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Explore Himalayas: Monasteries of Himachal


Famous Monasteries of Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is famous for its beauty, rich nature and heart stealing mountains, But it is also famous for its rich  Buddhist culture. Himachal has may beautiful small villages in which many famous Buddhist monasteries which  tells the story of art, peace and culture of Buddhism.

What is monastery ?
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone.
In India it is also called Gompa. Monasteries in India recognizes for practicing  Tibetan Buddhism.   
Lets explore some famous monasteries of Himachal !!

 TABO Monastery

ALTITUDE : 3050 m
In the lap of white clay mountains the most revered Buddhist institution TABO monastery is situated in Tabo village of spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh, north India. It was founded in 996AD by Tibetian Buddhist Lotsawana Rinchen Zangpo.
TABO
At first glance Tabo appears not much attractive,its like cluster of mud huts but real treasure is inside the Monastery. It contains ancient wall paintings,stucco statues, frescos and extensive murals which cover almost every wall.

Tabo is noted for being the oldest continuously operating Buddhist enclave in both India and the Himalayas.

In 1996 to celebrate  1000 years of existence the Dalai lama conducted a KALACHAKRA ceremony at Tabo.
TABO monastery
Reach there: Tabo can be reached only by road from Kaza (50 km) and from Shimla (500 km). Regular buses ply on the route.
Where to stay: There are many privately operated hotels and Homestays at Tabo. If you are looking for a reasonable staying option, the monastery guesthouse is a perfect place to be. To get familiar with their culture  home stays are best option.
Best time to visit: From May to early November is a good time to visit Tabo.

Key  Monastery:

Altitude : 4116 m
 key or kye monastery is largest and one of the oldest monasteries of spiti. It is founded by Dromton in 11th century. Which is located on top of a hill at 4116 m close to spiti river, spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh. Here are more than 300 resident lamas at the monastery who learns meditation techniques, philosophy, tantra, cosmology, mysticism and other streams.

It has a collection of rare paintings of thangka, ancient musical instruments etc. It also possesses manuscripts of tangyur texts in its library.

HISTORY:
key monastery was attacked again by the Mongols during the 17th century, during the reign of the Fifth Dalai Lama. In 1830, it was sacked again during the wars between Ladakh and Kulu. In 1841, it was severely damaged by the Dogra army under Ghulam Khan and Rahim Khan. Later that same year, it suffered more damage from a Sikh army. In the 1840s, it was ravaged by fire and, in 1975, a violent earthquake caused further damage which was repaired with the help of the Archaeological Survey of India and the State Public Works Department.

How to reach there:
How to reach Key Monastery by train:
Nearest railway station is Shimla. From here, you can hire a cab to take you to Key monastery.

How to reach Key Monastery by air:
Kullu airport is the nearest airport to reach key monastery. From the airport, you can hire a cab to get to the Spiti Valley where Key monastery is located.

 Dhankar Monastery or Dhankar Gompa:
Elevation: 3894 m
Dhankar means fort on a cliff.As name suggests this monastery is built on 300 meter high cliff. It is probably the worlds most spectacular setting of monastery.

It is situated in spiti valley above Dhanker Village.This gompa is a home of more than 150 monks learning and practicing Buddhism.


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