Ruins of Basgo Fort/Monastery/Gompa/Castle - Unseco World Heritage Site @ Ladakh
Basgo Monastery, also known as Basgo or Bazgo Gompa, is a Buddhist monastery located in Basgo or Bazgo in Leh District, Ladakh, northern India approximately 40 km from Leh.
Although the monastery was built for the Namgyal rulers in 1680, Bazgo itself was embedded in the early days of Ladakh and is frequently mentioned in the Ladakhi Chronicles when it was a political and cultural center.[1] In the 15th century, a palace was built in Basgo.
The monastery is situated on top of the hill towering over the ruins of the ancient town and is noted for its Buddha statue and murals. The complex comprises the Chamchung, Chamba Lakhang, and Serzang temples, dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha.
Ruins at Basgo Monastery, Leh, Ladakh
The mud-brick fortress of Basgo Gompa is perched high in the hills of Ladakh, between the Himalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges in northern India. The citadel and the three temples located within its rammed earth walls were built by Tibetan king Grags-pa-‘bum and his descendants in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries A.D. The Chamchung, Chamba Lakhang, and Serzang temples, located on a man-made mound in the center of the complex, are dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha—the fifth incarnation of Sakyamuni. The temple façades are brightly painted and their interior walls are covered with murals depicting vignettes from the life of Buddha and portraits of the temples’ benefactors. The largest of the three structures holds a 14-meter-high, gilded statue of the Maitreya Buddha. The surrounding population, including the occupants of the nearby Hemis monastery, continues to use the temples for ceremonies and holidays. Despite regular repairs made by the community, the temples faced significant structural challenges by the end of the twentieth century.
Basgo Gompa (Maitreya temples) was included on the 2000 World Monuments Watch to draw attention to the conservation needs of the complex. Water had infiltrated the main temple through cracks in its roof, causing damage to the statues, murals, and floor. The local community was fiercely committed to the preservation of the site, but lacked the financial means to address the problems. Although small donations subsidized emergency stabilization measures, more funding and technical assistance was required for a complete restoration. The temples were included again on the World Monuments Watch in 2002 and secured funds to address the conservation and training issues at the site. With additional help from the New Delhi-based Namgyal Institute for Research of Ladakhi Art and Culture, conservation began in earnest at Basgo Gompa. By the end of 2004, the two smaller shrines had been completely preserved and were functional once more. The roof of the main temple was repaired, its murals were consolidated and restored, and a proper retaining wall was erected around the perimeter.
Though much of Basgo Gompa fortress has deteriorated over the last four centuries since its construction, the three temples it protects have withstood the test of time. The Maitreya temples at Basgo Gompa are the oldest surviving religious structures of their kind, dedicated to the Buddha of the future. Although they exist in the stark, barren landscape of the Himalayas, they are still actively used and loved by the surrounding population. The nearby monastic community and the local lay people are equally dedicated to the repair and long-term preservation of these sixteenth- and seventeenth-century buildings. Today, the temples continue to perform their religious function with the improved conditions of their foundations, façades, and interior decoration.
Source:
This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The collection comprises of 100, 000+ hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, XDCAM and 4K. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world...
Please subscribe to our channel wildfilmsindia on Youtube for a steady stream of videos from across India. Also, visit and enjoy your journey across India at clipahoy.com , India's first video-based social networking experience!
Reach us at rupindang [at] gmail [dot] com and admin@wildfilmsindia.com
Statue of golden Buddha inside Bazgo Gompa - Leh, India
The mud-brick fortress of Basgo Gompa is perched high in the hills of Ladakh, between the Himalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges in northern India. The citadel and the three temples located within its rammed earth walls were built by Tibetan king Grags-pa-‘bum and his descendants in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries A.D. The Chamchung, Chamba Lakhang, and Serzang temples, located on a man-made mound in the center of the complex, are dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha—the fifth incarnation of Sakyamuni. The temple façades are brightly painted and their interior walls are covered with murals depicting vignettes from the life of Buddha and portraits of the temples’ benefactors. The largest of the three structures holds a 14-meter-high, gilded statue of the Maitreya Buddha. The surrounding population, including the occupants of the nearby Hemis monastery, continues to use the temples for ceremonies and holidays. Despite regular repairs made by the community, the temples faced significant structural challenges by the end of the twentieth century.
Basgo Gompa (Maitreya temples) was included on the 2000 World Monuments Watch to draw attention to the conservation needs of the complex. Water had infiltrated the main temple through cracks in its roof, causing damage to the statues, murals, and floor. The local community was fiercely committed to the preservation of the site, but lacked the financial means to address the problems. Although small donations subsidized emergency stabilization measures, more funding and technical assistance was required for a complete restoration. The temples were included again on the World Monuments Watch in 2002 and secured funds to address the conservation and training issues at the site. With additional help from the New Delhi-based Namgyal Institute for Research of Ladakhi Art and Culture, conservation began in earnest at Basgo Gompa. By the end of 2004, the two smaller shrines had been completely preserved and were functional once more. The roof of the main temple was repaired, its murals were consolidated and restored, and a proper retaining wall was erected around the perimeter.
