Sketch Travelogue of Leh, Achinathang and Temisgam- Ladakh

Leh Palace with the mountains in the background

I am finally writing about my Ladakh sketch travelogue. This was my second trip in 2022 which I have documented entirely through sketches. The original Ladakh trip was to be in April 2020 which had to be shelved because of the Covid lockdown. I attempted to travel in 2021 too, but there was a third wave of Covid so again that got cancelled. 

Finally, in April 2022, Ladakh called me and I had a splendid 12-day trip. As pictures (in this case sketches) speak a thousand words, let me take you along on my wonderful journey.

Passengers at Pune airport

The Himalayas beckon!

I was hoping to sketch a plane on the 1st page, but at the Pune airport it's not visible from the waiting area. But people glued to their phones make for a good warm-up.

View from the waiting lounge at Delhi airport

Sketched this at 2 am India time at the Delhi Airport. The tails of the parked planes look like shark fins.

The magnificent Himalayan range on the Delhi-Leh flight.

You may like to read my blog post on the Lepcha tribe in Sikkim.

I am anyways grumpy when I don't get a window seat and today I was furious that after having paid extra for a window seat, my seat didn't have a window anyways I decided to make the best of it. I had some consolation that I had chosen the west side of the plane because on the east, the sun almost blinds you and you cannot enjoy the aerial view. I was right. Most people on the right side crowded on the west with their cameras. I started rapidly sketching but couldn't take a proper photo with the background and the sketch was also in a sleep-deprived state. Some more pictures of the aerial view. So magnificent our mountain ranges are!

View from the Ponyo guest house window

In Leh I stayed at Ponyo Guesthouse, run by a mother-son duo. It was in a quite lane, about 20 minutes walk from the Leh market and overlooking the snow peaked mountains.

Another view of Ponyo guest house while having tea in the morning

Leh market with the Leh castle in the background

I was drawn to sketch this cafe and the adjacent structures at the Leh market. The buildings are a muted colour matching the cold desert that Ladakh is, with bright pops of colours in flags and name boards.

The Leh Post Office.

I love how post offices across India try to incorporate traditional elements of architecture. In Leh it translates to intricately carved wood beams and bright red windows.
After a hot cup of tea and Ladakhi biscuits, on the 10th of April morning, I boarded a bus from Leh bus station and proceeded to Achinathang. At first glance, Ladakh looked barren devoid of any color, but upon a closer look I noticed a raw beauty in the barrenness and could decipher colors even in the neutral tones.

Thumbnails from the moving bus to Achinathang. Of barren, rugged almost lunar landscapes, weathered and fashioned by the wind and sun.

Now comes the part which travellers dread. I had zeroed in on Achinathang for the apricot blossoms in April and also to meet a renowned Ladakhi scholar, Sonam Phuntsog. As I had mentioned earlier, I had planned my trip in April 2020 which got cancelled due to the pandemic. But I had been in touch with Dolma and her husband Stanzin who run a homestay in Achinathang. Although having updated Dolma about my travel plans and dates, I felt utter dismay seeing how dirty the house was, upon reaching there. Things were strewn, and the floor wasn't swept for days. I was given a room on the first floor and was asked to use the bathroon-cum-toilet on the ground floor. The bathroom I was asked to use was utterly filthy, with leaves, mud, plastic buckets, washing machine and whatnot all dumped together. I said I would use the bathroom next to my room on the first floor. The wash basin had no water, luckily the flush had and it was better than the one below. The weariness of travel, the sleeplessness, and the indifference of the hosts took its toll and I wanted to immediately leave their place. But the next bus would come only the next day for my next destination, Garkon. I decided to brave out the 24 hours. Evening came and it was time to sleep and the hosts did not even bother asking if I needed some more warm blankets or hot water. I informed them that I would be leaving the next day. Stanzin justified the dirty house saying they are busy with farming and taking care of children. But why host people then who have come from far away to experience a slice of their life. Isn't that a waste of their time and money? I felt cheated.

