Basgo
is situated about 40 km west of Leh. The complex of
buildings includes a ruined fortress dating from before
the 15th century, two large temples and a small shrine.
Presently, one lama from the Hemis gompa is the caretaker
at the temple.
The best preserved temple which situated at the highest
point, is the Chamba Lha-khang or Maitreya temple
(Chamba is the Ladhaki word for Maitreya, the Future
Buddha). It was built in the mid 16th century by Tshe-wang
Namgyal, of the Namgyal dynasty who ruled Ladakh.
With the exception of Alch, this temple has the oldest
original wall murals in Ladakh, dating from the 16th
century.
Entering
the Chamba Lha-khang temple, over the entrance you
see a portrait of Vajrapani (meaning "vajra-in-hand",
for Vajrapani is always shown holding a vajra).
Flanking
Varapani below are the Kings of the Four Quarters
and above are Indra and Brahma on the left and Vishnu
and Shiva on the right. Below these are images of
four small guardian divinities. Below this are groups
of miniature paintings that reflect the royal dress
of Kashmir and the Mughals in the 16th century,
as this wall mural is original to that time. On
the right is a scene of Tshe-wang Namgyal, his two
brothers and members of the royal family with their
servants. On the left are scenes from the life of
Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha). The left side
wall has images of a seated Buddha in the meditation
posture, a seated Buddha making the gesture of explanation,
a painting of Atisa (and Indian Buddhist who went
to Tibet and became a great teacher of Buddhism,
dying there in 1054) and another seated Buddha whose
hand-gesture is not identifiable. On the right side
wall are Avalokitesvara, Padma Karpo, a 16th century
Buddhist scholar associated with the red-hat sect
of Buddhism, a seated Buddha making the Earth-witness
gesture and Vajradhara, holding a vajra and representing
the supreme Buddha manifestation of the red-hat
sect of Buddhism.The
three main images opposite the entrance are a lovely
Maitreya (the Future Buddha or Buddha of Compassion)
in the center, flanked by Bodhisattva images. The
one on the right is making the preaching gesture
and the one on the left is making the gesture for
generosity. To the right of these images are paintings
of Padme Sambhava (an 8th century Indian teacher
of Buddhism in Tibet) and Mila Ras-pa (spiritual
head of the red-hat sect and famous ascetic).
The
Serzang temple (Serzang translates as "Gold
and Silver") located next to the royal quarters
is in a somewhat neglected state. Its name refers
to a Buddhist canon manuscript, partially written
in gold, silver and copper letters, which are commissioned
by Senge Namgyal, a 17th century Ladakhi king. The
main image in this temple is a two-storey tall Maitreya
and by his head are mural paintings of Tilopa, Naropa,
Marpa and Mila Ras-pa, historical personags associated
with the red-hat sect of Buddhism. The walls are
painted with Buddha figures. Volumes of the Kandsur
are on the left side of the temple. The Tandshur
is on the right. Both sets of volumes are stored
in attractive glass-fronted bookcases.
Another
small shrine is located off a courtyard one level
below the Serzang temple. This shrine was built
in 1642 and dedicated by a wife of Senge Namgyal,
a Balti princess named Zeze Khatunee, whose Muslim
background caused the Buddhist monks in Ladakh to
declare her an incarnation of Tara. This shrine
contains a large image of Maitreya (the Future Buddha
or Buddha of Compassion) while the wall murals depict
various guardian divinities.