TSEWANG RIGZIN
LEH: Coinciding the 400th anniversary of accession to the throne of Gyalpo Singge Namgyal (1570-1641) – the ‘Lion King of Ladakh’- Leh is all set to celebrate ‘Ladakh Spalngam Tuston’- celebration of Ladakh’s prides – on October 18th. Earlier this was to be held on 7th October but it had to be postponed because of soldiers being martyred by terrorists in Uri.
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh is organizing the event making it an annual feature as an endeavor to make Ladakhis feel proud of their cultural heritage and ancestral legacies. CEC, LAHDC, Leh Dr. Sonam Dawa Lonpo held a meeting at Council Secretariat especially to brief media about the highlights of the event ‘Ladakh Spalngam Tuston’. The event is aimed at celebrating the contributions of King Singge Namyal, Lama Stag-sang Raspa and Spon Namka Spaldon to the development of artistic, cultural, architectural, philosophical and intellectual growth of Ladakh. Convener of the event Padma Shree Morup Namgyal and Executive Councilors were present on the occasion.
The programme will begin from Leh Palace with cultural celebrations. Main celebration will take place on Leh Polo Ground where crown of King Singge Namgyal, walking stick of Lama Stag-sang, and handwritten Gyastongpa, a thick volume of Buddhist sacred text, by Spon (artist) Namka Spaldon will be brought for public display. Several ethnic Ladakhi food stalls and exhibitions are planned on Polo Ground as a part of the festival. Travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and shopkeepers are requested by LAHDC to give discounts on the occasion. All Ladakhis on the celebration of ‘Ladakh Spalngam Tuston’ are advised to dress in Ladakhi costumes.
The celebration was earlier proposed by Founder-President Ladakh International Centre (LIS) Ambassador P Stobdan, who is an academician, author and national security expert, and the proposal was immediately accepted by LAHDC to celebrate the event on its own.
During the period of King Singge Namgyal ‘Tiger Lama’ or Lama Stag-sang Raspa (1574-1651) also arrived to support the Lion King. “We must take inspiration from the chief architects of our fatherland and instill a renewed sense of cultural pride among our new generation to enable them to treasure our cultural and regional uniqueness and maintain our social cohesion – the spirit of Ladakh-ness,” asserted P Stobdan while admiring King Singge Namgyal and Lama Stag-sang Raspa for being Ladakh’s pride and urged it should be a rare honour for Ladakhis to remember the great heroes and appropriate them in the current context of contemporary Ladakh as well.
“Gyalpo Singge Namgyal was an astute military commander. Following his father’s death, he pursued a vigorous military campaign to gain complete control over the Kingdom of Nagri (Western Tibet) by 1619. He even annexed the kingdom of Guge in 1630. By the end of the 16th century, Singge caused Ladakh Kingdom to expand to cover the widest territory in its history. By the time he died, the sway of Ladakh Kingdom extended as far as Nepal boundary in the east, Baltistan in the west, Karakoram in the north, and Spiti – Zanskar in the south,” P Stobdan said.
King Singge Namgyal was believed to have been enthroned in 1616 after the death of his father King Jamyang Namgyal.