The Ladakhi scholar Sonam Phuntsog

While I was sketching, this little boy who had seen me sketching earlier came up to me and handed me a bar of chocolate how adorable! He had purchased the bar from a shop nearby. So as a token of thanks I wanted to sketch him too. While I completed the 1st sketch he told me about his school and asked me which class I was in. He is in class 1. He was surprised that I couldn't tell him which class I am in.

He wanted to pose for a sketch with an imaginary black bird in his hand. Since I directly sketch with a pen, his feet got cut off. He asked me why I did not draw his feet with his footwear properly. Too strict for a 6 year old. his name is Nima Namgyal and Nima means the sun in Ladakhi language. For the earlier sketch he insisted I draw the sun because that's him.

A village on the other side of the Indus river. I was sketching this when the little boy Nima Namgyal met me (check the previous post). I had to draw the sun. He wanted me to draw the rays of the sun too but I didn't :-)

A village the other side of Achinathang across the river

Chorten in Achinathang

My homestay host said that this Buddhist structure is of great significance. There are only 2 such structures called Chorten with 5 domes in entire Ladakh. There is a belief that when people die, at the gates of heaven, the God of death asks if one has gone around this structure with 5 domes. And if not, they are promptly dispatched to hell :-)

Salted butter tea.

These colourful flasks with dragon designs are ubiquitous in most mountain villages I have visited. They come in various sizes holding up to 3 to 4 litres of liquid. In the mountains, people make large quantities of tea in the morning fill up these flasks, and keep having them throughout the day. This is salted butter tea, made with milk, butter, salt, and a different kind of tea leaf. It's rich and creamy and you can taste the butter in it too. This high-calorie beverage is essential for cold, mountain life.
My desire to see apricot blossoms did not materialize in Achinathang. Summer arrived early in 2022 and the village looked like a white fairyland with apricot blossoms the previous week, but by the time I arrived, they were all wilted. I wanted to burst out crying, for catharsis, because of the bad homestay experience and lack of apricot blossoms. I wondered if the rest of my trip would get worse and if I should just go back home. But a quick check of the astronomically priced flight tickets made me decide to tough and rough it out! Luckily, before I left Achinathang, as I wandered through the village, I saw this single tree full of apricot blossoms. Maybe, the nature fairies heard me cry. I sketched this determinedly with the scorching sun singeing my back through the layers of clothing.
You may like to read my blog post on Birding in Sarmoli.

The lone apricot tree with blossoms in Achinathang

Looked like I was not meant to visit Achinathang. As if the dirty homestay and lack of apricot blossoms weren't enough while waiting for the bus to Garkon, which was one and a half hours late, a shabby-looking old man annoyed me no end, by talking continuously and inviting me to his house and asking personal questions. I was mentally exhausted and was prepared to punch him if he crossed his limits. 

Sketching came to my rescue and I drew this, eagerly waiting for the bus and from the corner of my eyes making sure that the old man wasn't up to anything undesirable. 

A bad sketch by a mentally exhausted me!

The bus finally came and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. The bus meandered its way parallel to the turquoise Indus river. 

Thumbnails of the Indus river from a bus to Garkon

I reached Garkon, the village of the Brokpa tribe. I have a separate detailed post about the Brokpa people which you can reach here. 

I stayed at Payupa guest house, run by Diskit and her husband Tashi. They also have a 500 yrs old Brokpa house converted into a museum to preserve Brokpa tradition. 

Outside the Payupa Guest house

I attended the Apricot blossom festival at Garkon, locally called Chuli-menduq and I had an amazing time. Please read my entire blog post on Garkon. 

Two young Brokpa girls in their traditional attire

At the Payupa Guest house in Garkon, I met two girls who were traveling through Ladakh in a hired cab with a driver. They told me that their next destination was Temisgam. I have never heard of it. But a quick Google search told me that Temisgam also known as Tingmosgang was at a higher altitude than Garkon so I inferred that I might still stand a chance to see trees full of apricot blossoms.  I asked the girls if I could accompany them and they gracefully agreed. I did a search for homestays in Temisgam and got to know the names of the hosts but there wasn't a proper address. Luckily, the family with whom the two girls were staying knew this homestay I wanted to go to and took me to Yakpa homestay run by the motherly Ama Tsering Lanzes and her husband Tashi Wangyal. 

