Right out of the movies, I felt a calling and had to tread towards it. Life had turned topsy turvy recently with one challenge too many. My mind was so entangled in the chaos that I needed to find a way out. Out of nowhere, my girlfriends from childhood started planning a trip to Zanskar, the remotest part of India, tucked away in Ladakh. As if my friends had felt the low i was going through, I instantly replied back, “Phugtal Gompa? Count me in.”
Phugtal Gompa is Asia’s remotest Buddhist monastery, founded in the 12th century. Built around a natural cave in the mountain range beside Lungnak, a tributary of Zanskar river, it is believed to have been regularly visited by sages, scholars, translators and monks around 2,550 years ago. The monastery looks like a honeycomb hanging from the cliff while a river flows beneath.
After several rounds of virtual discussions, we finally met at the airport to catch a flight to Leh. As excited to meet each other as we were to explore the unexplored, we couldnt stop ourselves from praising each other for taking up two months of regular, rigorous fitness training for trekking upto the remotest monastery in Asia.
It was the month of June with summer at its sweltering most in the plains of North India. However, as soon as we landed at Leh, we scampered to layer ourselves to brace the chill of Ladakh. We had planned our itinerary to include a stay of 2 days in Leh to acclimatize ourselves to the high-altitude weather. We spent some leisurely time in Leh, mainly bonding with each other, spending time at the local market shopping for local souvenirs, handwoven woollen clothes and savouring lip-smacking Ladakhi cuisine. It was a cherished time for the four of us, who have been together through thick and thin since our school years. As we chatted over bowls of authentic thukpa and steaming momos sitting in cosy cafés, we were swinging between nostalgia of our childhood days to the upcoming adventure.
After thoroughly studying our route, we started confidently knowing we were well-prepared. It was a two day journey we undertook from Leh via Kargil to Padum. What made it unique and enjoyable were the golden brown mountains, the clear blue sky, the curvy smooth roads and the company of friends. We were talking non-stop since each one of us had mountains of experiences and stories to share.
There is another shorter route from Manali to Padum, which cuts the travel time by 6 to 7 hours. Also Zanskar may soon be connected to the other parts of the world by an airstrip to let people fly in to discover this hidden jewel.
By the time we reached Padum, it was dusk and the clear blue sky was now turning tangerine and crimson. Fatigued but raring to reach our goal, which was the Phugtal Gompa monastery, we headed for our homestay – stepping inside which was a feeling of being present in another world – a world untouched by modern fallacies, chaos or instant connectivity. We were already feeling calm and soothed.
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