Basgo

Basgo is a small town of 150 households in Jammu and Kashmir, located on the Indus River in Leh district of Ladakh. It is sometimes also called Bazgo Gompa. It is a historical site, popularly known for its Basgo Monastery and Gompas, situated on the hills of Leh on the northern mountain range of Himalaya and Karakoram.

Two huge statues of Maitreya Buddha and Jamyang Namgyal King are seen here, which are 14 meters in height, where the locals and monks pay daily visits.  

The Basgo ancient temples and structures were first documented in the 11th — 13th century which is now listed in the UNESCO world heritage site. The US World Monument Fund has also listed the Basgo Palace among the 100 most endangered heritage sites in the world due to its weak structure.

It is situated at an altitude of 10801 feet where the local language is Urdu. The once flourishing area of Basgo is now buried in barren and ruins, with no proper infrastructure left except for the monasteries.

Apart from this, there are three famous Buddhist temples in Basgo: Chamchung temple, Serzang temple and Chamba Lhakhang. Amongst these, the Chemung temple was formerly a mosque which was later converted by the Bagso queen into a Buddhist temple.

Another interesting thing about Basgo is that it has been featured in many Bollywood films and has consistently been a favorite location for shooting by directors. The famous song ‘Satrangi Re’ from the film Dil Se (1998) was shot here, and a song from the 2008 film Tashan, 'White White Face' was also shot in Basgo.

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• Take tour of the Basgo Monastery, set against the backdrop of the magical Himalayan mountains
• Admire the magnificence of the two-storey tall gilded Maitreya Buddha idol, said to have been built by the King of Ladakh in the 16th century
• Marvel at the astonishing architecture of the Basgo gompas, replete with archaic paintings, murals and marble work
• Pay a visit to the ruins of the Basgo Castle, renowned as one of the most important monuments in India
• Stop at a local cafe for a bottle of Chaang- a, the locally produced rice bear

The best time to visit Basgo is in summer from April to June. At this time of year, the weather remains pleasant without being excessively warm or cold. The rest of the month, Leh highways are not functional due to snow or landslides.

Other suitable months are from September to October, which is after the monsoon when the chilly air begins to enter Ladakh and snow sheets start forming. 

The season to avoid in Ladakh is the winter season, which falls from mid-October to November. At this time, the temperature drops to zero and hotels, restaurants and guesthouses are closed. It is advisable not to travel to Leh during this month as it's too chilled to survive the day over here.

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History of Basgo:

Basgo is more than a 100-year-old coveted town, which has a prominent place in history. It is a symbol of Buddhist culture, which has been practiced here for years.

Despite the whole town of Basgo transmogrify to ruins, its monastery is in fine fettle. Basgo Khar (Fort) was made in 1680, by the then King Jamyang Namgyal as an earthen bastion to protect themselves from invaders.

During the time of Namgyal rule, Basgo was Ladakh’s capital as it had the natural fortifications to keep them safe from adversaries.

During the time of Mughals, Ladakh was consecutively attacked by Central Asian Muslim rulers and was divided into two parts, the lower and upper. The Lower Ladakh, Basgo and Temisgam area was ruled by Takpabum and the Upper Ladakh i.e. Shey to Leh kinged by Takbumde.

The ruler of Basgo, King Bhagan, fought and captured his land from the ruler of Leh, taking the name Namgyal meaning triumphant, and established a new empire that continued for years.

From 1555–1575, the ruler Tashi Namgyal was also successful in securing his territory from the Mughals and established the royal fort at the summit of Namgyal. This helped them save their land from enemies for years to come.

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Travelers' Tip before visiting Basgo: 

1. There is a small entry fee for all the three Buddhist temples.

2. Keep comfortable shoes with you. As Basgo is a hilly area, the last thing you want is to have blisters on your feet because of your shoes. So, say no to fancy footwear.

3. There is no restriction on photography inside the shrines. So, you can take a lot of pictures without interruption.

4. The best time to visit Basgo palace and monastery is before 11 am and in the evening from 4 pm to 6 pm.

5. The best functioning mobile networks in this area are Airtel and BSNL. So choose them for communication on your trip to Basgo.

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The best way to reach Basgo from Leh is by road which is about 39.5 kilometers from Leh. You can take the Srinagar-Leh highway to reach Basgo.

Basgo is located west of Ladakh en route to Lamayuru and Sham Valley which falls before Nimoo village.

You can easily get a taxi from Leh to Basgo as the roads here are well connected but often there is a landslide, so it is better that you proceed with caution.

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