Though much of Basgo Gompa fortress has deteriorated over the last four centuries since its construction, the three temples it protects have withstood the test of time. The Maitreya temples at Basgo Gompa are the oldest surviving religious structures of their kind, dedicated to the Buddha of the future. Although they exist in the stark, barren landscape of the Himalayas, they are still actively used and loved by the surrounding population. The nearby monastic community and the local lay people are equally dedicated to the repair and long-term preservation of these sixteenth- and seventeenth-century buildings. Today, the temples continue to perform their religious function with the improved conditions of their foundations, façades, and interior decoration.
Source:
This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The collection comprises of 100, 000+ hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, XDCAM and 4K. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world...
Please subscribe to our channel wildfilmsindia on Youtube for a steady stream of videos from across India. Also, visit and enjoy your journey across India at clipahoy.com , India's first video-based social networking experience!
Reach us at rupindang [at] gmail [dot] com and admin@wildfilmsindia.com
Basgo Monastery or Bazgo Gompa - Leh, India
The mud-brick fortress of Basgo Gompa is perched high in the hills of Ladakh, between the Himalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges in northern India. The citadel and the three temples located within its rammed earth walls were built by Tibetan king Grags-pa-‘bum and his descendants in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries A.D. The Chamchung, Chamba Lakhang, and Serzang temples, located on a man-made mound in the center of the complex, are dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha—the fifth incarnation of Sakyamuni. The temple façades are brightly painted and their interior walls are covered with murals depicting vignettes from the life of Buddha and portraits of the temples’ benefactors. The largest of the three structures holds a 14-meter-high, gilded statue of the Maitreya Buddha. The surrounding population, including the occupants of the nearby Hemis monastery, continues to use the temples for ceremonies and holidays. Despite regular repairs made by the community, the temples faced significant structural challenges by the end of the twentieth century.
Basgo Gompa (Maitreya temples) was included on the 2000 World Monuments Watch to draw attention to the conservation needs of the complex. Water had infiltrated the main temple through cracks in its roof, causing damage to the statues, murals, and floor. The local community was fiercely committed to the preservation of the site, but lacked the financial means to address the problems. Although small donations subsidized emergency stabilization measures, more funding and technical assistance was required for a complete restoration. The temples were included again on the World Monuments Watch in 2002 and secured funds to address the conservation and training issues at the site. With additional help from the New Delhi-based Namgyal Institute for Research of Ladakhi Art and Culture, conservation began in earnest at Basgo Gompa. By the end of 2004, the two smaller shrines had been completely preserved and were functional once more. The roof of the main temple was repaired, its murals were consolidated and restored, and a proper retaining wall was erected around the perimeter.
Though much of Basgo Gompa fortress has deteriorated over the last four centuries since its construction, the three temples it protects have withstood the test of time. The Maitreya temples at Basgo Gompa are the oldest surviving religious structures of their kind, dedicated to the Buddha of the future. Although they exist in the stark, barren landscape of the Himalayas, they are still actively used and loved by the surrounding population. The nearby monastic community and the local lay people are equally dedicated to the repair and long-term preservation of these sixteenth- and seventeenth-century buildings. Today, the temples continue to perform their religious function with the improved conditions of their foundations, façades, and interior decoration.
Source:
This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The collection comprises of 100, 000+ hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, XDCAM and 4K. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world...
Please subscribe to our channel wildfilmsindia on Youtube for a steady stream of videos from across India. Also, visit and enjoy your journey across India at clipahoy.com , India's first video-based social networking experience!
Reach us at rupindang [at] gmail [dot] com and admin@wildfilmsindia.com
Basgo Gompa, Ladakh
Basgo Monastery,also known as Basgo or Bazgo Gompa, is a Buddhist monastery located in Basgo or Bazgo in Leh District, Ladakh, northern India approximately 40 km from Leh.The monastery is situated on top of the hill towering over the ruins of the ancient town and is noted for its Buddha statue and murals. The complex comprises the Chamchung, Chamba Lakhang, and Serzang temples, dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha.
Although the monastery was built for the Namgyal rulers in 1680.
Mud-brick fortress of Basgo Gompa, Ladakh
The mud-brick fortress of Basgo Gompa is perched high in the hills of Ladakh, between the Himalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges in northern India. The citadel and the three temples located within its rammed earth walls were built by Tibetan king Grags-pa-‘bum and his descendants in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries A.D. The Chamchung, Chamba Lakhang, and Serzang temples, located on a man-made mound in the center of the complex, are dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha—the fifth incarnation of Sakyamuni. The temple façades are brightly painted and their interior walls are covered with murals depicting vignettes from the life of Buddha and portraits of the temples’ benefactors. The largest of the three structures holds a 14-meter-high, gilded statue of the Maitreya Buddha. The surrounding population, including the occupants of the nearby Hemis monastery, continues to use the temples for ceremonies and holidays. Despite regular repairs made by the community, the temples faced significant structural challenges by the end of the twentieth century.
