Leh, Apr 27 : With Ladakh gearing up for the arrival of the sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha, prayer ceremonies intensified across monasteries on Sunday, including a congregation at Thupten Shaling Choskhor Monastery, where monks gathered to invoke peace and spiritual harmony ahead of the forthcoming exposition.
Organised under the aegis of the Ladakh Gonpa Association, the ceremony at Matho saw around 25 to 30 monks performing rituals, their chants resonating through the monastery as part of a coordinated effort to prepare the region spiritually for the rare public display of the Buddha’s relics.
The sacred relics, believed to be from Piprahwa and associated with the Gautama Buddha, are scheduled to arrive in Ladakh on April 29. The main exposition will commence at Jivetsal on May 2 and continue until May 14, during which the relics will also be taken to Zanskar to facilitate wider public viewing and participation by devotees across the Union Territory.
Khenpo Thinlas Chosal of Matho Monastery underscored the deeper spiritual purpose behind the ongoing rituals, stating that such prayers serve to purify both the physical environment and the collective consciousness. He noted that the ceremonies are aimed at fostering global peace, compassion, and harmony in anticipation of the relics’ arrival.
The sequence of preparatory rituals will continue at other prominent monasteries, including Stakna Monastery on April 27, Thiksey Monastery on April 28, and Spituk Monastery on April 29, forming a coordinated spiritual calendar leading up to the exposition.
Earlier, Gyen Jigmet Chotar at Hemis Monastery described the unfolding ceremonies as a rare spiritual moment for Ladakh, where devotees will have the opportunity to receive blessings associated with the sacred relics. He observed that the gathering of thousands in shared devotion transforms the event into a collective expression of faith aimed at universal well-being.
As Ladakh prepares to host the exposition, the continuing prayers across monasteries reflect both religious devotion and a broader aspiration for peace, positioning the region at the centre of a deeply spiritual observance in the coming weeks.
