I felt that Almighty had called me again this September when I went to Pather Sahib. I had the good luck to see it last year around this time of the year. The historic Indus River en-route to the Gurudwara gave me an inexpressible feeling. I told my friends of the Indian oil that all this area was a part of Punjab that had five rivers – Indus, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and the Beas.
People wore sweaters and jackets to keep warm. On the way we crossed the highest LPG bottling Plant of the Indian Oil (Indane) situated at 11800 ft above sea level. Next was the Leh Berry production unit that makes juices of the berries that grew in the region in abundance. Juices of other fruits are also made and used locally and supplied to other places. I clicked many snaps with my digital camera that I showed them to my friends and folks at home.°Now different administrative units have been formed. Leh and Ladakh is a cold desert at a high altitude and oxygen concentration is low. It is exposed to high UV radiation from the Sun. I could see stretches of muddy hills all along the road with fertile patches of trees and vegetation. Only the far away mountain peaks were covered with snow. The temperature varied from 5-22
The army manages the Gurudwara and also the many Check Points in Leh and Ladakh. We were welcomed and provided hot tea and snacks on reaching. The authorities have made a cosy rest room with a STD/ISD booth and CSD Canteen Facilities. Guru Nanak did meditation here on a hill. The local people were troubled a lot by an evil person who used to kill animals by rolling down big stones from a high hill on the opposite side. The people approached Guru Nanak to help and save them from this person. Nanak Lama came down from his meditation site to the area below. The evil person was very happy and threw a huge stone in order to kill him. Nanak Lama was no ordinary person so the stone melted like wax. The impression of the divine power can be seen imbedded on the huge bolder in the Pather Sahib. The evil man came running down and asked Guru Nanak to forgive him and promised him that he would not kill any more. He became a good person and became a disciple of The Guru.
Datoon Sahib is located in the Leh Town behind the Masqid. Guru Nanak known as Nanak Lama is revered by Muslims and Lamas too. The Lama had come to this spot in Leh in 1571. He planted the tree used for brushing the teeth in the barren place and it stands here till today. There is a local baker just below the tree. I asked him to give me a branch that I could carry home and he readily gave it to me. On Wednesdays the ladies sing hymes (kirtan) on the first floor of the Gurudwara. On the back lane is a Singh Sabha Gurudwara where kirtan is performed on Sundays. I met many people and found that many students of Leh study in Chandigarh schools, colleges and the University. The Leh airport is operational throughout the year despite the extreme cold but the region is cut off by road in the winter.
I was told that the Thiksey Monastery resembles the Monastery in Lhasa in Tibet. It covers the whole hill with many halls and windows. A huge Buddha in a sitting posture covers two floors and is the center of attraction. It has a kitchen with beautiful Chinese crockery and big brass utensils. All the Monks eat here. On the next storey is a school run by the Monastery. The children are dressed like Monks and are taught many subjects including English. The cute young Monks stay, eat and play in the Monastery. They needs of the Monks are looked after by the Monastery. The famous Shanti Stupa in Leh was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 1985. It is on a hill and presents a Landmark. In the evening the glittering lights of Leh can be seen from the mount. On the right are the airport lights and on the left is the road to the highest motorable Pass – the K-Top. The breeze reminds of Gods sublime blessings and love