Basgo Gompa (Maitreya temples) was included on the 2000 World Monuments Watch to draw attention to the conservation needs of the complex. Water had infiltrated the main temple through cracks in its roof, causing damage to the statues, murals, and floor. The local community was fiercely committed to the preservation of the site, but lacked the financial means to address the problems. Although small donations subsidized emergency stabilization measures, more funding and technical assistance was required for a complete restoration. The temples were included again on the World Monuments Watch in 2002 and secured funds to address the conservation and training issues at the site. With additional help from the New Delhi-based Namgyal Institute for Research of Ladakhi Art and Culture, conservation began in earnest at Basgo Gompa. By the end of 2004, the two smaller shrines had been completely preserved and were functional once more. The roof of the main temple was repaired, its murals were consolidated and restored, and a proper retaining wall was erected around the perimeter.
Though much of Basgo Gompa fortress has deteriorated over the last four centuries since its construction, the three temples it protects have withstood the test of time. The Maitreya temples at Basgo Gompa are the oldest surviving religious structures of their kind, dedicated to the Buddha of the future. Although they exist in the stark, barren landscape of the Himalayas, they are still actively used and loved by the surrounding population. The nearby monastic community and the local lay people are equally dedicated to the repair and long-term preservation of these sixteenth- and seventeenth-century buildings. Today, the temples continue to perform their religious function with the improved conditions of their foundations, façades, and interior decoration.
Source:
This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The collection comprises of 100, 000+ hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, XDCAM and 4K. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world...
Please subscribe to our channel wildfilmsindia on Youtube for a steady stream of videos from across India. Also, visit and enjoy your journey across India at clipahoy.com , India's first video-based social networking experience!
Reach us at rupindang [at] gmail [dot] com and admin@wildfilmsindia.com
Basgo Monastery - History & walkthrough
An attempt to show you this hidden treasure from my June 2016 trip - Basgo Monastery, also known as Basgo or Bazgo Gompa, is a Buddhist monastery located in Basgo or Bazgo in Leh District, Ladakh, northern India approximately 40 km from Leh.
Although the monastery was built for the Namgyal rulers in 1680, Bazgo itself was embedded in the early days of Ladakh and is frequently mentioned in the Ladakhi Chronicles when it was a political and cultural center. In the 15th century, a palace was built in Basgo. The monastery is situated on top of the hill towering over the ruins of the ancient town and is noted for its Buddha statue and murals. The complex comprises the Chamchung, Chamba Lakhang, and Serzang temples, dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha.
Clouds develop over Maitreya temple of Basgo : time lapse
The mud-brick fortress of Basgo Gompa is perched high in the hills of Ladakh, between the Himalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges in northern India. The citadel and the three temples located within its rammed earth walls were built by Tibetan king Grags-pa-‘bum and his descendants in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries A.D. The Chamchung, Chamba Lakhang, and Serzang temples, located on a man-made mound in the center of the complex, are dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha—the fifth incarnation of Sakyamuni. The temple façades are brightly painted and their interior walls are covered with murals depicting vignettes from the life of Buddha and portraits of the temples’ benefactors. The largest of the three structures holds a 14-meter-high, gilded statue of the Maitreya Buddha. The surrounding population, including the occupants of the nearby Hemis monastery, continues to use the temples for ceremonies and holidays. Despite regular repairs made by the community, the temples faced significant structural challenges by the end of the twentieth century.
Basgo Gompa (Maitreya temples) was included on the 2000 World Monuments Watch to draw attention to the conservation needs of the complex. Water had infiltrated the main temple through cracks in its roof, causing damage to the statues, murals, and floor. The local community was fiercely committed to the preservation of the site, but lacked the financial means to address the problems. Although small donations subsidized emergency stabilization measures, more funding and technical assistance was required for a complete restoration. The temples were included again on the World Monuments Watch in 2002 and secured funds to address the conservation and training issues at the site. With additional help from the New Delhi-based Namgyal Institute for Research of Ladakhi Art and Culture, conservation began in earnest at Basgo Gompa. By the end of 2004, the two smaller shrines had been completely preserved and were functional once more. The roof of the main temple was repaired, its murals were consolidated and restored, and a proper retaining wall was erected around the perimeter.
Though much of Basgo Gompa fortress has deteriorated over the last four centuries since its construction, the three temples it protects have withstood the test of time. The Maitreya temples at Basgo Gompa are the oldest surviving religious structures of their kind, dedicated to the Buddha of the future. Although they exist in the stark, barren landscape of the Himalayas, they are still actively used and loved by the surrounding population. The nearby monastic community and the local lay people are equally dedicated to the repair and long-term preservation of these sixteenth- and seventeenth-century buildings. Today, the temples continue to perform their religious function with the improved conditions of their foundations, façades, and interior decoration.
Source:
This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The collection comprises of 100, 000+ hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, XDCAM and 4K. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world...
Please subscribe to our channel wildfilmsindia on Youtube for a steady stream of videos from across India. Also, visit and enjoy your journey across India at clipahoy.com , India's first video-based social networking experience!
Reach us at rupindang [at] gmail [dot] com and admin@wildfilmsindia.com