Tahan – Micky Mouse, Cats and a lot in between
29. May 2026
Already during my previous stay in Zanskar in 2024, I had visited Stanzin in Tahan, and he invited me again this time. We arranged to meet in Padum, and Lameth drove me there. There was still a bit of time. First, we had to stop at this mural, and I just had to take a photo of it. How can anyone place a dancing, laughing Mickey Mouse right next to this demonic Buddhist being? The painter is supposedly famous across Zanskar—but why this combination? Lameth didn’t know either.
I always feel compelled to check out accommodations. And since Lameth spoke so highly of the Guru View Homestay in Pibiting, we headed over there. And he was right! I was thrilled too. There are 5 rooms, with another one under construction, a powerful and friendly hostess, comfortable rooms, and a traditional, cozy dining area. She is usually pretty fully booked at the moment. No wonder. One room occupied by Indian guests had already checked out, and I was allowed to take a look at it unmade. I couldn’t resist taking a quick picture. There was an obvious trash can in the room. What possesses guests to scatter their garbage all over the carpet anyway? She sighed—yes, unfortunately, many of them were like that.
All around and within Padum, so many construction sites were shooting up; machinery was being moved around, sawing, hammering, painting, bricklaying, and whatever else it is people do when constructing things. Most of the (Indian) guests actually only stay for 1 to 3 nights in Zanskar. It gives the place a bit of a transit-zone vibe, which absolutely doesn’t do it justice.
Then there was a nice goodbye from Lameth—it’s quite possible we’ll see each other again. In any case, I can highly recommend him as a guide. And I’m excited to see what else he figures out when it comes to hikes in Zanskar.
First, Stanzin and I went to have a hot lemon, and then we bought some vegetables.
Even though the greenhouse provides a lot, much of it isn’t ready yet, so people gladly stock up on additional supplies in Padum.
On the way to Tahan, I finally seized the opportunity to photograph a Mandir! Every village in Zanskar and Ladakh has a small medical clinic like this, where people are treated with Western medicine. They used to be called PHCs/Sub Centres and have now all been renamed “Ayushman Arogya Mandir” by the government. “Mandir” is well-known as the Hindi word for temple. It seems quite inappropriate—after all, a health clinic is not a temple! All the locals thought it was stupid, but that was about all I could get out of them. I asked ChatGPT—here is the answer:
“This was not a local decision made by Zanskar or Ladakh, but part of a centralized renaming initiative within the Indian healthcare system. Many former Health & Wellness Centres, Sub Centres, and PHCs were officially renamed ‘Ayushman Arogya Mandir’ starting in late 2023. The government’s idea was that these facilities should not just treat illnesses, but be understood as places of comprehensive preventive healthcare and wellness. The term ‘Mandir’ (= temple) was chosen deliberately—metaphorically representing a ‘temple of health.’ However, critics saw this as a religious charging of state institutions. In Ladakh specifically, there was unusually widespread resistance: both Buddhist organizations and Muslim groups protested, arguing that health centers should have neutral names and take local languages into account. Interestingly for Ladakh in particular: the resistance was so strong that local councils in the Leh district proposed removing the term ‘Mandir’ again and using terms in the local language (Bhoti) instead. In some cases, signs were subsequently adjusted.”
Stanzin has a new greenhouse too. He studied forestry (which is a funny concept for Zanskar—there are very few trees there) and has a great intuition and knowledge about plants anyway.
He also has trees on one piece of land—but it takes years, even decades, before you can really do anything with them. The house was also undergoing changes, just like many houses in Zanskar. People are making things more comfortable and prettier, adding extensions, and renovating. It’s the one on the right.
This is the report from my previous visit:
And exactly the same thing happened again: his wife greeted me, I asked how she was doing, and she just lamented and envied me, and I felt helpless all over again. I still haven’t found a good strategy for myself to handle that.
I also have quite a few friends and acquaintances back home who aren’t doing so well right now. On one hand, it makes me feel bad that I’m able to run around here so much—while others can’t. On the other hand, it gives me an even greater urge to run around here for as long as I still can. What else should you do with your life besides enjoying it as much as possible? But I also reflected on how things used to be, back when there was no internet at all, and later only emails—in contrast to today’s instant messaging options. I think I used to have more distance in the past, because I simply didn’t find out about things so quickly. And now, many people are much closer to me because I can be in contact with them every day. As a result, a part of me is definitely always back home. Or home is here.
For a few people back home, I had the idea that it would be really nice to light a butter lamp. I wanted to do the trek up to a hermitage high above the valley anyway, and Stanzin brought along the supplies. The trek was great, but not entirely successful. It was an hour’s walk uphill and along the mountainside, and then there was the meditation cave. But we couldn’t actually get to it! The last section right before the entrance had slipped away over the winter, and they haven’t restored it yet. That will surely happen eventually, since the villagers do still use the place. But even without the cave, the trek was fantastic with insane views across the valleys!
Here are the pics:
The path was a bit exposed, but it was fine. Definitely a recommendation if you are traveling through Zanskar with a little more time. And this time, Mapy dutifully recorded everything again:
Except I have no idea when I was supposed to have been running at a maximum of 15 km/h. Maybe I’ll get another chance to see the cave. In any case, I thought there would be an opportunity to light the butter lamps the following day.
During my previous visit, I had met a cat—she was still around. Along with a second one. But they were completely attached to Stanzin and absolutely refused to play or cuddle with me.
