Tak Thok & the Prayer Wheel, a photo from Jammu and Kashmir, North

Photographer's Note

At a distance of about 50 km east from Leh, in the Saklti village, lies the Tak Thok monastery. Tak Thok (or Thag Thong or Thak Thak) was founded in the mid-16th century during the reign of Tshewang Namgyal on a mountainside around a cave in which Padmasambhava is said to have meditated in the 8th century. The monastery complex seems to grow out of a rock face.

The name Takthok, literally meaning "rock-roof" was named because both its roofs as well as walls are made up of rock. It is the only Nyingmapa monastery in Ladakh.Two large chortens stand before the monastery complex. The main sanctuary, one of the meditation caves of Guru Rinpoche (Padma Sambhava), gives the monastery its name, â€˜natural rock roof caveâ€™. The ceiling of this cave-monastery is highly interesting with greasy black with emissions from the butter lamps that burn nonstop &devotees having stuck offerings of banknotes and coins all over.

The monastery is the only one of its kind in the Ladakh region given the fact that it belongs to the Nying-ma-pa sect of Buddhism, also known as the "Old Order". No other monastery in Ladakh is associated with this order.

I took this picture framing the Tak Thok monastery with the large prayer wheel

ManuMay, pierrefonds, PaulVDV, danos, papagolf21, kordinator, mirosu, adores, Graal, delpeoples, jhm, omid266 heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

kasianowak (17676) 2015-03-02 1:41

Hi Angshu
Great detail photo with lots of local flavour. I like the composition leaving part of the prayer wheel out of the frame but including the sunlit landscape outside.
Best wishes
Kasia

Royaldevon (86328) 2015-03-02 2:00

Hello Angshu,

The prayer wheel is such an interesting and highly decorative object, that it makes a fine, colourful, focal point in the f/g and creates a good sense of depth to the monastery. It is a very thoughtful and very effective composition.

Have a good day,
Bev :-)

rbassin (27472) 2015-03-02 2:42

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dta (98848) 2015-03-02 2:54

Hello Angshuman ,
I like this kind of composition (but you are a specialist !) , with a strong element in the FG -here the superb coloured prayer Wheel- and an opening to an interesting BG . well framed and exposed .
Regards

ManuMay (36447) 2015-03-02 3:42

Hi Angshuman!

Vivid colours and an interesting composition, very good light management, pure colours and contrast also a very nice view...Congratulations...

It looks as an amazing place...

Best regards.

Manu

pierrefonds (115408) 2015-03-02 4:37

Hi Angshuman,

You had a good idea to use the prayer wheel to frame the monastery. The point of view is showing the details of the prayer wheel and of the monastery. The good luminosity is enhancing the beauty of the colors. Have a nice day.

Pierre

Sergiom (117241) 2015-03-02 6:17

Bonjour Angshuman,

J aime particulierement la technique utilisee. Probablement un petit coup de flash pour degager les ombres d ombres. Une belle perspective sur l arriere plan aux couleurs bien affirmees.

Amicalement

Serge

PaulVDV (63432) 2015-03-02 12:06

Hello Angshu,
I really like this picture.
Beautiful, clear and sharp details of the prayer wheel in combination with a view of a part of the monastery and the surrounding rugged nature. Good you could also include some trees.
A wonderful combination of colours with a stunning red-blue-green contrast.
Excellently done!
Best regards, Paul

danos (110407) 2015-03-02 12:24

Hello Angshu,
nice the view as the presentation of this section of the colourful Prayer wheel,as we can see a part of the Tak Thok monastery.The brilliant light of the day enhance the vivid colours as the contrast of them.

Regards,Danos

papagolf21 (152607) 2015-03-02 23:53

Bonjour, cher Angshu,
Je ne puis critiquer la photo que depuis la vignette présentée, actuellement seule s'affiche le logo de Trekearth !
Encore une image de qualité proposée.
Amitiés.
Philippe

Nicou (193814) 2015-03-03 0:55

Hlelo

Fantastique vue avec ce rouleau et ce rouge ces dessin quelle mise en valeur avec en plus la vue en fond sueprbe.
Bravo et amitiÃ©
Nciou

Matyas (0) 2015-03-03 1:43

Hello Angshuman! Fine idea, fine shot. Interesting note. Marvelous lightness and colours. Good cut and frame. Very good sharpness. Regards!

kordinator (8738) 2015-03-03 3:58

Dear Angshuman
A very interesting article about the monastery.
The work follows the beautiful photos with excellent depth of field.
Nice colored details.
Excellent contrasts and sharpness.
Great composition.
Kind regards
Saša

pajaran (116915) 2015-03-03 4:13

Dobar dan, popodne.
Lep pogled, interesantan tekst o manastiru sa istorijom i opisom ...
Dobar snimak, kontrast, ostrina i perspektiva, lepo pokazan molitvenik.
Dobar rad i kompozicija, lepe boje.
Lepo popodne i sve najbolje sa lepim secanjem na posetu manastiru.
Paja.

