PADMASAMBHAVA PHUG, Taktok
33.983300,77.833300
Description
Padmasambhava is said to have meditated in the cave (HIRSCHBERG 1978: 186, 1987: 173; NEBEL 2000) around which Taktok Gompa (note 1) has been built. The Tibetan Buddhist Nyingmapa monastery (note 2). SITUATION 2003: Half an hour on foot (note 3) above the village of Sakti, which itself lies approximately 10 km along the route from Karu (note 4) north-east past Chemrey (note 5) and via the pass Chang La (5289 m, LONELY PLANET, India 2003: 291) to Shyok. SITUATION 2005: »Taktok Gompa … in the upper Indus Valley … above the village of Sakti« (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 327). SITUATION 2009: »Just before Shakti … a dead end road leads 7 km north to Takthog Gompa (admission Rs20)« (LONELY PLANET, India 2009: 328). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1997: The interior of the meditation cave is lit by a few butter lamps only. Discernible is a statue of the "valuable teacher" Guru Rinpoche along with his eight manifestations and Avalokiteshwara (Avalokiteshvara), the Buddha of compassion (HIRSCHBERG 1977, 1980, 1987: 173). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000: »This cave is now the central room of one of the very few cave monasteries in the area. Though it is small, it looks great because it is built very close to the rock. … It's really cold in the cave, its walls are black from the lamp-black of butter lamps that are lit for ceremonies. Now it is completely dark and doesn't seem to be a very comfortable room to meditate in. A big statue of Padmasambhava and eight smaller ones, his fearsome manifestations, are the only items of interest. A part of the cave is closed, monks hold tantric ceremonies there at special occasions. The abbot's brother I talk to likes the cave especially in winter because it is so warm. "The water doesn't freeze in there", he says. He invites us for tea …« (Karsten Nebel 2000 on myhimalayas.com/ladakh_indus_valley/1.htm accessed 16.04.2005). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2005a: »Taktok Gompa … is built around a cave« (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 327). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2005b: »… the small gompa at Thak Thok [sic!]. The main shrine is made up of a cave in with [sic!] Padmasambhava is said to have meditated during his journey to Tibet in the 8th century. The ceilings black from years and years of burning butter lamps and incense, this dark and mysterious cave is the perfect place for a meditation sitting« (shambhalamountain.org/ladakindiatrip.html accessed 20.06.2005). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2009: »Just before Shakti … a dead end road leads 7 km north to Takthog Gompa (admission Rs20)« (LONELY PLANET, India 2009: 328).
NOTE 1: The monastery's name, composed from the Tibetan "brag" (pronounced 'dak' or 'tak') or »rock, [rocky] mountain« with "thok" or »ceiling« and has been transcribed, spelled, edited or printed as Taktak DUCLUZAUX, B (1993d: 52) Trak-thok HIRSCHBERG, H (1987: 186) Takthog LONELY PLANET, India (2009: 328). Taktok LONELY PLANET, India (2003: 308; 2005: 327); LONELY PLANET, North India (2001: 384) Thak Thok shambhalamountain.org/ladakindiatrip.html (accessed 20.06.2005) Trakthok Nebel, K (2000) on myhimalayas.com/ladakh_indus_valley/1.htm (accessed 16.04.2005) Trekthok Nebel, K (2000) on myhimalayas.com/ladakh_indus_valley/1.htm (accessed 16.04.2005). »Taktok is a little difficult to get to and not on the usual 'gompa trail' « (LONELY PLANET, India 2003: 308; 2005: 327; LONELY PLANET, North India 2001: 384). NOTE 3: »With at least five different spellings, Taktok is the only gompa in the upper Indus Valley belonging to the Nyingmapa order« (LONELY PLANET 2003: 308; 2005: 327; LONELY PLANET, North India 2001: 384). NOTE 4: »The side valley of Saki is very long, it takes more than half an hour to reach Trakthok, which is built on the upper end of the valley« (Nebel, K 2000). NOTE 5: Karu N33°55': E77°45' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003). NOTE 6: »Chemrey« (HIRSCHBERG 1987: 186; LONELY PLANET, North India 2001: 384) is indicated as »Chimre« near N33°58': E077°48' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet Martselang (U502 series, 1963 edition).
Documents
Bibliography 30/04/2016- Hirschberg, Helga 1987; Lonely Planet, India 2005, 2009; Lonely Planet, North India 2001.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | TAKTOK (Caves at) | ||
| 14.2 | KOTSANG PHUG, Hemis | ||
| 17.9 | THIKSEY GOMPA (Caves at) | ||
| 26.7 | PHARKA GOMPA | ||
| 26.7 | CHEMREY GOMPA, Chimre | ||
| 92.7 | PANAMIK SPRINGS | ||
| 734.9 | PANGU KHOLA SHELTER | ||
| 958.8 | Qizil Ming Öy | ||
| 1606.8 | TSAGHAN USSE GROTTO |