Kursha Monastery: Jammu & Kashmir

Karsha monastery or karsha gompa, it is the largest most important monastery located in the Padum Valley of the Zanskar region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in Northern India. It is a highly revered monastery in Khurshan village, which is 14 km away from Padum village and it is situated at a distance of 450 km. from Leh.
Karsha is a Buddhist monastery which is founded by the translator, phagspa shesrab under the Gelugpa order or the yellow hat orders. This monastery is also popular by the name of “Karsha chamspaling”. Karsha has a number of holy places and exaggerate with meticulous design of paintings which is drawn by the lama Dzadpa Dorje. It is also recognized by the name of antique houses of Dorje Rinchen. A popular festival of Jammu and Kashmir held in the ward of monastery which is known by the name of Gustor festival. According to the Tibetan calendar, this festival is celebrated between the 26th and 29th day of the sixth month. Almost 100 monks bide the monastery of Zanskar. In the cloister, a spiritual image of 11- headed Avaloketeshvara is immortalize, here you will also get a chance to see a indelicate gold embroidered or colourful threads design on an orange cloth, disentangle by the Lamas which portray of Buddha blockade by his guardian godhead. Karsha was built against the precipitous hillside like a massive white rampart, with deep-set, black-edged windows. From a distance of Karsha, villages, gompa and mountainside were merged together. It was a primitive world of heaven. In the evening the Sun gleams their angle towards the roof top and girder cast black and white square shaped shadows in geometrical patterns.
A highly apotheosize cloister in Khurshan village where you also facilitates with school, market, dispensary and post & telegraph offices. Interesting part of this nunnery is, for the visitor they aid a five hours ride of river rafting in the Zanskar River called the “Grand Canyon” of Asia, in freezing cold conditions. The rafting starts from Remala and ends in Karsha village near Padum. Zanskar valley is closed from November to May due to heavy snow fall. Leh is the nearest airport while Srinagar is also another airport that could also be used. Kargil is 6km away from Pakistan border is at a distance of a 240 km from Padum, which is further 14 km away from the lamasery. It is a very exquisite place to visit. A heaven of monastery “KURSHA”.

By: Tripti Varun
Content: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kursha_Monastery