PHUKTAL MONASTIC SCHOOL.

In 1993, PHUKTAL monastic school was set up by the PHUKTAL GOMPA. The school provides free of cost education, lodging, boarding & study material to the students who come from poor and underprivileged farming families of the Lungnak Valley. The teachings imparted are a blend of the traditional culture & modern curriculum to the students.

PHUKTAL 2015 NATURAL CALAMITY

A natural dam was created in the narrow gorge when a landslide occurred between the Shun & Phuktal villages on the 31^st December 2014. It is still not clear what exactly triggered that landslide It formed a long catchment area as water level increased in height (about 200 feet) & length (about 15 kms) behind the dam. A sudden reduction of flow in the river at the downstream Nimoo Bazgo Hydropower project of NHPC Ltd raised the suspicion of the landslide and this was ascertained only after a flight over the river path two weeks after the landslide occurred. 

As quoted by reliable sources, on Feb 12, 2015, a team of four persons landed on the river block for the first time since the landslide, with the help of Air Force Helicopters to take stock of the situation on ground. A competent team surveyed the site at an altitude of more than 14000 feet and in freezing conditions. As a result of the study, the dimensions of the blockage was 400 m long along the river bed, 50 m high (equivalent to a 20 storey building) and 100 m wide across the river bed. While the chance of a catastrophic flood is lower in winter with the lake frozen, the risk was bound to increase when temperatures rise in the spring

The dam on Phutkal River (also known as Tsarap River) at 13000 feet altitude was expected to burst on the onset of summer, and it did at 8.10 am on Thursday, May 7, 2015, leading to washing away of some three motorable bridges, ten suspension bridges located at different palces including Ichar, Padum, Tipting, Chah and Pipcha, numerous culverts, two school buildings, guest houses, residential houses, irrigation canals, pony treks and land pastures, as reported by The Tribune on May 9, 2015. This report mentions that 70-80% of stored water has been released, which means about 20-30 % of stored water is still held back, creating possibilities of future flash floods. Some 3000 people were evacuated from the 40 river bank villages in the 90 km stretch from the landslide dam to Padum (headquarter of the Zanskar sub-division of Kargil District) area as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, there seems to be no deaths as far as news available so far. The flood from the bursting of the 15 km long reservoir behind the landslide dam released over thirty million cubic meters of water and silt and led to damage to a school building too, it was reported. 

HISTORY

The PHUKTAL monastery belongs to the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in the early 15th century by Jangsem Sherap Zangpo, a disciple of Tsongkhapa established Phugtal gompa. The cave is believed to have been used for about 2,500 years by monks for meditation, much before the monastery was constructed. Three eminent scholars who also happened to be brothers Dangsong, Pun and Sum were believed to be blessed with the supernatural power of flying had imparted teachings on dharma at Phugtal. When Jangsem Sherap Zangpo, a Tibetan Buddhist Guru arrived at Phugtal, the three brothers bequeathed the holy site to him and left. According to legend, the spiritually gifted Zangpo caused a spring to appear and flow from the cave, a tree to grow on top of the cave and for the cave itself to grow larger in size! Then, under his guidance, the structure of the monastery was built around the cave.  Zangpo left for the heavenly abode in 1457 at the age of sixty-two.

AMCHI

The Phuktal Gompa houses a Traditional Tibetan medical clinic, catering to the local community. There is an on-site Amchi, a traditional Tibetan physician who provides natural Sowa-Rigpa medicine, many of which have been prepared at the monastery itself. A visual diagnosis, consisting mainly of examination of the urine, eyes and tongue, the pulse diagnosis and questioning the patient. The pulse diagnosis is performed by the amchi placing his fingers in several different positions on the wrists to feel the pulses. He can then feel the state of the energies and their balance as well as the condition of the internal organs. The communication between the amchi and the patient is very important because it reveals additional information about the nature of the patient’s complaints. In certain cases, amchi will press specific points on the body, which not only provides further information on the patient’s condition, but it’s effect is also an energy-balancing treatment

 The village life in the Lungnak Valley revolves around the monastery. Monks from the monastery attend local village events of significance, such as birth, deaths and weddings, performing traditional prayer ceremonies. The villagers visit the monastery to offer prayers, consult the Amchi and to attend festivals and special events at the monastery.

In this article, I have provided information available on the remotest monastery of the ZANSKAR region. If you find this article useful, please share it with your friends & near ones aspiring to travel to the Zanskar Valley. 

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