Last Day of Public Veneration in Leh
Leh: On the final day of public veneration of the Sacred Relics of the Tathagata Buddha in Leh, Jive-Tsal witnessed one of its most poignant gathering yet, as rows of school and college students arrived quietly with khataks in hand, bowing before the sacred relics that many of them were seeing for the very first time.
From the early hours of the morning, students from institutions across Leh streamed steadily into the prayer grounds, accompanied by teachers and volunteers who guided them through the significance of the sacred exposition. Alongside them were devotees who had been unable to visit during the previous days and had come seeking one final blessing before the relics begin their onward journey to Zanskar on May 11. As per the officials, around 5000 devotees came to venerate before the holy relics.
The atmosphere inside Jive-Tsal carried a stillness that stood apart from the bustle outside. White khataks fluttered softly in the wind as chants rose continuously through the compound. Many students stood silently before the relics, while others remained seated in prayer and meditation long after paying their respects.
As part of the ongoing 15-day spiritual programme organised under the aegis of the Ladakh Gonpa Association, around eighteen monks from Lingshed Monastery offered special prayers for peace, compassion and the well-being of all sentient beings. Their rhythmic recitations echoed across the venue, lending the final day an air of solemnity and reflection.
Volunteers and monks also took time to explain the history and significance of the sacred relics to visiting students, many of whom listened with curiosity and quiet awe.
“I had no idea about Buddha’s Relics before coming here,” said Lobzang Tsetan, a Class 10 student of Army Public School. “But after seeing the sacred relics and getting to know about them, I feel so blessed and overjoyed.”
Teachers accompanying the students described the visit as more than an educational outing. For many young attendees, it became a rare moment of spiritual connection, one that brought together faith, history and collective memory within the prayer-filled grounds of Jive-Tsal.
As the day drew to a close, tsogs were distributed among devotees as blessings, marking the conclusion of the public veneration in Leh. Over the past several days, Jive-Tsal had transformed into a space where devotion transcended age and background, drawing monks, elders, tourists, families and children into a shared atmosphere of reverence.
