Korzok Monastery
Encyclopedia
Korzok, also known as Karzok or Kurzok, is a Tibetan Buddhist
monastery
belonging to the Drukpa Lineage and ancient village on the western bank of Tsomoriri Lake
in Leh District
, Ladakh
, India
. Korzok, situated at 4595 metres (15,075.5 ft), houses a Shakyamuni Buddha and other statues. It is home to about 35 monks.
In the past, the monastery was the headquarters of the Rupshu Valley
. As a Drugpa order monastery, it was under the jurisdiction of the Hemis monastery
. Two or four monks were assigned to run the monastery.
The highly revered monastery is 300 years old. The Tsomoriri Lake in front of it is also held in reverence, and considered equally sacred by the local people. With the efforts of the WWF-India
the Tsomoriri has been pledged as a 'Sacred Gift for a Living Planet' by the local community (mostly Chang-pa herdsmen). As a result, the area has been opened up for tourists.
It is said that the nomads were exploited by the Monastery as they were paid very meagre amounts for the services rendered. Hence the place was given the name 'Korzok' (meaning: acquired by unfair means).
seeking help. He brought a Lama
from Tibet who established the monastery at Korzok about 300 years ago. Since then the nomads preferred to change their animistic religion and adopt to Buddhism
. They preferred living peacefully and in harmony with their surroundings and animals. The reign of the nomadic kingdom ended with their last King Tsewang Yurgyal, who ruled until August 1947 when India became a democratic country.
Korzok was in the Central Asia
n trade route till 1947 and was the headquarters of Ripshu Valley. One of the kings, Rupshu Goba, who lived there with his family, built nine permanent houses there.
Now there are 50 houses in the village but the floating population of the nomads, establishing their tents (made of yak
hair or skin) in summer, adds to the agricultural operations in the region. The tents are provided with vents at the top to let out smoke. Pashmina
(yak’s wool) is the valuable product that the Changmas trade along with the salt that they extract from large salt fields in the area, such as the springs at Puga. They barter these two products for food grains and other necessities. In Korzok, in recent years, building activity is on the rise with the nomadic tribes changing their life style.
Korzok monastery as seen now is said to have been re-built in the 19th century on the right bank of the Tsomoriri River. The old monastery was built on a gentle slope, unlike other monasteries that are generally perched on hill tops. An impressive photong is also located near to the Gompa. A number of Chortens are also seen near the monastery. Korzok settlement is considered as one of the oldest settlements of the world.
The monastery houses the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha along with images of other deities. The monastery has beautiful paintings (Thangka
s); old paintings which have been restored.
Korzok Monastery is situated on the western bank of India's Tsomoriri Lake, one of the highest lakes in the world. It covers an area of 120 square kilometre. The water of the lake is partly brackish and partly sweet. Its depth in the lake is 30 metres (98.4 ft). The valley formed by the Tsomoriri and other lakes, is known as the Rupshu Valley. The lake and its surrounding area is a Ramsar
designated wetland.
Korzok is hemmed between Ladakh
in the north and Tibet in the east and Zanskar
in the west. The Changthang
plateau is the geographical setting with snow peaks that is the source of water to the Lake. The Rupshu Valley, also called the Chungthang valley, is a unique landscape. The barley fields around Korzok village inhabited by the nomadic Chang-pa herdsmen (apart from the monks staying in the monastery), have been described as the highest cultivated land in the world. The nomadic herdsmen seen here living in tents only, rear herds of goats, cows and yaks. The wildlife seen in the area consists of Himalayan birds, wild ass (Kiang
), fox
es and marmot
s. The streams, which rise in the valley, are used for irrigation. Summer temperatures in the area reach a high of 36 °C (96.8 °F) and a low of 5 °C (41 °F).
nomadic herdsmen. The festival lasts for two days (July/August) and ends with the dismemberment and dispersal of the 'Storma' (sacrificial cake) by the leader of the Black Hat
dancers in a ceremony called 'Argham' (Killing). The ceremony symbolizes the destruction of evil and pays homage to the assassination of the Tibetan apostate King Lang-dar-ma, by a Buddhist monk in the mid 9th century. At the festival masks are worn by the dancers to represent the Dharmapalas (guardian divinities of the Buddhist pantheon), and the patron divinities of the Drukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism
.
The annual monastic festival is also held not only at Korzok but also at the Thuje in the Chungthan valley where the nomadic tribes fervently participate in the rituals. They not only make donations to the monasteries but also dedicate one son from each family to the monastery. It is said that the local nomads are so dedicated to Buddhism that opposite to their tents they allocate space to keep symbolic statue images of the Rinpoche
, usually the Dalai Lama
, along with the seven offering cups, in perfect harmony with their own folk (nomadic) religious deities and spirits.
, Jammu & Kashmir, at a road distance of 215 kilometres (133.6 mi). It is also approachable from Manali. The Leh-Manali Highway
or Manali-Tsokar route leads to Tsomoriri Lake and the Korzok Monastery. The Leh-Manali route passes through Upshi
, Chungthang
to Tsomoriri Lake
, a distance of 215 kilometres (133.6 mi). The road, climbing though the Tanglang La Pass
, is the second highest in the world.
