Avalokiteshvara temple Skurbuchan | Photos of Ladakh
A photo of a statue & painting of the 1000 armed Avalokiteshvara in the temple at Skurbuchan, Ladakh.
On a ridge high above the village of Skurbuchan, on the opposite side of the valley from the local monastery, is the old rammed earth tower of Skurbuchan Khar. Khar means fort although it looks more like a lookout tower; it was converted into a temple in the mid 18th century.
It's a short tight climb to the ante room before the entrance to the temple. Stepping inside you're immediately at the base of a huge, stunning double image of the 1000 armed Avalokiteshvara - a clay sculpture in front of a painted image on the back wall. There are stupas, statues and frescoes of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Two huge timbers support the ceiling.
For many years the structure was deteriorating until the local villagers and the Achi Association secured the stability of the building and restored some of the rain damaged frescoes.
Avalokiteshvara is the Bodhisattva of Compassion and a popular figure in Ladakh. The Dalai Lama is regarded as a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara and is a regular summer visitor to Ladakh where he gives teachings attended by hundreds of Ladakhis.
Ladakh is at the northern tip of India between Kashmir and Tibet.
Watch a video of our climb and entrance into the temple.
Read the report of the Achi Assoiation.
See more images in our Instagram post from 2022.
Portrait format. A guide to approx sizes
A3: paper size 42x29.7cm, image size 40x28cm
A2: paper size 59.4x42cm, image size 57x40cm
70x50cm paper size, image size 68x48cm
Photo by Silk Road Gallery director Peter Bennion, 2022.
