Lahaul and Spiti Sightseeing - Guru Ghantal Monastery

Lahaul and Spiti form the largest district in Himachal Pradesh. They also border the Tibet highlands and the landscape of these places are more like that of Tibet than of India. The lush green vegetation you see all around suddenly transform into a desert-like barren expanse. There is very little vegetation and survival here is hard as very little grows and snow piles up on the area through most of the year. The Guru Ghantal Monastery, is situated here on the right bank of River Chandra. This gompa or monastery is 800 years old and overlooks the village of Tupchilling. It is known as the oldest gompa of Lahual. What sets Guru Ghantal apart from the other monasteries is that instead of the usual clay idols, the idols here are carved of wood. The monastery itself has pyramid shaped roofs, elaborate carvings and houses statues of Padmasambhava, the founder of the monastery and Brajeshwari Devi among others. There is also a black stone image of a dark Goddess some day is Kali. But although the gompa is more elaborately carved and decorated than most, it has fallen into disrepair and most of its statues carried off to the gompa in Tupchilling village. Still the leaking old monastery is worth visiting for its location and history.