Hanle (village)

The village of Hanle is the site of a 17th century gompa or monastery of the "Red Hat" Tibetan Drukpa Kagyu branch of Tibetan Buddhism and is located in the Hanle Valley on an old branch of the ancient Ladakh - Tibet trade route. The valley is home to about a thousand people of whom roughly 300 live in Hanle village. The monastery is home to about ten monks while another 33 or so come regularly for prayers. It is only 19 kilometres or 12 miles from the disputed frontier between India and Chinese-controlled Tibet. ["In their own world: The sacred community of India's forbidden Hanle Valley." Karen E. Lang. Photos by Mattias Klum. "National Geographic Magazine". January 2004, p. 90.]

The main monastery, one of the largest and most famous of Ladakh's monasteries, was built under the patronage of the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal (r. c. 1616-1642 CE) with the assistance of the famous Tibetan priest, Stag-tsang-ras-pa. It was the first to be associated with the Drugpa school that Stag-tsang-ras-pa belonged to and which, under the patronage of the Namgyal family, became very important in Ladakh, seriously rivaling the reformed ("Yellow Hat") Gelug. ["Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia. Second Edition". (1996), pp. 67-68. Janet Rizvi. Oxford University Press, New Delhi. ISBN 019 564546 4.] The monasteries of Hanle, Hemis, Chemrey and Stakna all belong to the Drukpa school. ["Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia. Second Edition". (1996), p. 219. Janet Rizvi. Oxford University Press, New Delhi. ISBN 019 564546 4.]

Sengge Namgyal died at Hanle on his return from an expedition against the Mongols who had occupied the Tibetan province of Tsang and were threatening Ladakh. ["Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia. Second Edition". (1996), p. 70. Janet Rizvi. Oxford University Press, New Delhi. ISBN 019 564546 4.]

Outside donations established the Tashi Choeling ("Auspicious Dharma Centre") in 1983 providing support for resident nuns (who numbered 47 in 2003). ["In their own world: The sacred community of India's forbidden Hanle Valley." Karen E. Lang. Photos by Mattias Klum. "National Geographic Magazine". January 2004, p. 97.]

It is also home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory, the highest telescope in the world. The location of both the village and the observatory are highly sensitive due to the close proximity of the Tibetan / Chinese border and special permission is needed to visit either by the Indian Government.Fact|date=September 2008

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