FIND OUT WHAT TO EXPECT

• 250 and 600-year-old shrines
• Dachompa Nyima Gungpa footprint.
• Old Buddhist carvings
• Old thankas and ancient chortens

Ensa monastery is beautifully perched on the rugged mountainside and buzzes with a special kind of energy. It has a fascinating history and there are several structures like chores and small shrines spread all over the higher parts of the mountainside. In the second week of July, they host a colorful local festival. A noticeable curiosity at Ensa monastery is a footprint attributed to Dachompa Nyima Gungpa. According to the local tradition, this monk was able to fly by using his garments. It is said that he refused to build the “Lhasa Gompa” at Ensa. Thus he left the print of his right foot on a rock at that location and flew away to Tibet to build it. No “Lhasa Gompa” is known neither in Tibet nor in Ladakh, but the local tradition asserts that it is this very same gompa that one can see reflected on the waters of Trisha Lake. The footprint is strangely realistic and shows no signs of use of the tool. There are apparently 7 such locations where Dachompa’s footprint has been found tracing his journey from Nubra to Tibet.

A beautiful monastery that also houses a monastic school. Chants and prayer ceremonies are an everyday affair here. One can explore some unique Buddhist temple paintings, tankhas and other such relics. North of the monastery now hidden behind overgrowth is very old Buddhist carvings that stand almost 2 meters tall. Some of the activities there throughout the year are:

-Mid-May: They have a festival every year around mid-May to celebrate the birthday of their Rinpoche. All festivities including song and dance performances, archery contests, etc. are organized over 2 days.

-Mid-September: As part of a puja ceremony the monks create an astounding sand mandala, which takes about 10 days to make. When finished, to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists, the colored sands are swept up and poured into a nearby river or stream where the waters carry healing energies throughout the world.

• 600-year-old monastery
• 30-meter-tall Maitreya Buddha statue.

More than 600 years old, this monastery belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, founder of Gelugpa, in the 14th century. It is a sub-gompa of the famous Thikse gompa. The Maitreya Buddha statue stands at a magnificent spot overlooking Nubra’s two valleys. A fantastic spot for sunsets.

• Sand dunes
• Bactrian camels

Being in of the high-altitude deserts in the world this spot covers a wide area of white sand dunes and is cut across by a gentle stream. One can enjoy rides on Bactrian camels and other tourist attractions.

• Sand dunes
• Bactrian camels
• The confluence of Shyok and Siachen (Nubra) rivers

A beautiful location where Nubra’s two valleys part, and where one can enjoy the sunset. A perfect spot to relax and take in the views. A short walk from the dunes is the confluence of the Shyok and Nubra rivers. A sand-dune festival takes place every year around June end.

• Light a lamp, do a parikrama
• Large old ruined building
• Fortified settlement
• Petroglyphs and inscriptions

Considered a holy lake, and as per folklore, one can see an image of the lost Lhasa monastery reflected on the lake surface. There are old ruins around the lake. One also sees some rock art (petroglyphs) of chortens, etc.

• Petroglyphs
• Waterfall
• Old ruins

The alluvial fan on the outskirts of this village is one of the richest sites in terms of occurrences of petroglyphs in the entire region. To see around this site one will have to clamber over the mountainside to view these up close. A 20 min hike will bring you to some old ruins. A short drive into the village followed by a 30-minute hike (intensity: medium) will bring you to a gorgeous waterfall that is full of water from July until mid-September.

• Hot springs
• Panoramic views

A beautiful scenic village in the Nubra valley that is famous for its hot springs. The hot water springs of Panamik are enriched with a high amount of sulphur. A dip in these waters is believed to cure various health ailments.