Amandus Vanquaille and Hilde Vets Lamayuru The Symbolic Architecture of Light Introduction: topography broad verdant valley. From this dramatic viewpoint, called the Approaching Lamayuru from the Fotu-la, a 4108 m high pass seven Gonkyi-la, where the monastery is suddenly revealed standing high on km to the west, the old trail follows the watercourse down through a crag jutting into the cultivated valley floor, a row of 108 chörtens summer pastures until it turns behind a rock massif and opens into a leads the traveller to the sanctuary. The valley, cultivated by irriga- Lamayuru: topographical location plan of the village with its surrounding barren mountains and the irrigated fields of the verdant valley along a stretch of 1500 m. The monastery and the village stands on a high crag jutting into the valley floor. From the east, a row of 108 chörtens along the valley leads the traveller to the sanctuary. To the west, the valley drops down into the barren Markalaga, the white sediment of a former lake eroded into bizarre formations. 85 Amandus Vanquaille and Hilde Vets tion, bends around the hill of the settlement, and then drops down into the barren Markalaga, the white sediment of a former lake eroded into bizarre formations. From there, the valley narrows again into a deep gorge, leading eastwards some ten kilometres to the conjunction with the Indus near Khaltsi. Lamayuru consists of four main parts. The centre – the monastery and a circumambulatory path around two colossal chörtens – stands on the highest level of the promontory. The monastery itself is built around and now completely encloses a “rock needle”, with the cave where Naropa is said to have meditated. A little lower, on a plateau to the north-west of the monastery, the monks have their residences (drashag) and ritual dancing place or chamsra. The original lay settlement is still lower, occupying the ridge to the south of the monastery1, with the old Lion Temple (Senge Lhakhang) rising on the southernmost point of the crag. The meditation centre is a recent addition to the settlement on a higher slope of the promontory, overlooking the monastery. On the vertical axis, we first have the valley floor (where the animals graze in winter time), then the lay settlement, the monastic commun- ity and at the top the meditation centre.2 On the peak above stands the Angonsum for the main protective gods or sungma. Vairocana man≥d≥ala Lamayuru is, in its urban composition, a choreographic scene that places a certain ideology – that of Buddhism – centre stage. The architectural setting is formed not only by the buildings, but also by nature and common memory. The monastic centre is built around a needle-shaped rock which is now incorporated into the main temple. As the dark chapels and out- buildings, which form the temple, completely enclose the promontory rock, nothing of this landscaping element can be seen except in the central praying room (dükhang). From this room, one of the doors of the bookcase opens into the reputed meditation cave of Naropa3 and Lamayuru: site plan. Lamayuru consists of four main parts. The centre – the monastery and a circumam- bulatory path around two colossal chörtens – stands on the highest level of the pro- montory. A little lower, on a plateau to the north-west of the monastery, the monks have their residences (drashag) and ritual dancing place or chamsra. The original lay settlement is still lower, occupying the ridge to the south of the monastery, with the old Lion Temple (Senge Lhakhang) rising on the southernmost point of the crag. The meditation centre is a recent addition to the settlement on a higher slope of the promontory, overlooking the monastery. In light gray are indicated the alterations made in the 20th century. 86 Lamayuru: The Symbolic Architecture of Light reminds us of the legendary emergence of this site as a Buddhist pil- temples in the Western Himalayas. He studied in India, principally in grimage place. The library represents not only the written record of Kashmir. The influence of Kashmir is especially significant in the the Buddhist tradition, but also the specific lineage of the order to artistic and architectural context. Biographies tell us that he engaged which the monastery now belongs and which is mainly transmitted Kashmiri artisans for the fine woodcarving and paintings. While orally. This manner of gaining access to the meditation cave through many monasteries and temples are attributed to Rinchen Zangpo, the library leaves an ingeniously contrived trace of the former land- most were probably not actually founded by him. These temples often mark, the needle-shaped rock, that once made this site so attractive. date from the same period or a little later and are probably built by 1 Although the upper