Shey Palace
Encyclopedia
The Shey Monastery or Gompa
and the Shey Palace complex are structures located on a hillock in Shey
,15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the south of Leh in Ladakh
, northern India
on the Leh-Manali road. Shey
was the summer capital of Ladakh in the past.
The palace, mostly in ruins now, was built first in 1655, near Shey village, by the king of Ladakh, Deldan Namgyal, also known as Lhachen Palgyigon. It was used as a summer retreat by the kings of Ladakh.
The Shey Monastery was also built in 1655 on the instructions of Deldon Namgyal, in the memory of his late father, Singay Namgyal, within the palace complex. The monastery is noted for its giant copper with gilded gold statue of a seated Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha is so named since Buddha was the sage (muni) of the Sakya
people who resided in the Himalayan
foothills and their capital was Kapilvastu. It is said to be the second largest such statue in Ladakh.
(they made it their permanent residence) on the opposite side of the Indus River
. It is conjectured that the fort found in ruins, not dated, above the present palace at Shey, belonged to this period of invasion. Subsequently when the political dictates necessitated shifting of the capital to Leh, even then the importance of Shey continued since it was a mandatory requirement of the Namgyal kings to father their heir apparent here.
Shey is located on the road from Leh to Thikse Monastery. A large number of monasteries, stupas and rock carvings can be seen on this road. It can be approached by trekking 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Thiksey and the path is known as: "for having Ladakh’s biggest chorten fields with hundreds of whitewashed shrines of varying sizes scattered across the desert landscape."
The nearest airport is at Leh. Special permission is essential to visit the monastery, as only one lama resides here and the inner sanctum is usually closed. On a lane, opposite to the Shey palace there is a hotel for visitors, which is surrounded by flowered gardens.
The main Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the monastery is a 12 metres (39.4 ft) icon covering three floors of the monastery. The walls on both the sides of Buddha display the 16 Arhats (saints who achieved Nirvana
), 8 on each side. The wall behind the statue has the images of the Buddha's two chief disciples, Sariputra
and Maudgalyayana
. Almost every wall around the Buddha statue is painted with one image or the other. The giant Buddha as seen in the monastery is on three levels; the lowest level shows his huge feet and “soles pointing upwards” and a mural of Shambunath, the middle floor shows murals of the Buddha in different postures and the upper floor is darkened by the soot of the butter lamps that burn eternally at the altar.
The statue was first cast in parts, in Leh, at a place known as Zanstin. ‘Zans’ means “copper” and ‘til’ means “hammer”. The copper plates used in the statue were made from copper
, collected from Lingshet mines and other villages of the Zanskar
area. The plates from the copper ingots were made by hammering them on a nearby rock. It was first built in parts and then transported to the palace for installation. It is said that about 5 kilograms of gold was used for gilding the copper plates of the statue in the main monastery.
On the upper floor of monastery, a number of beautiful wall paintings are displayed. The lower floor has a library with a large number of neatly preserved manuscripts and is decorated with murals of Buddha figures in various mudras (hand gestures).
About 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) from the palace, there is another small shrine built by Sengge Namgyal
. This shrine also houses another large statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in a sitting posture. Here also, the murals and images in side are similar to the palace shrine. It is recorded that this statue and the other one in the main monastery were crafted by a Nepal
ese sculptor named Sanga Zargar Wanduk. He was reportedly brought here by Sengge's mother, Gyal Khatun, not only to build this statue but also the main statue in the palace. Paldana Shering Gyaso, Gamani Jal Shring and Nakbiri were other craftsmen who assisted him. It is reported that in an isolated village called Chilling the descendants of these craftsmen live and are now known for their craftsmanship in conventional silverware.
The small shrine also depicts murals, which represent the 16 Arhats, original disciples of the Buddha, together with some of the renowned teachers like Padmasambhava
, Atisa and Tson-Ka-Pa. Near to this shrine, two small Tantric
shrines also exist. Close to this shrine, carvings are seen on rock spurs on the road to the palace. These rock carvings are of the five Dhyani Buddhas; one of them is very large and close to the palace while the other four are located close to a chorten. Also seen are a large number of chortens to the east of the palace.
At the edge of the valley, there is photong (official residence) of the Lama of the monastery from where there are scenic views of the Indus valley. The small palace is, however, dilapidated and is much smaller than the Leh palace. It is located below an abandoned fort. It has a golden chorten spire. But its importance is now more due to the Buddha deified in the monastery.
Perched on top of the hill, the monastery commands panoramic view of the surroundings of Thikse
, Stakna, Matho
, Stok and also Leh.
A number of butter lit lamps are placed in the shrine, which burn perpetually over a full year and are then replaced to continue the flame without interruption. It is a symbolic significance of the divinity and purity of the shrine.
corresponding to July or August month of the Gregorian calendar
. This festival is called “Shey Doo Lhoo” to mark the beginning of the sowing season. The two day monastic celebration is marked by special rituals performed by the monks in the main monastery, in addition to several other religious rites. Villagers throng to the monastery in large numbers in a spirit of celebration and hope. During this festival, an oracle
reader who visits the monastery on a horse back, conducts a three day prayer, and then goes into trance. In this state of trance, he is said to give prophesies.
