once and was shocked by the quality of the drum. The monks looked at me with a humble smile on their face and told me to not do that as they were studying their scriptures at that time. I felt great regret for my actions as I left the room.
The Elephant, Monkey, Rabbit & the Bird
While we were leaving the inner part of the temple my eyes wandered across the many images of the Buddha and fixed onto a painting that felt out of place. It showed an elephant in front of a tree, with a monkey on his back who, in turn, had a rabbit on his back who, again, had a bird on his head. I asked the tour guide what it meant and he explained how it is a story about respecting our elders.
The tour guide narrated that the story began with the four friends -- the elephant, the monkey, the rabbit and the bird who gather in a forest, but do not know who the eldest amongst them is. So, they go near a tree. The elephant says that when he came here the last time, this tree was smaller than him. The monkey says that when he was here this tree had begun to grow leaves. The rabbit states that when he got here, the tree had just been a sapling. Finally, the bird says that it was the one who brought the tree. After this, they realize the bird is the eldest amongst them despite its size and they all support each other so that the bird may stay on top and reach the fruits on the tree as a sign of respect.
This would also be the last monastery we would pay a visit to.
Rancho School & Key-chains
The tour guide insisted we should visit the "Rancho school". The school that had been named so because the building was used as a set for the Amir Khan film "3 idiots". None of us really wanted to go, but we all decided to pay a visit anyway.
Once we returned to our hotel, we had a bit of rest. My father and I then left for the market to have our lunch, and we ate at the local Karim's. Later, we went to the shops to buy souvenirs for my friends. I had thought over many possible gifts which I could've gotten. In one shop, I found some small animals made of stone, copper and steel. They were finely built and were my first choice.
However, later on, I decided against getting them and chose to bring back key-chains which I thought were more symbolic. On their front, they had a motorcycle engraved as homage to the bikers who frequented Ladakh, and had some prayer flags surrounding the word 'Ladakh' which was also written on them. The key-chains were bronze in colour, with a gold accent. The front part was able to rotate similar to the prayer wheels in the monasteries. At the back, there were some symbols engraved, which I deduced were part of some mantra. In the end, I felt like this was the best thing I could've gotten from there.
The Drone Flyer
Later that day, we returned to the market, this time with Rafiq sahib in tow. He had left the hotel on his own while we were still out and joined us midway. We were actually preparing to return to the hotel when he met us outside. Together, we departed once more for dinner.
Before leaving, I noticed that a tourist had also stopped by for dinner. I was able to recognize this man by the shape of his face and his long and blonde hair. I had seen him at the Hemis monastery with a drone, which I was surprised was not confiscated.
He was from Ukraine and was traveling with some friends. Sitting beside him was his friend who bore a striking resemblance to the Kazakhstani boxer, Gennady Gelovkin. I spoke with the two for a while until my father and Rafiq sahib finished their dinner.
September 18:
The next day we got up earlier than usual. This was because that day we were headed to our final major destination, the Pangong Lake. It was a long drive, so the hotel gave us some food to take along and we left without having breakfast.
About midway through the journey, we made a stop at some place that seemed to be a tourist magnet of sorts. At first, it seemed quite unpromising in terms of the landscape as there was not much of a view to behold, but it was only when I looked down that I saw what all the chatter was about.
The Marmots & Clutter of Tourists
A species of rodent, the Himalayan Marmot, was found here and despite the many signs that urged the tourists to not interact with them, no one seemed to care. This was something I found a bit peculiar, as usually tourists coming into another country are good law-abiding citizens but here not some, but all - the Europeans, the Americans, the Australians, indeed all of the tourists, irrespective of their race, were technically violating the instructions.
It was a bit agonizing for me to read that over-exposure to humans could lead these marmots to develop psychological issues over time. For this reason, I intentionally kept my distance from the main pack, where 30 or so people had clustered around what seemed like a single marmot. The poor thing must have felt so strange to be surrounded by these large creatures.
After walking for a while, I found a marmot of my own. This one seemed much more active and livelier than the one the tourists had surrounded. While I approached it, it was busy in feeding on some small vegetation. I tried to approach it slowly, but it jumped back once its eyes locked on to me and climbed onto a nearby rock and stood on two legs.
As I was already bending over, it was now at the same eye level as I, and despite its small stature, it exuded energy comparable to that of great beasts such as lions and elephants. I left this poor thing as it was, since it was awfully territorial. Around the time, the tourist herd had dissipated and only five or so tourists remained.
I used this opportunity to take a look at the marmot that those tourists had been interested in. Now that they were gone, it seemed much more relaxed. However, I could tell that this was quite probably, partly due to the over-exposure to humans, which must have made it incredibly docile, which can be like a death sentence for a wild animal, which needs instincts to survive.
After leaving a bit of internal deliberation, I decided that it would be alright if I pet it, as it wouldn't be surprised. Its brown fur was incredibly soft to the touch and felt soothing.
I stayed there for a while and decided to walk around to survey my surroundings a little. I saw many holes in the ground that looked like they continued inwards. I concluded that this is where these marmots must live as they seem to lead a subterranean life.
Ladakh’s Saltwater Lake
After boarding the taxi again, we made our way to Pangong directly, with no pit stops in between. After an hour, we reached. My father, in all his experience and wisdom, spoke to me about the lake. He had been here several times before and told me some basic details about it.
The Pangong 'Tso' is a saltwater lake. It is only partially situated in India with the rest of it being located in China. A Line of Control is also present here and we got to see some action from the armed forces who were boarding some vessels in the lake.
Rafiq sahib was not too interested in visiting the lake. For the short span of time that he was there, he took some of the water in the palm of his hand to taste it. As soon as I saw him put his waterfilled palm to his mouth, thinking he was going to gulp it down, I shouted, " Rafiq sahib, that's saltwater!”. But even before I could begin to say, he had spat it out. "Yeah", he responded to my cry with a smile, revealing his casual and nonchalant behaviour that is so endearing. To this day, I affirm my belief that Rafiq Sahib is the one who has taught me more about stoicism then the titans of philosophy such as the Stoic philosopher-slave Epictetus.
After he made his way back to the car, my father and I stayed back and spent a bit of time by the lake taking photos of each other in all different poses. He used the opportunity to teach me the fundamentals of photography, something he had great proficiency in.
Collecting Odds & Ends
Around this time, I looked in the water and found some stones that were incredibly white and lustrous.
After a long trip, we finally returned. We then stayed at the hotel for a while before venturing out again to the market for a stroll. My little sister called and asked us to get something for her. My father was a bit preoccupied, so I looked around by myself. In the end, I got her a Harry Potter book.
Before leaving for dinner, I also bought a snake made out of silver from a jeweller. My father obliged and let me buy it. Along the way, I also bought a T-shirt that I had seen in the window of a shop the night before. It had a dragon on it and I was immediately enamoured by it.
September 19:
The next day, we had our breakfast at the hotel and prepared to check out. The ride back home was incredibly exhausting and even our driver was surprised when he saw that I was able to remain awake for the span of the journey despite my age. The 9-hour journey was uneventful. Maybe that was simply because my energy had waned. However, we stopped around Sonmarg to have some refreshments.
Once we finally reached home, we took out our bags and carried them inside, where the rest of our family was eagerly waiting for us. I said my goodbyes to Rafiq sahib as well as our driver and headed in, happy to be back after those five memorable days in Ladakh.
Muhammad Awan is a student of 9th standard. He can be reached at: mohammadawan449@gmail.com, @muhammadawan7 (You Tube)
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