Spiti is arid and an isolated world offering a panoramic views of the barren mountains, clear blue sky, sparsely populated villages and some of the most striking monasteries that dates back to 1000 years from now. The dominant feature of Spiti valley is its Buddhist culture. Rudyard Kipling has described Spiti “a world within a world” in his book Kim.
Spiti Valley is gradually becoming popular among the tourists. This cold mountain desert is an ideal place both for explorers and religiously inclined tourists. Prime attraction of the valley is listed as below:
Dhankar Monastery
Perched on the edge of a hill top this monastery was once the castle of the ruler of Spiti and today is a source of Buddhist scriptures in Bhoti script. Dhankar Monastery is recognized by the World Monuments Fund as one of the Hundred Most Endangered Sites in the world.
Tabo Monastery: Also called the Ajanta of Himalayas this monastery was founded in 996 AD by Budhist King Yeshe O’d. Housing some of the exquisite wall paintings and mud statues the monastery is the preserver of the Budhist legacy.
Key Monastery
Key monastery perched on a mountain top is the largest one in Spiti valley. The Gompa is the storehouse of rare thangka paintings and several ancient musical instruments – trumpets, cymbals and drums.
Kibber Village
Kibber village is claimed to be world’s highest motor-able village in the world which is permanently inhabited. This village is the base for several high altitude treks. The unique architecture of the houses adds to the travellers delight.
Komik Village
This village is regarded as the Asia’s highest village located at an elevation of 4500 mtrs from sea level. On the way to Komik from Kaza one encounters some of the beautiful villages and landscapes nestled in the graceful Himalayas.
Pin Valley
The valley lies below the Kungri Glacier. Pin valley is the base for Pin Valley National Park which is natural habitat to animals like Snow Leopard, ibex, Bharal and the Thar. The views in the entire Pin Valley are extremely majestic including Mud village.
Chandertal Lake
A remote high altitude lake which is 6 Kms from Kunzum Pass, this lake is also known as Lake of Moon. With deep blue and green water this is the most beautiful lake of the Himalayas and a great place for the campers and trekkers.