It was a large house with six rooms with an attached bathroom each. Within the house compound was a large orchard full of apricot trees. My hostess Ama Lanzes was very motherly and fed me sumptuously. My first meal there was a huge plate of fresh and hot momos with cabbage and carrot stuffing. I sketched away as my hostess dexterously shaped the momos and steamed them. 

Making of momos in Temisgam

My hostess was very caring and made sure I had a heater in the room and extra warm blankets. 

The next morning I sauntered around the village. Temisgam has many old, elegant houses and structures, many of them abandoned. and to my utter delight I was right. Being at a higher altitude than Garkon, the apricot blossoms were still blooming. I had my heart's fill of these blossoms by sketching and savouring them. 

An old traditional Ladakhi house

After being heartbroken at not having seen apricot blossoms in the earlier 2 villages (and shedding some tears over it) I was in for a delightful surprise the moment I arrived in Temisgam/Tingmosgang. The village was dotted with these blushing pink tinted, white apricot trees. The earth laughs in flowers and I felt the laughter through joy rippling through my body and like a harp playing in my own heart. I sketched this in the morning, sitting in the sun and thawing my frozen body.

A profusion of apricot blossoms

Close up of apricot blossoms

You may like to read my post on hand pollinating vanilla flowers.

A road in Temisgam lined with apricot blossoms with the snow-capped mountains in the background

I even had the luxury of drying my towel on a tree full of apricot blossoms

My hostess, Ama Lanzes, suggested that I visit the Temisgam Gompa, situated high on a mountain. We trekked up, paid our respects at the Gompa and I decided to spend some time sketching the view below. My hostess pointed to two paths leading down to her house. One path was easy but she warned me that some fierce feral dogs barked and scared passersby on one of its bends. The other path was steep and full of gravel but was safe. 

I started sketching the view below while the cold wind froze my fingers and face. At one point, my fingers became so stiff that the brush just fell off my hand. But I persevered and finally have a memory in my book. 

View below from Temisgam Gompa

I returned to Yakpa homestay to see my hostess and her friends shelling apricot kernels. She told me that they collectively spend some time every day this season to do this. I was exhausted from my trek down from the Gompa. Did I mention I went to Ladakh with a swollen left ankle? Just a day before leaving Pune, I did flying kicks during my martial arts class and landed wrongly on my left foot. So, everywhere in Ladakh, where I had to walk and trek quite a bit, I went around half-limping. 

I did not want to walk around any more so I sat and sketched group at work. 

Women shelling apricot kernels

The next day while strolling through the village, I saw a beautiful traditional Ladakhi house. It looked unoccupied. I started sketching it when a young man asked me if I would like to see the house from the inside. He said he could get the keys from the owner who now lived in a 'modern' house. 

A 500 yrs old Ladakhi house in Temisgam

The house was 500 years old and built in a traditional style with mud and stones. Traditional mud architecture is more quake and fire-resistant and very enduring as one can see. 

I went around the house and there was a 250-year-old iron metal hearth for cooking in the kitchen area. Many walls had rich Tibetan Buddhist paintings, the colors chipped off over the centuries. I imagine how glorious the house must have looked in its prime. 

Later that evening as luck would have it, I met the owner of this house in the market. I asked him why is such a beautiful house abandoned. He said his children wanted a concrete modern house. 

84-year-old Tashi Angdus, the owner of the house.

On the upper floor

The prayer room

Ladakhi hearth

The kitchen

The young man who had shown me around said he was a soldier in the Indian Army and was home on leave. When I told my mother I went to explore an abandoned house with a complete stranger she was horrified and warned me to never repeat that. But traveling solo has sharpened my instincts and I generally keep my common sense on me. I would have missed this beautiful experience if I had gone by general conditioning. So I'd rather go by my gut feeling. 

