Himachal Pradesh Rewalsar Monastery
Rewalsar Monastery is situated at the edge of Rewalsar Lake in Himachal Pradesh, while the location Rewalsar in Mandi district is the most revered place by members of all religions, with other names such as Tsopema, and Trisangam.
Rewalsar Monastery belongs on Nyingmapa sect of Buddhism, while there are two other Monasteries Drikung Kagyud Gompa and Zigar Gompa are located in this tranquil village.
Rewalswar is considered the most visited Buddhist pilgrimage spot in the world and with water, high hills and wood lands, this location presents an enchanting environment of natural beauty.
History
Rewalsar Monastery was instituted by none less than 8th Century Buddhist Guru Padmasambhava, who had gone to Tibet only from Rewalsar.
Legends convey that Guru Padmasambhava was having rare tantric skills and spiritual powers and he created miracles in this region. Once it appears he was thrown into fire by the Ministers of the King, when he turned that fire into a beautiful waterfront of a Lake. People say that his foot prints are still seen around the lake as he walked from the Lake to the nearby caves.
Another occasion, Guru Padmasambhava went to Tibet riding a Tiger in response to the Tibet Emperor’s request to come there to ward off evils there.
The village folks at Rewalsar have faith that the spirit of the Guru still lives around that region.
A huge new statue of Padmasmabhava(37.5 m. or 123 ft.) was consecrated in 2012 and was blessed by H.H the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet by inaugurating this new structure.
Architecture
A unique feature of Buddhist gompas is the combination of the Indo-Chinese style of architecture, creating beautiful interiors adorned with stucco images and illustrative paintings.
Rewalsar Monastery is of pagoda style which stands on the shore of the famous Rewalsar Lake. The prime architectural feature of this monastery is the 150 feet statue of the GuruPadmasambhava installed there.
The interiors of the monastery giving a cool and pleasant comfort, the visitor can see a treasure trove of wall murals and stucco images
Nearby Attractions
The visitor to Rewalsar will have the opportunity of seeing the seven mythological lakes mentioned in Mahabharat, with which the Pandavaswere associated. These lakes further have the legends connected
A famous Krishna temple in the town is another important attraction in Rewalsar. In fact, there are three shrines here, dedicated to Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva and Sage Lomas.
Apart from the two other Tibetan monasteries located around the lake, there is a Sikh gurudwara which was built in 1930.
Rewalsar Lake is an important attraction, around which the very town of Rewalsar is established.
How to Reach
Rewalsar is approachable from Mandi town in about 24 km drive by road. For those who travel by train, the nearest Railway station is that ofPathankot, which is 210 km away from this place.
Bhuntar Airport is the nearest one which is situated 57 km away from Mandi district.
Any traveler can go to any of these monasteries in Himachal Pradesh by reach anyone of the five major zones which are
- Shimla,
- Kullu and Manali,
- Dalhousie and Chamba,
- Kangra- Dharamshala-Palampur and
- Paonta-Nahan
To reach these zones there are a number of buses plying, rail heads in major towns of these zones and also Airports in each of them.
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