The hill above the Tunde village, in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, is home to around 800 year old monastery, Guru Ghantal Monastery. The monastery, also known by the name of the Trilokinath Temple, was founded by Guru Padmasambhava. The village and the hill stands at the meeting point of the Chandra and Bhagha river and is near Gondla in the Pin valley.
The monastery is associated with the Drukpa order and is made of wood. Within, an image of 'Boddhisatva Avalokiteshwara' dominates. The white marble head of the monastery was installed by Padmasambhava himself, however it is now kept in safe custody so that it is not stolen away. Also, to be seen in this monastery are idols of Guru Padma Sambhava, Brijeshwari Devi and several other lamas.
The walls are painted in stone colour, however, lack of proper preservation has resulted in the colours being washed away. This is attributed to the seepage of the monastery as well as the transfer of the valuables to the Tupchiling gompa.
Strange, but it is a fact that the monastery houses a black stone image of Hindu goddess Kali in its innermost chamber. This strengthens the belief that before being converted into a Buddhist religious place the monastery was a temple.
Festival
The monastery used to celebrate a festival called Ghantal on the 15th lunar day, corresponding to mid June. In this festival, the visiting lamas and thakur enjoyed a daylong feast. However, today, the celebration of the festival has been discontinued.
Lahaul
Covering and area of around 13835 sq. Kms, the Lahaul valley is marked by huge mounatins and impressive glaciers. The valley with its district headquarters at Keylong is a wonderful place for all those who wish to visit places associated with Buddhism. The monasteries of the region are a rich repositories of ancient murals, thankas, wood carving and golden images of Padmasambhava.
The village of Keylong is not very attractive, still it is a good place to stay and explore the surrounding areas, especially the Buddhists attractions. Basic accommodation and eating options are available in Keylong.
Other Attractions
- Marichi Vajravarahi: At Udaipur, the point where Chandrabagha river meet Miyar river, stands an ancient temple by the name of "Marichi Vajravarahi". The temple, believed to be the earliest surviving relic of Indian Buddhism in the valley, is home to a brass image of 'Mahishasurmardani'. For the Buddhist, this temple still remains one of their prime religious centre.
- Kardang Gompa : 5 km from Keylong, the Khardang Gompa was supposedly constructed in the 12th century. The monastery is home to a large library that stores the Kangyur and Tangyur volumes of Buddhist scriptures in Bhoti. Apart from it, other attractions of the monastery include exquisite thangka paintings, musical instruments such as lutes, drums, horns and old weapons as well as colourful frescoes and murals.
- Shashur Gompa : The monastery founded in the 17th century is associated with the red hat sect of the Tibetan Buddhism. Within the monastery, paintings displaying the history of 84 Buddha can be seen. The festival of the monastery is celebrated in the month of June and July with the lamas performing the devil dance. It is located 3 km from Keylong.
- Tayul Gompa : At an altitude of 3900 m and a distance of 6 km from Keylong, the Tayul gompa is considered one of the oldest monasteries of the valley. The highlights here are a 5 m tall statue of Guru Padmasambhava and 101 volumes of Kangyur books.
How to Reach
Bhuntar airport is the nearest airport to reach Lahaul while Shimla and Pathankot is the closest railhead from Lahaul. Keylong is also connected by state as well as private bus services from Manali in summers. Taxis can also be hired from Manali to reach Keylong.