I wandered around a little more and wanting to stuff as much of the visual delight of the snow-capped mountains into my eyes, heart, and sketchbook I did one more sketch of the mountains. If you look closely at the mountains show different colors depending on the sunlight. 

A couple of more old Ladakhi houses...

I returned to Yakpa homestay after a fulfilling day of sketching. My hostess fed me sumptuously.

Ladakhi pasta called Chui-taki

Ladakhi bread

My hostess gifted me a jar of apricot jam made by her.

Hand-made pasta shells which are then boiled in vegetable or meat soup

Bukhara at Temisgam

Yakpa Homestay

 You may contact Ama Lanzes of Yakpa Homestay on 9469294229. 

I had a fulfilling stay at Temisgam and took a bus back to Leh after three days. I sat next to the driver in the front and enjoyed the best panoramic views. 

Bus drive from Temisgam to Leh

Thumbnail sketches of the road from Temisgam to Leh

Road to Leh

I have two other separate posts on Leh and Garkon. On the way back to Delhi from Leh I did another sketch of the Himalayan ranges. 

Himalayan ranges from Leh to Delhi

View from my hotel in Leh

If you have enjoyed reading this post, you may subscribe to new post updates via email. Enter your email id in the 'Follow by email' on the right-hand side panel. 

Also follow my posts on Facebook.

My Experience with Kalaripayattu

The Kalaripayattu altar

Having taken a keen interest in learning martial arts since 2016, after beating up a molester (who had groped another girl), I was fascinated by the different forms of martial arts around the world. I tried my hand in kickboxing, Kyokushin Karate (which I learned till I got my green belt) and Krav Maga (Israeli self-defense). And then I read up about Kalaripayattu, which is considered the most ancient form of martial arts, originating in none other than my own country, India. After contacting several ashrams that teach Kalari(short form and easier on the tongue), I zeroed in on Hindustan Kalari Sangam in Calicut.   There were no reviews of any Kalari ashrams on the net, so I just went ahead with one of the few ashrams that responded to my query.

You may also want to read my post on Kalarichikitsa

Manappully Bhagavathy temple

Since I was traveling to Kerala, I visited my Kuladevi in Manappully Kavu in Palakkad and then proceeded to Calicut. I reached Calicut by train from Palakkad. A Rs 50 ride in an autorickshaw took me from the railway station to Hindustan Kalari Sangam. I was greeted by Dr. Krishnan Lal who is the wife of Radhika Gurukkal (the daughter of the founder of Hindustan Kalari Sangam) and taken to my room.

 

Accommodation at Hindustan Kalari Sangam 

The premises of the HKS (Hindustan Kalari Sangam) comprises a building with rooms for students  of Kalari and patients for Kalari Chikitsa, the house where the family that runs the ashram lives, the Kalari, where the art is practiced and another single storied structure where Dr. Lal and his assistants see and treat patients.

 

Dr. Krishnan Lal treating patients

Hindustan Kalari Sangam, is an ancestral Kalarippayattu training center and Ayurvedic healing centre established during the year of 1950, under the patronage of Guru Veerasree Sami Gurukkal. Currently, it is run by his children Lakshmanan Gurukkal and Radhika Gurukkal.

Kalaripayattu is a combination of two words, ‘kalari’ which means the space where the training is conducted and ‘payattu’ which means action involving performance or combat. Kalaripayattu as practiced in its current form can be traced back to the 18^th century by the verbal commands used in language during that period. But there has been evidence of Kalaris from the 12^th century. There were numerous provinces in Kerala during that time and each province had its own army trained in Kalaripayattu. There were no caste restrictions in Kalari and literature from earlier periods refers to people from all backgrounds practicing the art form. 

The British had banned Kalaripayattu for around 300 years because they saw how fearless the Kalaripayattu practitioners were. But a few masters kept the art alive by practicing in secrecy and passing the knowledge to the next generation. And after Independence thanks to those brave masters there was again a slow albeit sure revival of Kalaripayattu.

