Hanle Monastery
Encyclopedia
Hanle Monastery or Hanle or Analy Gompa is a 17th century Buddhist monastery of the "Red Hat" Tibet
an Drukpa Kagyu
branch of Tibetan Buddhism
, located in the Hanle
Valley, Leh District
, Ladakh
, Jammu and Kashmir
in northern India
on an old branch of the ancient Ladakh
- Tibet
trade route. The valley is home to about a thousand people, with about 300 people living in Hanle village. The monastery is home to about ten monks while another 33 or so come regularly for prayers. It is only 19 kilometres or 12 miles from the disputed frontier between India and Chinese-controlled Tibet.
The main monastery, one of the largest and best known of Ladakh's monasteries, was built under the patronage of the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal
(r. c. 1616-1642 CE) with the assistance of the famous Tibetan priest, Stag-tsang-ras-pa. It was the first to be associated with the Drugpa school that Stag-tsang-ras-pa belonged to and which, under the patronage of the Namgyal family, became very important in Ladakh, seriously rivaling the reformed ("Yellow Hat") Gelug. The monasteries of Hanle, Hemis
, Chemrey
and Stakna all belong to the Drukpa school.
Sengge Namgyal died at Hanle on his return from an expedition against the Mongols who had occupied the Tibetan province of Tsang
and were threatening Ladakh.
Outside donations established the Tashi Choeling ("Auspicious Dharma Centre") in 1983 providing support for resident nuns (who numbered 47 in 2003).
In a January, 2004 article it is said to have had only 10 resident monks with 33 coming regularly for prayers.
It is also home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory
. The location of both the village and the observatory are highly sensitive due to the close proximity of the Tibet
an / Chinese
border and special permission is needed to visit either by the Indian Government. Fukche
airport is 24km away, and Ukdungle
town is close by.
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an Drukpa Kagyu
Kagyu
The Kagyu, Kagyupa, or Kagyud school, also known as the "Oral Lineage" or Whispered Transmission school, is today regarded as one of six main schools of Himalayan or Tibetan Buddhism, the other five being the Nyingma, Sakya, Jonang, Bon and Gelug...
branch of Tibetan Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, located in the Hanle
Hanle
Hanle can mean:* Hanle , located in eastern Indian Ladakh, near the Chinese border** The Indian Astronomical Observatory, adjacent to Hanle village, location of the highest major astronomical telescopes in the world and colloquially known as Hanle** Hanle Valley, valley containing Hanle village,...
Valley, Leh District
Leh District
Leh is one of the two districts located in Ladakh, the other being the Kargil District to the west, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the second largest district in India in terms of area. It is bounded on the north by Ghanche District , a small border with Xinjiang, China, via the...
, 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...
, Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
in 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 an old branch of the ancient 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...
- Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
trade route. The valley is home to about a thousand people, with about 300 people living in Hanle village. The monastery is home to about ten monks while another 33 or so come regularly for prayers. It is only 19 kilometres or 12 miles from the disputed frontier between India and Chinese-controlled Tibet.
The main monastery, one of the largest and best known of Ladakh's monasteries, was built under the patronage of the Ladakhi king 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"....
(r. c. 1616-1642 CE) with the assistance of the famous Tibetan priest, Stag-tsang-ras-pa. It was the first to be associated with the Drugpa school that Stag-tsang-ras-pa belonged to and which, under the patronage of the Namgyal family, became very important in Ladakh, seriously rivaling the reformed ("Yellow Hat") Gelug. The monasteries of Hanle, Hemis
Hemis
Hemis is a town in India 40 km southeast of Leh in Ladakh, well known for the Hemis monastery that was established in 1672 AD by king Senge Nampar Gyalva. Hemis is best known to tourists for the colorful festival held in July. Hemis also could be associated with the Hemis National Park, an...
, Chemrey
Chemrey
Chemrey or Chemdrey, gompa of the Drukpa sect in eastern Ladakh, founded in 1664 as a memorial to a local king. Chemrey is currently suffering from declining interest in monastic life by local young Ladakhis.-Geography:...
and Stakna all belong to the Drukpa school.
Sengge Namgyal died at Hanle on his return from an expedition against the Mongols who had occupied the Tibetan province of Tsang
Ü-Tsang
Ü-Tsang , or Tsang-Ü, is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the other two being Amdo and Kham. Geographically Ü-Tsang covered the central and western portions of the Tibetan cultural area, including the Tsang-po watershed, the western districts surrounding and extending past Mount...
and were threatening Ladakh.
Outside donations established the Tashi Choeling ("Auspicious Dharma Centre") in 1983 providing support for resident nuns (who numbered 47 in 2003).
In a January, 2004 article it is said to have had only 10 resident monks with 33 coming regularly for prayers.
It is also home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory
Indian Astronomical Observatory
The Indian Astronomical Observatory , located near Leh in Ladakh, India, has one of the world's highest sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes. It is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru. It is currently the second highest optical telescope in the...
. The location of both the village and the observatory are highly sensitive due to the close proximity of the Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an / Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
border and special permission is needed to visit either by the Indian Government. Fukche
Fukche
Fukche Advanced Landing Ground is one of the numerous Advanced Landing Grounds built in India during and after the 1962 Sino-Indian War.-Location:...
airport is 24km away, and Ukdungle
Ukdungle
Ukdungle is a small settlement in Leh District, Jammu and Kashmir in northern India near the border with Tibet. It lies only 22.7 miles south-west of Dêmqog, Ngari Prefecture in western Tibet. Hanle Observatory and Demchok village on LAC are close by. It is the highest city in India-External links:*...
town is close by.