village has gra- That this promontory rock evokes the collective imagination is clear collaborators or disciples of this famous figure. Not only is the re- dually been abandoned and most of the village now lies at the western foot of from the fact that people attribute special energy and magical forces fined style of Kashmir prominent in these constructions, but the the crag below the monastery, this is a to this rock. typological features of these monasteries or temples also clearly refer recent development. Until the önpo The legend of the foundation of Lamayuru – which we found in a ver- to the same period.5 (the grandfather of the present önpo) 4 moved his house down from the hilltop sion dating from 1862 written by Konchok Randol Nyima Rimpoche The central temple in Lamayuru, the Lion Temple or Senge Lha- around 1885, the only structures on the and which is now edited with a commentary by Karl-Heinz Everding khang, is still in existence. A Vairocana man≥d≥ala is painted in this valley floor were the long row of chö- – provides us with more information. Five temples have been built in small temple, probably dating from the 11th or 12th century. The Vairo- rten on the western approach road and Lamayuru: one in the centre and the others in the four cardinal direc- cana mandala was very popular at that time – such mandalas are also the ancient group of “lotsawa chörten” ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ near the main spring (chumig). tions. These temples symbolise the five tantric Buddhas and together to be found in Tabo, Alchi, and other sites in Ladakh. Only part of A group of houses in a gully a little to form an architectural Vairocana man≥d≥ala. The foundation of these the western temple remains, badly restored. Remnants of the impres- the north-west, now an extension of the temples and of the entrance chörten near the spring is attributed to sive mural paintings, probably dating from the same period, are badly lower village, was formerly the site of a nunnery built partly in caves. Rinchen Zangpo by local tradition. Rinchen Zangpo was a very pro- damaged. Of the east and south temples, whose position was indi- minent figure in the so-called “Second wave of Buddhist Propaga- cated to us by the former lobon, only some foundation stones remain. 2 This is of very recent construction, established by a Tibetan teacher in tion”, and lived from 958 to 1055 A. D. He is not only famous as a Further archaeological research is required for the correct identifica- 1977. translator of Buddhist canonical texts (lotsawa) or as a composer of tion of these two temples. The northern temple is reputed to have 3 Naropa (956–1040) was an Indian religious hymns, but also as the founder of several monasteries and been situated on, near or in the needle-shaped rock, at the place tantrist who is regarded as an impor- tant master of the Kagyupa tradition, to which Lamayuru has belonged since the 16th century. A fuller account of the role of Naropa in Lamayuru has been prepared by Karl-Heinz Everding. 4 This chronicle was written after the various plunderings and the disastrous destruction of Lamayuru by the Dogra army under the leadership of Zorawar Singh. In this war (1834–1842) not only were many monks murdered, but many religious objects and monastic scriptures were destroyed or looted by the Muslim armies. It is principally under the direction of the monk Kon- chok Randol Nyima that the recon- struction took place. The reincarnation of Konchok Randol Nyima is presently a Rinpoche in Lamayuru. 5 An account of the role of Rinchen Zangpo in Lamayuru has been pre- pared by Karl-Heinz Everding. See also Lamayuru: north-south section through the old part of the village, the monastery and the chörten group, showing the needle-shaped rock which is now incorporated into the Tucci 1988; Snellgrove & Skorupski main temple. The cave of Naropa on the south side of this rock is now accessed from the main prayer hall. The old lay village lays at the lower part of the promontory, with 1977, Vol. 2 Part III (Biography of Rin- the Lion Temple (Senge Lhakhang) rising on the southernmost point of the crag. chen bZang-po). 87 Amandus Vanquaille and Hilde Vets Lamayuru: plan, sections and details of the Lion Temple, probably dating from the 11th or 12th century or older. The Lion Temple represented, together with four other temples in the four cardinal directions, an architectural man≥d≥ala. A Vairocana man≥d≥ala is painted in the central Lion Temple. 6 dung: respectful form of the word for bone, bones or remains of a deceased person. In Ladakh, dung: may also signify “fu- nerary kiln”: “The Tibetan term used here is simply dung and it refers to the chörten-like edifice in which the bodies of leading people were (and still are) incinerated.