Ladakh - Day 5 - Nubra - Diskit

After Sumur, I waited at the bus stop for a bus that would take me back to Diskit. I found an SUV and he said he would charge me 50 rupees. And I hopped in.

I did not take the same vehicle back, in which I had come because the same taxi 2 way was very expensive, but only one way cost much less. But when I hired a separate taxi back to Diskit, he charged me only 50 rupees. Trying to guide you all with a budget constraint or wanting to spend wisely.

The drive back was quite scenic.


Though I had travelled on the same road a few times now, I saw some new sights, like the waterfall.

The cabbie took my picture from the waterfall.

Don’t know what plant this is but it looked so good glistening in the sun and swaying in the breeze…

Diskit is at an altitude of 10360 feet. It is the administrative headquarters of Nubra.
A hilltop monastery overlooks the settlement. As you approach Diskit, you can see the Maitreya Buddha statue under construction.




The Diskit Gompa dating back to early 15th century is Nubra’s most historic monastery.




“In the Gonkhang, one of the fierce deities with a large white head is called Gon-khar and he holds in his hands what is believed to be the shriveled severed hand of Galden-Tsewang, a Mongol invader. The Mongols had plundered the monastery but among their casualties was Galden whose hand the locals ripped off and then decided to preserve in the shrine of protector deities.”

Had I read this before (in the travel guide), I would have looked for it in the Gonkhang.

The handsome Karmapa.

From the monastery, you look down to one side and you see this neat edifice that is the residence of Dalai Lama, when he is visiting this place.

Dukhang with pillars wrapped in colourful silks and the usual parallel rows of seats for the monks has a Maitreya Buddha statue encased in a glass case at the head of the hall.

At this place we had a cup of chai, thanks to the cabbie who knew the Lama very well.

I am looking now in the direction of Hundar. Can you see the sand dunes there where I had walked just this morning? How the wind is playing with them

View of the Valley below.

And we returned.