Ladakh: Lamayuru + Rizong – Never sound the puja more sweetly

24. December 2025

 

 

It feels Christmassy – and we are heading for Ladakh’s most picturesque place: Lamayuru. A stop at Moon Valley, then on to the monastery. I am always captivated by the pale poplar trees set against the shadowy mountain slopes.

 

 

In summer, trucks, taxis, and other vehicles thunder through here nonstop; in winter, it is quiet. The pass toward Kashmir, the Zoji La, is still open, but since there are so few people in Ladakh in winter, there is not much need for additional supplies and food deliveries. That said, we are of course very happy that there is a very abundant selection of vegetables.

 

As it was Christmas time, we had something special on the program: a puja in Lamayuru arranged exclusively for us. We were welcomed with tea, were allowed to take photos in the monastery despite the official photography ban (I already had plenty of pictures from previous years), lit a butter lamp, and then sat in a room where six or seven monks performed the puja for us. We were also presented with a khatak. It was lovely.

 

 

 

 

 

Due to time constraints, we then only visited the Singge Lhakhang, which is simply impressive.

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time for a long stroll through Lamayuru, but there was enough time to take a few beautiful photos in the bright sunshine:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It really is a pretty place! After a lovely thukpa for lunch, we visited the remote Ritzung Monastery. On the way we spotted urials (I think) – the ibex, by contrast, had quickly made themselves scarce.

 

 

There were a few monks at the monastery and one visiting family. It is really large, but apparently it also has problems attracting new monks. For inner contemplation it is certainly ideal – there is simply nothing around it. But extended inner retreat may no longer be quite as appealing for many people.

 

 

 

 

 

They had set up one room as a very old kitchen, filled with many objects from earlier times. The tea for us, however, was prepared in the more modern kitchen, cooked on gas.

 

 

 

 

And then we drove back, and it was Christmas Eve. It didn’t really feel like it anywhere here, but I still wanted to add a bit of festivity. We went to a nice restaurant where momos with six different fillings had been prepared for us. I put on a Santa hat and took a small Christmas gift for each person from Diamir and myself out of my bag. That way, it felt at least a little bit festive.

 

 

 

 

It was heated a little, but not really properly – as is the case in most restaurants in Leh in winter. So we didn’t stay very long and soon snuggled up under the warm blankets at the hotel.

 

The hotel was really excellent, with a level of warmth comparable to home. The central heating worked well, and there was a hot shower with strong water pressure. Outside it wasn’t extremely cold, but it was still very comfortable. Although… for me, winter in Ladakh had previously meant almost constant wearing of thermal long johns and a warm hat, plus freezing toilets, often outdoors. That was now a thing of the past. For group travel, this is definitely very comfortable. But somehow – I’m not quite sure myself…