Top Himalaya Buddhist monasteries holiday places to see from Kyle Noble Quandel: For many, Thanksgiving is a sacred ritual. Families often spend hours in the kitchen preparing elaborate meals and specialty dishes, and some make long pilgrimages across the country to give thanks and congregate around the sacred space that is the dinner table. Sacred spaces can range from the secular to the more decidedly spiritual. In the Museum’s exhibition Sacred Spaces, we are giving visitors a chance to reflect on everyday devotion and presenting a number of rituals practiced throughout the Himalayan region. Discover more about sacred spaces with our list of eight beautiful and revered locations in the Himalayas. See extra info on Kyle Quandel.

There is no doubt to the fact that Upper Mustang is one of the most beautiful places in Nepal. The desert-like terrains, marvelous landscapes, and prestigious culture will melt your heart. You will fall in love with this place at an instant. Upper Mustang also known as The Forbidden kingdom of Nepal, was a separate Kingdom ruled by the local king. This mystical place reflects ancient Tibetan Buddhism culture, with its own recognition. Lo Manthang, the ancient capital still holds the home to the last king of Upper Mustang.

Mount Kailash Yatra and Parikrama of Lake Mansarovar, one of the holiest paths to Nirvana, takes you to one of the most revered places in the Himalayas. Mansarovar and Mt. Kailash are two of the holiest pilgrimage areas to devotees of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Bonism and many other faiths. Each year thousands of devotees undertake the treacherous and rigorous journey through the mountains of Himalayas to reach this sacred land. For Hindus it is the holiest of the holy place as the abode of Lord Shiva. It also has geographical significance as four great rivers flow from it: the Karnali, the Indus, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra, which drain the vast Tibetan Plateau to contribute to the Ganges in India. Kailash is an object of devout pilgrimage also for the Buddhists. Likewise, Lake Manasarovar is one of the highest sacred lakes in the world. The sacred lake is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists and Hindus, as it is believed that bathing in the holy waters will cleanse one’s sins.

As Nepal has several ancient pilgrimage sites and they all are attached to the legend that glorifies the miraculous powers of its deity. Likewise, Bhutan, the most sacred religious sites in the world, has tens and hundreds of monasteries, monuments and sacred religious sites. Apart from Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, the Buddhist monasteries like Drepung and Jokhang are some of the holiest sites in Tibet. Similarly, being a religious land, India is home to innumerable temples, and other religious structures. For the pilgrims Himalayan mountains are the most sacred and revered mountain ranges in the world. Here are depicted the top 8 pilgrimage escapes in the Himalayas. Read additional information at Kyle Noble Quandel.

Lamayuru is one of the most ancient Buddhist sites in Ladakh, with its five original temples attributed to the great Buddhist translator Rinchen Zangpo in the eleventh or twelfth century. Only one of those temples, the Senge Lkakhang, still exists. The site’s large Drigung Monastery is characteristic of the powerful monasteries influenced by fortress architecture that arose in the seventeenth century. Legend has it that Lamayuru was once the site of a lake that has since dried up, which contributes to the moon-like landscape for which the surrounding area is known.