KARSHA MONASTERY

Scenically embedded on a steep hill slope above KARSHA village is the KARSHA MONASTERY in PADUM on the STOD river in the ZANSKAR valley. KARSHA monastery also called as the KARSHA gompa is the largest monastery of Zanskar in the Ladakh region of J & K. KARSHA gompa offers a panaromic view of the STOD river Just below it & PADUM town located some 10 kms on the opposite side of the valley. Diagonally on your left side, you can also see the majestic STONGDEY monastery perched on a prominently visible dark colored hillock. To get a panaromic view of the surrounding vast valleys of ZANSKAR, KARSHA monastery is to be visited during morning time when the sun is behind & cast its rays on the opposite side of the valley. You can also see the PHIBITING monastery from KARSHA. KARSHA village has a market, school, a dispensary, a post and telegraph office.

For adventure lovers, KARSHA village offers facilities for river rafting in the Zanskar river. It is a five hours ride on a very rough river in the gorge portion of the Zanskar river called the “Grand Canyon” of Asia, in freezing cold conditions. The river rafting starts from Remala and ends in Karsha village near Padum (30 kilometres). Rafting in the river is of  ‘Rapids Class II category and is considered suitable for beginners. A short walk from the camp would lead to the Karsha monastery for an evening prayer.

HISTORY

The 14th Dalai Lama’s younger brother looks after the monastery. Founded by the famous translator, Phagspa Sherab in the 11th century, KARSHA monastery is a complex of eight temples, chapels, chortens & with a residential provision of 150 monks. Surrounded by three chapels, the assembly halls are located in the central part of the monastery and houses a number of statues & artifacts. A major attraction for the tourists are the wall paintings in the monastery by Lama Dzadpa Dorie and a huge collection of Thangkas (paintings on cotton and silk).

Chortens or graves of mummified Lamas depict the various stages of spiritual as well as physical attainments. The wall paintings and the idols in the monastery depict that the monastery was constructed more than thousand years ago in the Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055) era.

FESTIVALS

In the monastery precincts, a popular festival knowns as the Gustor festival is celebrated between the 26th and 29th day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar. Events like the sacred masked cham dance take place during this festival.