 

Kalari, where the art is practiced

 

Kalari resembles a Kerala temple and it is in a way!

The Kalari (the place where Kalaripayattu is practiced) looks like a typical Kerala style temple and is constructed as per Vastu Shastra and tantric traditions of Kalari. Inside, the floor is 7 feet below ground level and is dark like the garba gruha (sanctum sanctorum) of a temple. The area of the Kalari is 42 feet in length and 21 feet in width and can be made smaller or bigger in the same ratio. The Kalari is constructed to stand in the east-west direction with the entrance facing east. The floor is just the mud leveled up. Once a year the mud is dug up and freshly patted down. The dark interiors serve to aid focus and a meditative state during the practice of Kalari because the aim of Kalaripayattu is not brilliance in martial arts but rather lead the disciple on the path of 'moksha' or liberation.

You may like to read my blog post on 'The Nomadic Shepherd's Trail'

Action inside the Kalari

The presiding deity of Kalaripayattu is Khaloorika Devi and she is represented by a 7-step platform, symbolizing the 7 chakras. This sacred structure is placed in the south-west direction of the Kalari and is worshiped everyday. This corner is called Poothara and every practice session begins and ends with a salutation in the direction of the Poothara which translates to ‘platform of flowers’. The other divine spaces in Kalari are Ganapathi thara (a platform for Sri Ganesha),Naga thara (a platform for a snake god) Guruthara (a platform for the late teachers), Bhadrakali thara (a platform for Bhadrakali), etc.

 

The main altar of Khaloorika devi and the late teachers

Weapons on display which are used by senior students

The long steel sword is the Urumi

Short and long swords

Ganapathy and Naga Thara

The minimum age to start Kalari practice is 7 years, although I saw some children who looked younger than that, attend class. The initiation usually happens on an auspicious day like Vijayadashami. I myself got to experience a glimpse of the ancient ritual on the 1^st day of my class. On the first day, I was asked to step into the Kalari area with my right foot first as we do for auspicious occasions and then touch the Kalari floor in reverence. Then I was led to the main altar of Khaloorika Devi and then the oil from the altar lamp was applied to my head and arms as a mark of initiation. I then had to offer Guru dakshina wrapped in a betel leaf to the teacher who is referred to as Gurukkal and then touch his feet. The kalari area where the art is practised is considered the sanctum sanctorum or 'garba gruha' as in a temple and the Kalari practitioner is the priest or the devotee who offers himself to the higher power through the Kalari practice. The Kalari sessions start with an elaborate salutation to Khaloorika devi and every time we step in or out of the Kalari area we touch the floor with reverence.

Another thing I will never forget is my first few minutes of the first day of class. I was the first woman to enter the Kalari area and there were other students, boys and men, with nothing but a loin cloth for modesty, vigorously applying oil on the bodies. I was a bit embarrassed and didn’t know where to look. Soon after, the other women students came along and I was relieved and also got used to the sight the remaining days. Students apply a herbal oil all over their body before practice, although I did not do that. The oil stimulates the 'vata' energy according to Ayurveda which is beneficial to the Kalari practitioner.

 

There were some guests for the Kalari performance so I got to watch too.

There are different stages of training in Kalaripayattu.

First is Meipayattu which translates to training the body.  Students are trained in unique body movements  which work the spine and the development of grip and postures of the body. Kalaripayattu includes a lot of animal movements and postures inspired from lion, cat, boar, snake, elephant, etc and due to this requires one to be in more of a horizontal posture during most of the practice. Which means your quads and hamstrings will be tested to the maximum. This horizontal posture is vital for the flow of energy through the chakras efficiently.

The second stage is Kolthari where the usage of various wooden weapons is initiated and practiced during this stage of learning. In Kalaripayattu the weapons are considered as extensions of the body, whereas the body itself is perceived as the prime weapon. Various wooden weapons used in the stage of Kolthari are, Kettukari (Long stick), Cheru vati (Short stick), Otta (Curved Stick) Gada (Mace).