Leh is also connected by air with many destinations in India.
A permit (obtainable at Leh only) is essential for entry into the area. Only tented accommodation, pitched on the banks of the Tsomoriri Lake, is available for visitors.
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
belonging to the Drukpa Lineage and ancient village on the western bank of Tsomoriri Lake
Tsomoriri
Tsomoriri or Lake Moriri , in the Changthang area, is a High Altitude Lake with an altitude of in Ladakh, India and is the largest of the High Altitude Lakes in the Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region, entirely within India...
in 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...
, 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...
. Korzok, situated at 4595 metres (15,075.5 ft), houses a Shakyamuni Buddha and other statues. It is home to about 35 monks.
In the past, the monastery was the headquarters of the Rupshu Valley
Rupshu
Rupshu is a valley in southeast Ladakh, on the Leh-Manali highway. The altitude of the valley is between 4,500 and 5,500 metres. It is inhabited by the Changpa nomads.- External links :* published in The Statesman, 16 June 2004....
. As a Drugpa order monastery, it was under the jurisdiction of the Hemis monastery
Hemis Monastery
Hemis Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Drukpa Lineage, located in Hemis, Ladakh . Situated 45 km from Leh, the monastery was re-established in 1672 by the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal...
. Two or four monks were assigned to run the monastery.
The highly revered monastery is 300 years old. The Tsomoriri Lake in front of it is also held in reverence, and considered equally sacred by the local people. With the efforts of the WWF-India
WWF-India
WWF-India is the Indian part of the WWF. It has an autonomous office, with the Secretariat based in New Delhi and various State, Divisional and Project offices spread across India....
the Tsomoriri has been pledged as a 'Sacred Gift for a Living Planet' by the local community (mostly Chang-pa herdsmen). As a result, the area has been opened up for tourists.
Etymology
The word ‘Korzok’ is a derivative of two words, namely ‘Kor’ meaning a place in the Ladakhi language and ‘Zok’ which is said to be a derivative of the word ‘dzot-pa’ meaning “manager”. Over the years, the last letter of the word was changed to ‘k’ to the derivative word Zok and together with Kor came to be known as “Korzok”. Another explanation attributed is that shepherds working for the monasteries in the nearby hamlets kept the king’s cattle at this place, not only to tend them but to also extract milk, cheese and butter. Hence, the place came to be known as “Korzok”.It is said that the nomads were exploited by the Monastery as they were paid very meagre amounts for the services rendered. Hence the place was given the name 'Korzok' (meaning: acquired by unfair means).
History
The history of Korzok is traced back to kings who ruled in the inhospitable terrain and fought several wars. They suffered several setbacks in wars and had to lead a nomadic life in isolation. One of the kings of this nomadic lineage had sent his emissary to TibetTibet
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...
seeking help. He brought a Lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
from Tibet who established the monastery at Korzok about 300 years ago. Since then the nomads preferred to change their animistic religion and adopt to 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...
. They preferred living peacefully and in harmony with their surroundings and animals. The reign of the nomadic kingdom ended with their last King Tsewang Yurgyal, who ruled until August 1947 when India became a democratic country.
Korzok was in the Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
n trade route till 1947 and was the headquarters of Ripshu Valley. One of the kings, Rupshu Goba, who lived there with his family, built nine permanent houses there.
Now there are 50 houses in the village but the floating population of the nomads, establishing their tents (made of yak
Yak
The yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population...
hair or skin) in summer, adds to the agricultural operations in the region. The tents are provided with vents at the top to let out smoke. Pashmina
Pashmina
Pashmina refers to a type of fine cashmere wool and the textiles made from it. The name comes from Pashmineh , made from Persian pashm . The wool comes from changthangi or pashmina goat, which is a special breed of goat indigenous to high altitudes of the Himalayas in Nepal, Pakistan and northern...
(yak’s wool) is the valuable product that the Changmas trade along with the salt that they extract from large salt fields in the area, such as the springs at Puga. They barter these two products for food grains and other necessities. In Korzok, in recent years, building activity is on the rise with the nomadic tribes changing their life style.
Structures
| Shakyamuni Buddha and other statues | Chortens and a Buddha statue |
Korzok monastery as seen now is said to have been re-built in the 19th century on the right bank of the Tsomoriri River. The old monastery was built on a gentle slope, unlike other monasteries that are generally perched on hill tops. An impressive photong is also located near to the Gompa. A number of Chortens are also seen near the monastery. Korzok settlement is considered as one of the oldest settlements of the world.
The monastery houses the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha along with images of other deities. The monastery has beautiful paintings (Thangka
Thangka
A "Thangka," also known as "Tangka", "Thanka" or "Tanka" is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, famous scene, or mandala of some sort. The thankga is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting...
s); old paintings which have been restored.
Geography
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
designated wetland.
