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About Zangla |
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Zangla is a town in Zanskar tehsil of Kargil district, in the
Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated about 35 km
from Padum. in Zanskar Region of Ladakh, J&K.Zangla has an
average elevation of 3,931 metres(12,897 feet).
Zangla is the take-off point for the Padum-Lamayuru and the
Padum-Markha treks, as well as for the 'Chaddar' trek over the
frozen Zanskar river to Nimu, which becomes possible only
during the middle of the winter. Lying deep in the northern
arm of Zanskar at the end of the 35-km long rough road from
Padum, Zangla was being ruled by a titular king till his death
in 1989. The old castle now in ruins except from a small
chapel, occupies a hill, overlooking the desertic valley
below. |
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Geography |
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Zangla Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in the village of
Tsa-zar near Zangla, Zanskar, Kargil district, Ladakh, Jammu and
Kashmir, northern India.Zangla Monastery is home to around 150
lamas and is situated near a ruined hilltop castle and an old
nunnery. It has some remarkable wall paintings.
The Hungarian scholar Sándor Kőrösi Csoma edited the first
English-Tibetian dictionary while living at Zangla Monastery in
1823. The dictionary was published in 1824. |
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History of Zangla |
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Ladakh and Zanskar are famous for dogs, big and small, but
nowwhere are there as many per family as in Zangla. They
comprise some Corgi lookalikes that appear on the roof of one of
the house of the king of Zangla. The old king, who was such a
wonderful host to trekking parties, died in 1989.
Although for a century the king had held only a nominal title,
his lineage can be traced back to when the royal lineage in
Zanskar was divided. One side of the family ruled from Padum,
and the other from Zangla was able to reach an agreement which
allowed him to maintain a nominal rule over the nearby villages
of Chazar and Honia, and the villages of Hanumil, Pishu and
Pidmu on the far side of the valley. The head monk at Spitok is
linked to this family, and also administrators the Zangla
monastery, which is on the cliff just beyond the village. |
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Prime Attractions |
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Situated near to the ruined castle is the old Nunnery
worth a visit for the austere life style of the small
monastic community of nuns. An old monastery located in
the nearby village of Tsa-zar has beautiful frescos that
shouldn't be missed. The village lies mid-way between
Stongdey and Zangla.
The Padum -Markha Valley Treks
Zangla is the central point on the famous
Padum-Strongdey-Zangla-Karsha-Padum round trip, which
covers most of the cultural sites of Zanskar. The old rope
suspension bridge spanning the tumultuous Zanskar near
Zangla - a rare feat of folk engineering - is no more in
use, but still visible. The river is now crossed by a
temporary footbridge for approaching the left bank, along
which the trail to Karsha follows. Zangla is also the
take-off point for the Padum-Markha valley treks |
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Other Attractions |
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1)
Stongdey Monastery : Enroute from Padum to Zangla, Stongdey
Monastery is home to around 60 Gelukpa monks. It is the second
largest monastery of the Zanskar region and is linked with the
Tibetan sage Marpa. The main highlights of the gompa is the
Gon-khang, a temple housing the veiled protective deities of
Buddhism.
2) Karsha Monastery : The largest and the richest monastery in
the Zanskar valley, Karsha can be reached from Padum on foot.
Around 150 monks of the Gelukpa order reside in this monastery
and celebrate the three day Gustor festival with great eagerness
every July-August. Worth visiting in the monastery complex is
the Lhabrang, a temple where frescoes on the wall are three
centuries old.
3) Marpa Ling Monastery : From Zangla, Tonde is just four to
five hours walk. Tonde is home to the Marpa Ling Monastery that
belongs to the Gelukpa School of Tibetan Buddhism. Around 50
monks reside in this monastery. |
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City Information |
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Best Time To Visit Zangla: June To Early November
Nearby Cities
Padum: 35-km
Stongdey: 16-km
Karsha: 25-km |
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