 

Salutations before starting.

Ankathari is the next and important stage in the training sequence as heavy metal weapons are used. The term Ankam means a combat or a war. The metal weapons used in this stage are the same weapons that were used in war in the earlier times.  It is considered to be the longest and most important training stage among the four. This stage requires strength, agility and precision in rendering the practice and delivering the combat. The main weapons are Vaal (Sword), Paricha (Shield), Kuntham (Spear), Kattaram (Dagger), Urumi (Flexible sword). I had the opportunity to see Radhika Gurukkal and Sajith Gurukkal do a sparring session with Urumi. The Urumi is unique to Kalaripayattu. It is a steel, double edged flexible whip and sword and is about 6 feet in length. It is tied to the fighter’s waist as a belt and is removed when it has to be put to use. Because it’s a whip, wielding it with precision takes years of practice. The two people sparring leaped almost 4 feet up in the air (almost an act of levitation) wielding the Urumi which created sparks and sound as the blades struck against each other. Their movements were so graceful, yet so precise and strong.

 

Girls using wooden sticks.

The last stage in the Kalari training is Verum Kai which means bare handed. Unlike other forms of martial arts like Karate or Taekwondo, where the training starts with bare hands and then progresses to weapons such as nunchaku or sticks, in Kalari, bare handed combat is reserved only after one has mastered weapons. The Verum Kai techniques are practiced along with the knowledge of Marma Saariram, the knowledge about the vital points of the body. It is considered that there are 108/109 vital points in the body where the life energy is concentrated. Striking some vital points can be fatal whereas some points are struck for hurting, some to make the other unconscious during combat. This system of practice is the integral part of the fourth stage of Kalaripayattu training.

 

Lakshmanan Gurukkal 

There are considerable differences in the North Kerala and South Kerala traditions of Kalaripayattu. Hindustan Kalari Sangam practices the South Kerala style which focuses on Meipayattu more than the Northern style. Since Kalaripayattu is no longer required for combat these days, it has evolved into more of a performing arts. While I was there, there were people from the theater and dance background who had come to learn Kalari. So this ancient martial arts form has adapted to find a place in contemporary dance and theater too.

I was there for 8 days and there were classes morning and evening for 1.5 hours each. Although I enjoyed the classes a lot, the heat and the humidity got to me (ironically in the ‘winter’ month of December) and I had a nasty sore throat with the continuous sweating. Although I had plans to go back for the longer training, I won't because I have low tolerance for hot and humd weather.. However, if there is Kalaripayattu training in Pune, I would be most eager to enroll for a long term period. 

Fruit and vegetable seller near the ashram

Different varieties of bananas.

The accommodation is basic. There are fans and no AC. The dining is in the main house where the family lives and the food is simple and delicious, made in the local way. I ate a lot of bananas and sweet pineapples while I was there. I was amazed to see how the younger Gurukkals like Sajith who were Kalari instructors and also doubled up as Kalarichikitsa interns to Dr. Lal worked from morning to night, ate the same simple food and kept so lean and fit with not a shred of fat on their bodies. However, I noticed that there were some other instructors as well as students who were very flexible but did not fit the normal description of ‘fit’.

Lastly, on the last day of my stay there, I went for a traditional Kalari massage given by Radhika Gurukkal. After that I asked her about Kalaripayattu being the most ancient form of martial arts. She told me in a matter of fact manner that Kalaripayattu is a spiritual means of transcending the physical to attain liberation or 'Moksha' (as is the aim of any Indian art form). A true master of Kalaripayattu knows no fear and by his very aura will not attract any experience that will require him to use it as combat. How profound! It came as a revelation to me that martial arts is more for self- discipline and defending oneself becomes just an effortless by product of training ones' body and senses. 

If you have enjoyed reading this post, you may subscribe to new posts updates via email. Enter your email id in the 'Follow by email' on the right hand side panel. 

Also follow my posts on Facebook and Instagram .