A Tour of Northern Humla, Nepal (September-October 2014)
Stage 5: Halji
Halji is the site of the highly revered 11th-century Drikung Kagyu Thubten Rinchenling Gompa. It is believed that Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055), the principal translator of Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Tibetan during the second diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet, founded 108 temples and monasteries throughout Guge, Purang, and Ladakh, and that Halji′s gompa was the last one. Unfortunately, in recent years the village has been hit by glacial lake floods and rock falls. Villagers fear that the gompa could soon be damaged. There are now some ongoing efforts to preserve this gompa.
While in Halji, I attended two pujas (Buddhist rituals and prayers) requesting gods to quickly melt snow from the buckwheat fields, so that harvest could be completed. One was held by monks in the gompa itself, while the other was held among villagers in one of the village houses.
Halji village and its cultivated terraces covered by snow.
The ″chorten alley″ at the entrance of Halji.
Streets of Halji filled with snow dumped from the rooftops. In the heart of the winter season, it must be even worse. Note how well the house walls have been built.
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Central section of Halji with its gompa.
Inner courtyard and northern aisle (with staircase) of the gompa. The courtyard is used for festivities.
Two representations of Vairocana (who symbolizes the mirror-like wisdom of the Buddha′s enlightenment) in a four-fold composition located on the ground floor of the gompa: southern side (left) and eastern side (right) of the composition. The entrance to the Vairocana room is on the left of the staircase seen in the previous photo.
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Bodhisattvas in the Vairocana room.
Balcony on both sides of the staircase reaching the second floor.
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In the central room on the second floor (northern side).
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The maze of human life symbolized by an incense labyrinth burning from the outside in.
In the puja room (left room on first floor, northern side), before the puja.
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Monks on the terrace of the gompa (southern side) and mountain facing Halji Gompa on the opposite side of Limi Khola.
Puja in the gompa.
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Villager puja.
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Preparing food and (Tibetan) tea for puja participants.
Spectacular hermitage in the cliff overlooking Halji.
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