The second festival is called the “Shey Rupla” that marks the harvesting season. On this occasion farmers offer the first fruits of the corn at the monastery. A dance called the “Rhupla dance” is performed by two men in tiger costumes. Other forms of folk dances are also performed. Two soothsayers also visit the festival and give out oracles.
There is a belief that women without children offer special prayers here to Buddha seeking blessings to beget children.
and carried to the funeral ground in a procession of lamas and the common people of the village. The chair is then laid in a “tubular walled oven”, as prayers are chanted. The ashes are later scattered in the river.
Gompa
Gompa and ling are Buddhist ecclesiastical fortifications of learning, lineage and sadhana , located in Tibet, India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
and the Shey Palace complex are structures located on a hillock in Shey
Shey
Shey is a town in Ladakh that has the old summer Palace of the kings of Ladakh. It is located 15 km. from Leh towards Hemis. The palace was built more than 555 years ago by Lhachen Palgyigon, the king of Ladakh...
,15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the south of Leh in Ladakh
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
, northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on the Leh-Manali road. Shey
Shey
Shey is a town in Ladakh that has the old summer Palace of the kings of Ladakh. It is located 15 km. from Leh towards Hemis. The palace was built more than 555 years ago by Lhachen Palgyigon, the king of Ladakh...
was the summer capital of Ladakh in the past.
The palace, mostly in ruins now, was built first in 1655, near Shey village, by the king of Ladakh, Deldan Namgyal, also known as Lhachen Palgyigon. It was used as a summer retreat by the kings of Ladakh.
The Shey Monastery was also built in 1655 on the instructions of Deldon Namgyal, in the memory of his late father, Singay Namgyal, within the palace complex. The monastery is noted for its giant copper with gilded gold statue of a seated Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha is so named since Buddha was the sage (muni) of the Sakya
Sakya
The Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug...
people who resided in the Himalayan
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
foothills and their capital was Kapilvastu. It is said to be the second largest such statue in Ladakh.
History
Shey was the old capital of the upper Ladakh region. When the Dogras of Jammu invaded Ladakh in 1842, the Namgyals abandoned the palace and fled to StokStok
Stok or Stak, museum and gompa in village of the same name, situated in the Indus Valley 17 km south east of the Ladakhi capital, Leh. Stok is the current residence of the former royal family of Ladakh and the museum contains the shrines, crown, ceremonial dress and jewelry of the Ladakhi...
(they made it their permanent residence) on the opposite side of the Indus River
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
. It is conjectured that the fort found in ruins, not dated, above the present palace at Shey, belonged to this period of invasion. Subsequently when the political dictates necessitated shifting of the capital to Leh, even then the importance of Shey continued since it was a mandatory requirement of the Namgyal kings to father their heir apparent here.
Geography and visitor information
Shey Monastery is located in the upper Indus Valley, just 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) east of the modern capital of Ladakh, Leh. Zanskar range of hills are on its southern side in the fertile Indus River valley. It has an average elevation of 11204 feet (3,415 m).Shey is located on the road from Leh to Thikse Monastery. A large number of monasteries, stupas and rock carvings can be seen on this road. It can be approached by trekking 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Thiksey and the path is known as: "for having Ladakh’s biggest chorten fields with hundreds of whitewashed shrines of varying sizes scattered across the desert landscape."
The nearest airport is at Leh. Special permission is essential to visit the monastery, as only one lama resides here and the inner sanctum is usually closed. On a lane, opposite to the Shey palace there is a hotel for visitors, which is surrounded by flowered gardens.
Architecture
| Front view | Side view |
The main Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the monastery is a 12 metres (39.4 ft) icon covering three floors of the monastery. The walls on both the sides of Buddha display the 16 Arhats (saints who achieved Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvāṇa ; ) is a central concept in Indian religions. In sramanic thought, it is the state of being free from suffering. In Hindu philosophy, it is the union with the Supreme being through moksha...
), 8 on each side. The wall behind the statue has the images of the Buddha's two chief disciples, Sariputra
Sariputra
Śāriputra or Sāriputta was one of two chief male disciples of the Buddha along with Maudgalyayana , counterparts to the nuns Khema and Uppalavanna, named the two chief female disciples...
and Maudgalyayana
Maudgalyayana
Maudgalyāyana , , also known as Mahāmaudgalyāyana or Mahāmoggallāna, was one of the Śākyamuni Buddha's closest disciples. A contemporary of famous arhats such as Subhūti, Śāriputra, and Mahākāśyapa, he is considered the second of the Buddha's two foremost disciples , together with Śāriputra...
. Almost every wall around the Buddha statue is painted with one image or the other. The giant Buddha as seen in the monastery is on three levels; the lowest level shows his huge feet and “soles pointing upwards” and a mural of Shambunath, the middle floor shows murals of the Buddha in different postures and the upper floor is darkened by the soot of the butter lamps that burn eternally at the altar.
