MYSTIC VACATIONS

I was pleasantly surprised by my onboard travel experience in Gatiman Express from Hazrat Nizammuddin to Agra two days back. It all started with my dilemma of choosing Rail over own car for Delhi to Agra trip. I was advised by many that driving down to Agra would be easier in comparison to the inconvenience of traveling by train. Going against the suggestions and advice, I logged on to IRCTC website ( www.irctc.com )and booked to and fro ticket in Gatiman Express. Again my experience with IRCTC website was quite good the payment gateway worked smoothly and was through in 15 minutes with my tickets. Reaching Nizamuddin station early on a cold morning there was a shiver down the spine. Passing through the security check, I reached the platform and waited patiently. I was early and had to wait for almost an hour before the train arrived on Platform 5. There was no rush and push and getting into the coach was easy. The inside of the coac...

Coming back from Pangong Lake on the way we stopped at Hemis Gompa considered to be one of the richest Monastery. Hemis Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Drukpa Lineage, located in Hemis, Ladakh, India. Situated 45 km from Leh, the monastery was re-established in 1672 by the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal

Diskit Monastery also known as Deskit Gompa or Diskit Gompa is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery (gompa) in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh, northern India. It belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, founder of Gelugpa, in the 14th century.It is a sub-gompa of the Thikse gompa.

Sankar Monastery, or Sankar Gompa is a Buddhist monastery within an easy half-hour walk from Leh in Ladakh, northern India. It is a daughter-establishment of Spituk Monastery and the residence of the Abbot of Spituk, the Venerable Kushok Bakula, who is the senior incarnate lama of Ladakh due to his ancient lineage and personal authority. About The Monastery & Its Attractions  The monastery, a small under Gompa of Spitok, is staffed by twenty monks, and is the official residen ce of the Kushok Bakul, Ladakh's head of the Gelug-pa sect. Appropriately for such a high-ranking 'Rinpoche', his glass-fronted penthouse enjoys pride of place on top of the main building, crowned with a golden spire and a "Dharma Chakra" flanked by two deer, symbolizing the Buddha's first sermon in Sarnath. A flight of steps leads from the courtyard to the Du-khang. Beyond the lords of the four quarters and wheel of life Mandala that adorn the verandah, one enters a high ce...