17th century monastery may go from World Heritage Sites’ list
Hemis Gumpha In Ladakh On Verge Of Collapse
Srinagar: Due to poor maintenance by the Archeological Survey of India, the 17th century Hemis Gumpha in Ladakh is likely to be dropped from the list of World Heritage Sites, former director general of Tourism, Muhammad Saleem Beigh said.
The Hemis monastery is on the “tentative list” of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites and a protected monument by the ASI. In 2007 the ASI started restoration work on the monastery to plug leakage of rainwater into it. “But the leakage didn’t stop and its walls and foundation were damaged to a great extent,” a source in the ASI said.
After the defective works by the ASI the monks started the work on their own but since they lacked the experience and expertise the monastery was damaged further. In August 2008 a team of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) that visited the monastery was surprised to find labourers demolishing a floor without conducting any structural analysis, said Beigh, chairman of the JK chapter of the INTACH.
Beigh said the INTACH expressed its displeasure in a letter to the director general of the ASI. “But the communication didn’t evoke any concrete response,” he said, adding, “It would be unfortunate to see the monastery de-listed.”
The superintending architect of the ASI’s Srinagar Circle, R Krishnaiah, however, said at present the monks were not allowing the ASI to do any work. “But we are talking to the monks. We have sent a status report on the monastery to the ASI and once we get its nod we would start the work again,” Krishnaiah said.
The monastery, 47 km from Leh, is believed to stand concealed inside a gorge and belongs to the Dugpa Order. It is the biggest and the wealthiest monastery of Ladakh and a major tourist attraction. The annual Hemis festival in Ladakh is celebrated in its name.
According to a UNESCO website, Hemis Gumpha is believed to have been established in 1630 by Lama Tagstang Raspa and built by Palden Sara under the patronage of King Sengge Namgyal on a site previously sanctified by the construction of a cave hermitage dating from the 12th century.
“This monastery is the oldest one in the area belonging to the Kargyu school. The Gompa is a unique example of a monastic complex of this period which manifests in its structure the geomantic principles which underlie religious constructions of this type. In addition there are also examples of construction techniques and details which are not found elsewhere,” the website reads.
(Greater Kashmir)