Articles > The Monasteries of Spiti

The sub-divisions of Lahaul and Spiti combine to form the trans-Himalayan district of Himachal Pradesh. The district headquarters lie at Keylong in Lahaul and the administrative seat of Spiti is at Kaza. Spiti itself is connected to Lahaul by the Kunzam Pass and to the state capital Shimla through the district of Kinnaur.

Loosely translated, Spiti means the 'middle country', a name obviously given as a result of its ties to both India and Tibet. Fed by several fast-flowing sub-streams, the river Spiti flows through the area and joins with the other mighty river of the region, the Sutlej, at Khab. With freckles of green over a dry, weather-beaten face, Spiti is a cold desert where the monsoon rain never comes. It is characterised by its stark beauty, narrow valleys and high mountains. A century ago, Rudyard Kipling’s Kim depicted Spiti as "a world within a world" and a "place where the gods live" - a description that holds true to the present day. This lunar-like landscape is spotted with Buddhist monasteries, small villages and rare examples of natural beauty, including some high altitude lakes.

At first glance Tabo (47 kilometres from Kaza) seems nothing more than a series of mud huts. But inside, a series of amazing galleries of wall paintings and stucco statues emerge. Founded in 996AD, it is often called the ' Ajanta of the Himalaya' after the almost legendary art-treasure site in Maharashtra. Regionally, this is the largest monastic complex in Spiti; the old section has nine temples, 23 chortens, a monks' chamber and a nuns' chamber as well as the several caves and contemporary structures that form a part of the Tabo complex. In trans-Himalayan Buddhism, Tabo's sanctity is second only to Tibet's Tholing monastery and has been declared a ' World Heritage Site ' by UNESCO.

Driving on from Tabo lies Dhankar, 24 kilometres short of Kaza and 7 kilometres from the highway turn-off at Schichling. In local parlance, a dhankar is a fort, and that is exactly what this monastery once was. Perched high over the valley, it is a superb example of Spiti's traditional architectural skills. This was once the castle of the ruler of Spiti, the Nono, and today Dhankar is a repository of Buddhist scriptures in the Bhoti script.

Kaza is the administrative headquarters of Spiti. It has a marketplace, medical facilities, a filling station, 'rest houses' and small hotels. It serves as the base for excursions in the area. Among others, the Ki, Hikkim , Komik and Langja monasteries are at hand.

The Ki monastery (12 kilometres from Kaza) lies high above the left bank of the river Spiti. It is a collection of rooms and a labyrinth of corridors that do not follow any defined plan, but seem to have grown over the years. Portions of the structure are three stories high, while others are lower, and no definite date can be ascribed to the construction of the gompa. Some scholars believe this to have been built by Dromton (1008-64 AD). Others differ and place its origins in later centuries, but by and large most concur that it was built before the fifteenth century.

Ki is the repository of rare thangka paintings and several ancient musical instruments, including trumpets, cymbals and drums, whilst the library holds manuscripts of the sacred Tangyur texts. Apart from the cells occupied by the monks, the gompa has a large du-khang, an assembly chamber lined by religious paintings and other chambers for worship and gathering. The chamber of the incarnate abbot, the zim-chung is the highest point in the building. The village of Ki is just short of the monastery. Other Buddhist monasteries and temples in Spiti are at Losar, Hansa, Rangrik (site only), Kuang, Keuling, Langja, Lara, Lidang, Domal, Sanglung, Rama, Lha lun, Mane yogma, Mane gogma, Giu and Kaurik.

Past Ki comes Kibber, which at 4205 metres is the highest permanently inhabited village of the region connected by a drive-able road. It also acts as the base for several high altitude treks.

Spiti’s other main attraction lies in the Pin Valley. At Atrangoo, 10 kilometres from Schichling village, a side road leads to a valley formed by the Pin river, a tributary of the Spiti. The valley lies below the Kungri glacier and has several monasteries. The most important one is at Gungri, which has three blocks and houses old relics and paintings. The Pin Valley is a National Park and is home to a variety of rare animals like the snow leopard, the ibex, the bharal and the thar. It has good treks and the main route connects the Kullu valley over the Pin Parbati pass.

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