The statue was first cast in parts, in Leh, at a place known as Zanstin. ‘Zans’ means “copper” and ‘til’ means “hammer”. The copper plates used in the statue were made from copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, collected from Lingshet mines and other villages of the Zanskar
Zanskar
Zanskar is a subdistrict or tehsil of the Kargil district, which lies in the eastern half of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The administrative centre is Padum...
area. The plates from the copper ingots were made by hammering them on a nearby rock. It was first built in parts and then transported to the palace for installation. It is said that about 5 kilograms of gold was used for gilding the copper plates of the statue in the main monastery.
On the upper floor of monastery, a number of beautiful wall paintings are displayed. The lower floor has a library with a large number of neatly preserved manuscripts and is decorated with murals of Buddha figures in various mudras (hand gestures).
About 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) from the palace, there is another small shrine built by Sengge Namgyal
Sengge Namgyal
Sengge Namygal was a 17th century Namgyal dynasty King of Ladakh, India from 1616 to his death in 1642. A Buddhist, he was noted for his immense work in building monasteries, palaces and shrines in Ladakh and is known as the "Lion King"....
. This shrine also houses another large statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in a sitting posture. Here also, the murals and images in side are similar to the palace shrine. It is recorded that this statue and the other one in the main monastery were crafted by a Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese sculptor named Sanga Zargar Wanduk. He was reportedly brought here by Sengge's mother, Gyal Khatun, not only to build this statue but also the main statue in the palace. Paldana Shering Gyaso, Gamani Jal Shring and Nakbiri were other craftsmen who assisted him. It is reported that in an isolated village called Chilling the descendants of these craftsmen live and are now known for their craftsmanship in conventional silverware.
The small shrine also depicts murals, which represent the 16 Arhats, original disciples of the Buddha, together with some of the renowned teachers like Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ; Mongolian ловон Бадмажунай, lovon Badmajunai, , Means The Lotus-Born, was a sage guru from Oddiyāna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighbouring countries in the 8th century...
, Atisa and Tson-Ka-Pa. Near to this shrine, two small Tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
shrines also exist. Close to this shrine, carvings are seen on rock spurs on the road to the palace. These rock carvings are of the five Dhyani Buddhas; one of them is very large and close to the palace while the other four are located close to a chorten. Also seen are a large number of chortens to the east of the palace.
At the edge of the valley, there is photong (official residence) of the Lama of the monastery from where there are scenic views of the Indus valley. The small palace is, however, dilapidated and is much smaller than the Leh palace. It is located below an abandoned fort. It has a golden chorten spire. But its importance is now more due to the Buddha deified in the monastery.
Perched on top of the hill, the monastery commands panoramic view of the surroundings of Thikse
Thikse
Thikse Gompa or Thikse Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Yellow Hat sect, located on top of a hill, approximately 19 kilometres east of Leh in Ladakh, India...
, Stakna, Matho
Matho
Matho Gonpa is a Tibetan Buddhist Gompa in Ladakh to the east of Leh, Jammu and Kashmir, on the banks of the Indus River. The better known Thiske Gompa lies just to the west and Hemis Gompa to the south east. Matho Gompa lies approximately 26 kilometres to the east of the Ladakhi capital...
, Stok and also Leh.
Worship
The offerings placed for worship in front of the deities in the sanctum are grain, jewels, holy signs and with mantars (holy chants inscribed inside it.A number of butter lit lamps are placed in the shrine, which burn perpetually over a full year and are then replaced to continue the flame without interruption. It is a symbolic significance of the divinity and purity of the shrine.
Festivals
There are two seasonal festivals held here every year. The first festival is held at Shey Palace on the 26th and 27th day of the first month of the Tibetan calendarTibetan calendar
The Tibetan calendar is a lunisolar calendar, that is, the Tibetan year is composed of either 12 or 13 lunar months, each beginning and ending with a new moon. A thirteenth month is added every two or three years, so that an average Tibetan year is equal to the solar year.The Tibetan New Year...
corresponding to July or August month of the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
. This festival is called “Shey Doo Lhoo” to mark the beginning of the sowing season. The two day monastic celebration is marked by special rituals performed by the monks in the main monastery, in addition to several other religious rites. Villagers throng to the monastery in large numbers in a spirit of celebration and hope. During this festival, an oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
reader who visits the monastery on a horse back, conducts a three day prayer, and then goes into trance. In this state of trance, he is said to give prophesies.
The second festival is called the “Shey Rupla” that marks the harvesting season. On this occasion farmers offer the first fruits of the corn at the monastery. A dance called the “Rhupla dance” is performed by two men in tiger costumes. Other forms of folk dances are also performed. Two soothsayers also visit the festival and give out oracles.
There is a belief that women without children offer special prayers here to Buddha seeking blessings to beget children.
Funerals
Close to the palace is the funeral ground. The dead are carried in a chair after due rites are performed at home. The body is placed on a sedan chairLitter (vehicle)
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of persons. Examples of litter vehicles include lectica , jiao [较] , sedan chairs , palanquin , Woh , gama...
and carried to the funeral ground in a procession of lamas and the common people of the village. The chair is then laid in a “tubular walled oven”, as prayers are chanted. The ashes are later scattered in the river.