Lahaul And Spiti
Lahaul and Spiti are two remote Himalayan valleys of Himachal Pradesh lying on the Indo-Tibet border. Strange, exciting, primitive, these valleys are incomparable in mountain scape, in the rugged beauty of their rocky escapements and the splendor of their snow covered peaks.Lahaul is marked by a central mass of uniformly high mountains, massive glaciers, passes, lakes and gushing rivers. The two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise on either side of the Baralacha La, flow through the narrow Chandra and Bhaga valleys. Lahaul is a land of fascinating Buddhist art and culture. Often called as the 'middle country', Spiti is a cold desert regarded as a "World within a world" and "Palace where the gods live". The monasteries of Lahaul-Spiti are rich repositories of ancient murals, thankas, woodcarving and golden images of Padmasambhava..
Prime Attractions In Lahaul Spiti
1. Dankar Gompa
Dankar Gompa was once the site of the ancient capital of Spiti. The Gompa has over 150 monks, some fascinating ‘thangka’ sculptures and a statue of the 'Dhyan Buddha'. Some of the Gompas were destroyed during a particularly harsh winter in 1989. There is a small lake about 3km to the back of the Dankar village.
2. Keylong
Keylong is located on a fertile plain and is a place to break the journey from Leh to Manali. Keylong is the capital of Lahaul & Spiti.Keylong is very famous for its Gompas. The most beautiful & fascinating among the Gompas are
3. Khardong Gompa 900 year old Gompa which is 4km from Keylong.
Shaspur Gompa 3km from Keylong, dedicated to Zanskari Lama.
4. Tayal Gompa 6km from Keylong, situated in the village of Satingri. Tayal means ‘chosen place' in Tibetan and is 300 years old.
5. Gondla
Located at an altitude of 3160 m above sea level, Gondla is at a distance of 18 kms from Keylong on the right bank of Chandra river. The location of royal houses of the village is interesting. In the month of July a fair is held here when Lamas dance & enjoy. The Gompa of this village has historical importance and the fair attracts a large number of visitors. The residence of the Thakur of Gondla is an eight storey building of its own kind in the entire Lahaul valley and worth a v
isit. Built in 1700 AD, this is called Gondla castle or fort.
6. Tandi
Situated at the confluence of Chandra & Bhaga rivers, Tandi is 8 kms. short of Keylong. According to the legend, there were two lovers, Chandra being the daughter of the Moon and Bhaga the son of the Sun god. To perform there eternal marriage, they decided to climb to the Baralacha La & from there they ran in opposite directions. Chandra being active and smart easily found her way and reached Tandi after covering the distance of 115 kms. Soon Bhaga was found coming with great struggle through the narrow gorges to Tandi where consequently both met and the celestial marriage was performed. Bhaga covered about 60 kms. distance which was very difficult.
7. Guru Ghantal Monastery
At an altitude of 3020 m, this is on the right bank of Chandra river about 4 kms. above Tandi and is believed to be the oldest Gompa of Lahaul.The Gompa feature wooden structure with pyramidal roofs, wood carving and preserve the idols of Padmasambhava & Brajeshwari Devi.On the full moon night in mid-June a festival called "Ghantal" is celebrated by Lamas & Thakurs together.
8. Keylong
Keylong at a height of 3340 m from sea level, is the district headquarters of Lahaul Spiti on the main road to Leh over Rohtang. It is an oasis of green fields and willow trees, water streams bounded with brown hills and snow covered peaks. There are hotels, tourist bungalows and rest houses for a comfortable stay.
9. Kardang Monastery
It is about 5kms. from Keylong across Bhaga river at a height of 3500 m. Believed to be built in 12th century, the Monastery has a large library of Kangyur and Tangyur volumes of Buddhist scriptures in Bhoti. Kardang village was once the capital of Lahaul.
10. Shashpur Monastery
Situated on a hill about 3 kms. far from Keylong towards north on the same slope. During June/July this monastery attracts lot of visitors when Lamas perform devil dance. It was founded in the 17th century a.d. It belongs to red hat sect and is located among the blue pines. The paintings are represent the history of 84 Buddha's.
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