Korzok is hemmed between 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...
in the north and Tibet in the east and 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...
in the west. The Changthang
Changthang
The Changtang is a high altitude plateau in western and northern Tibet extending into southeastern Ladakh, with vast highlands and giant lakes. From Eastern Ladakh Changtang stretches approximately 1600 km east into Tibet, as far as the state of Qinghai. All of it is geographically part of...
plateau is the geographical setting with snow peaks that is the source of water to the Lake. The Rupshu Valley, also called the Chungthang valley, is a unique landscape. The barley fields around Korzok village inhabited by the nomadic Chang-pa herdsmen (apart from the monks staying in the monastery), have been described as the highest cultivated land in the world. The nomadic herdsmen seen here living in tents only, rear herds of goats, cows and yaks. The wildlife seen in the area consists of Himalayan birds, wild ass (Kiang
Kiang
The kiang is the largest of the wild asses. It is native to the Tibetan Plateau, where it inhabits montane and alpine grasslands. Its current range is restricted to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, plains of the Tibetan plateau and northern Nepal along the Tibetan border...
), fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es and marmot
Marmot
The marmots are a genus, Marmota, of squirrels. There are 14 species in this genus.Marmots are generally large ground squirrels. Those most often referred to as marmots tend to live in mountainous areas such as the Alps, northern Apennines, Eurasian steppes, Carpathians, Tatras, and Pyrenees in...
s. The streams, which rise in the valley, are used for irrigation. Summer temperatures in the area reach a high of 36 °C (96.8 °F) and a low of 5 °C (41 °F).
Local festival
The Korzok Gu-stor festival is held at the monastery and attracts many Chang-pa, the Tibetan plateauTibetan Plateau
The Tibetan Plateau , also known as the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau is a vast, elevated plateau in Central Asia covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai, in addition to smaller portions of western Sichuan, southwestern Gansu, and northern Yunnan in Western China and Ladakh in...
nomadic herdsmen. The festival lasts for two days (July/August) and ends with the dismemberment and dispersal of the 'Storma' (sacrificial cake) by the leader of the Black Hat
Black hat
A black hat is the villain or bad guy, especially in a western movie in which such a character would stereotypically wear a black hat in contrast to the hero's white hat, especially in black and white movies....
dancers in a ceremony called 'Argham' (Killing). The ceremony symbolizes the destruction of evil and pays homage to the assassination of the Tibetan apostate King Lang-dar-ma, by a Buddhist monk in the mid 9th century. At the festival masks are worn by the dancers to represent the Dharmapalas (guardian divinities of the Buddhist pantheon), and the patron divinities of the Drukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
.
The annual monastic festival is also held not only at Korzok but also at the Thuje in the Chungthan valley where the nomadic tribes fervently participate in the rituals. They not only make donations to the monasteries but also dedicate one son from each family to the monastery. It is said that the local nomads are so dedicated to Buddhism that opposite to their tents they allocate space to keep symbolic statue images of the Rinpoche
Rinpoche
Rinpoche or Rinboqê is an honorific used in Tibetan Buddhism. It literally means "precious one," and is used to address or describe Tibetan lamas and other high-ranking or respected teachers. This honor is generally bestowed on reincarnated lamas, or Tulkus, by default...
, usually the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, along with the seven offering cups, in perfect harmony with their own folk (nomadic) religious deities and spirits.
Visitor information
The monastery is located to the southeast of Leh in eastern LadakhLadakh
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 & Kashmir, at a road distance of 215 kilometres (133.6 mi). It is also approachable from Manali. The Leh-Manali Highway
Leh-Manali Highway
The Leh-Manali Highway is a highway in India connecting Leh and Manali. It is open only between June and mid-September when snow is cleared from the road by the Border Roads Organisation. It connects the Manali valley to Kullu valley, Lahaul and Spiti and Ladakh...
or Manali-Tsokar route leads to Tsomoriri Lake and the Korzok Monastery. The Leh-Manali route passes through Upshi
Upshi
Upshi, village and junction on the Leh-Manali Highway, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir. Leh is to the west along the Indus river valley, Gya is to the south as is Tanglang La and the bulk of the Leh-Manali Highway, and an ancient trading road heads to the east towards Tibet. It is 49km from Leh....
, Chungthang
Chungthang
Chungthang is a town in North Sikkim district in the Indian state of Sikkim. It is situated at the confluence of two rivers: River Lachen and Lachung Chu, both tributaries of the River Teesta. Chungthang is located a distance of 95 kilometres from the capital Gangtok...
to Tsomoriri Lake
Tsomoriri
Tsomoriri or Lake Moriri , in the Changthang area, is a High Altitude Lake with an altitude of in Ladakh, India and is the largest of the High Altitude Lakes in the Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region, entirely within India...
, a distance of 215 kilometres (133.6 mi). The road, climbing though the Tanglang La Pass
Tanglang la
Taglang La, elevation , is a high mountain pass in Ladakh, India.It is sometimes incorrectly claimed to be the world’s second highest motorable pass at an altitude of 5,325 m. . See the article on Khardung La for a discussion of the world's highest motorable passes...
, is the second highest in the world.
Leh is also connected by air with many destinations in India.
A permit (obtainable at Leh only) is essential for entry into the area. Only tented accommodation, pitched on the banks of the Tsomoriri Lake, is available for visitors.