The village of Mangyu is a pleasent four-hour walk from Alchi, following the Indus downstream on the left bank of the river for the first two-hour stretch, then branching off into a spectacular side valley to the south of the Indus. Today there is a footbridge at the hamlet of Gyera, where the side-valley commences, reducing walking time to two hours from the main road connecting Leh with Kashmir. Mangyu is certainly one of the most photogenic villages in Ladakh and the walk there trough the valley is a beautiful experience in itself. Neverless, it is rarely visited by tourists as it does not lie on one of the main trekking routes.

Text: “Buddhist Sculpture in Clay”, Christian Luczanits, Chicago 2004
Fotos: Holger Neuwirth / Christian Luczanits