India: Himalayan Buddhist Art and Architecture (INA) Program Links - 1 3953
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India: Himalayan Buddhist Art and Architecture
Program Excursions
In many ways, this itinerant program involves one long, continuous excursion from Delhi up to the remote city of Leh, with many exciting stops along the way. Students will pass through the green, North Indian side of the Himalayas to the Tibetan Plateau, where the landscape, culture and customs are all quite different from anywhere else in India. Students will travel by train and four-wheel drive vehicles, through high mountain passes, valleys, and gorgeous wilderness areas.
The first stop, Shimla, is the former summer capital of the British Raj, with many remnants of the colonial period.
Next, Sangla is a beautiful unspoiled green valley on the monsoon side of the Himalayas, surrounded by very high snow-capped peaks; the village is a syncretic Hindu-Buddhist culture. Another major stop is the quiet and remote town of Tabo, the jewel of ancient Vajrayana Buddhist art and architecture. Students will live and study at the Tabo Monastery while there.
The last two weeks of the program will be spent in Leh, a traditional Tibetan Buddhist community and the major town of Ladakh. From Leh, the group will also take brief excursions, including a trek to Sumda Chenmo, and Sumda Choon across the 16,070’ Konzeke-la. These villages house one thousand year old monasteries with remarkable artistic treasures rarely seen by foreigners. The group will also see Tso Moriri, a remote glacial lake area that is home to the wild Himalayan ass.