Good afternoon, this afternoon.
Nice view, interesting text about the history of the monastery and a description ...
Good shot, contrast, sharpness and perspective, nice shown a prayer.
Good work and composition, beautiful colors.
A nice afternoon and all the best with beautiful memories of visiting the monastery.
Paja.

mirosu (16313) 2015-03-03 6:15

Hello Angshu,
Excellent close-up photo with very nice colors, perfect light, very good clarity and splendid details.
Nicely arranged in portrait format.
Also the choice of the cropping suits the shape of the subject and its surroundings.
Very well done.
Greetings,
MIRO
.

ChrisJ (172372) 2015-03-03 6:18

Hi Angshu

The colorful red prayer wheel at right looks similar to some of those I saw in Nepal. The patch of blue sky nicely framed from within the temple sets up a wonderful warm vs cold color contrast against the ornately decorated wheel. Good sharpness and density levels. Tfs.

Fis2 (171789) 2015-03-03 6:23

Witaj Angshu!
Curious place,
interesting Prayer Wheel.
I like frame and excellent colors.
Good note.
Nice evening
Krzysztof

John_F_Kennedy (43797) 2015-03-03 6:31

Hello Angshuman,
A good reportage shot to these traditions of relegion. Very nice colors on this shot. Well framed also.
best wishes,
Achim

Silvio1953 (222747) 2015-03-03 12:21

Ciao Angshuman, lovely composition with beautiful prayer wheel, fine details, splendid clarity and fantastic colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

adores (46979) 2015-03-03 15:58

Hi Angshuman,
This is very beautiful and really well done. The composition is just great and you managed light perfectly, showing much detail both in foreground and also in background. Excellent colours. It is a very good shot.

emka (158672) 2015-03-04 22:09

Hello Angshu,

I love all prayer wheels and this one is so big and colourful. I like this composition in vertical format, with the view of stupa and monastery behind the wheel. Superb coilours and sharpness, great depth, beautiful light.

WArm regard s MAlgo

abmdsudi (95869) 2015-03-05 5:21

Namaste Angshu
Love your observation, a lovely close shot of an interesting subject matter, great in colours, well focused and superb clarity with glimpse of good background features and scale. Well done, Congrats.
Best regards

Graal (103040) 2015-03-05 23:55

Hello Angshuman,
interesting place and informations in note. Unusual details well presented. Good vertical format and composition. Well done photo.
Have a nice WE.
Aleksander

delpeoples (60342) 2015-03-06 2:08

Dear Angshu

I have never heard of prayer wheels before, they are so beautiful and very intriguing. Excellent light management here. The strong light and strong shadow would have presented a real challenge. The colours are excellent and I like the vertical framing.

Well done, have a lovely day
Lisa

jhm (211738) 2015-03-07 0:53

Hello Angshu,

This is the first time that I see a large prayer wheel!
This is wonderful photographed with a look through in background.
Luminosity and clarity colours together are fantastic.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

shreya2000 (2815) 2015-03-07 23:02

Dear Dada,

You are certaily a master photographer. Why you not try for Nat Geo photo contest on the channel.

This one is a tightly cropped pircutre. I like the composition and the natural colours. A good one but not best from your side.

Regards,
joginder

omid266 (6816) 2015-03-10 22:18

Salam Angshuman,

Nice to see the gallery of an old TE member :)

And then, this is a very interesting and pleasant post from this monastery with fine POV, colours, sharpness and details,

All the Best and Thanks!

Kind Regards, ***

tatadalou (7459) 2016-01-16 8:42

Hi Angshu,
Nice pic full of colours. I like the POV you've chosen, letting to see a detail of the monastery and a little bit of its surrounding landscape behind.
Regards,
Delphine