Monasterys Of Himachal
Shahshur Monastery
Situated on a hill about 3 Km 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 AD. It belongs to red hat sect and is located among the blue pines. The paintings are representing the history of 84 Buddha's.
Kardang Monastery
It is about 5Km from Keylong across Bhaga River. It is 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.
Sissu Monastery
Situated at the Keylong-Koksar road over 30 kms from Keylong, Lahaul, the monastery houses an image of Lahaul’s patron deity, Gyephang.
There is a big waterfall here, while its marshy plains act as stopover for migratory birds.
Guru Ghantal Monastery
This is on the right bank of Chandra river about 4 Km. above Tandi and is believed to be the oldest Gompa of Lahaul having wooden structure with pyramidal roofs, wood carving and preserving the idols of Padmasambhava & Brajeshwari Devi. On the full moon night in mid-June a festival called "GHANTAL" is celebrated by Lamas and Thakurs together.
Tayul Gompa
Tayul Gompa is 6 Km. from Keylong and is one of the oldest monasteries of the valley having a big statue of Guru Padmasamhava about 5 m high and houses library of Kangyur having 101 volumes. In Tibetan language Ta-Yul means the chosen place. There is an interesting story behind this.
Kaza
210 Km from Kalpa, 47 Km from Tabo. The headquarters of Spiti sub-district, Kaza lies on the bank of river Spiti. In earlier times, it was the capital of Nono, the Chief of Spiti. It has a Buddhist Monastery and Hindu Temple.
Tabo Monastery
This is another large Gompa serving the population of eastern side. It has its origin in the tenth century old and is located 50 Km from Kaza (Lahaul & Spiti). In fame it is next to Tholing Gompa in Tibet. It has about 60 Lamas and houses a large collection of Scriptures, wall paintings etc. Murals of this Gompa have similarity to that of the Ajanta paintings.
Kye Monastery
It is situated 12 Km north of Kaza and serves the western population of Spiti. It is the oldest and biggest monastery of the valley and located at (4116 m) above Kye village. It houses beautiful scriptures and paintings of Buddha and other goddesses. Lamas practice dance, sing and play on pipes and horns. Many Lamas get religious training here. It has murals and books of high aesthetic value.
Dhankar Monastery
It is situated about 25 Km. east of Kaza and serves eastern part of central Spiti. Dhankar is a big village and erstwhile capital of Spiti Kingdom. On top of a hill there is a fort which used to be the prison in olden times. The Monastery has about 100 Lamas and is in position of Buddhist scriptures in Bhoti language. Principal figure is a Statue of ‘Vairochana’ (Dhayan Budha) consisting of 4 complete figures seated back to back. It has relics in the shape of paintings and sculptures.
Gemur Monastery
It is 18 kms. from Keylong in Bhaga valley. This is a small monastery, but is well known for its ‘Devil dance-drama’ which is held during the month of July in great sanctity at the Local Gompa. The place is situated on Manali-Leh highway.
Namgyal Monastery
The impressive monastery has larger than life images of the Buddha, Padmasambhava and Avaloktwshwara. The large Tibetan community and the presence of traditional architectural designs drawn from Tibet have enhanced the area. Tibetian handicrafts and garments are available on sale every Sunday. The Tibetian Institute of Performing Arts is just a Km away and organises a ten day festival from the second Saturday of April.
Bir Monastery
The Bir Monastery is situated 16 Km from Joginder Nagar, Mandi. Bir is a Tibetan settlement with a beautiful monastery. Fine Tibetan handicrafts are also produced here.