Sightseeing

Kaza is the administrative centre and transport hub of Spiti subdistrict. Kaza's old town, around the new bus stand, is a maza of little shops, hotels and whitewashed houses. The new town across the creek, is a collection of tin-roofed government buildings.

Ki, the oldest and largest gompa in Spiti, about 14 kms from Kaza, was built by Ringchen Zangpo and belongs to the Gelukpa order. The gompa is famous for its priceless collection of ancient thangkas, including Tibetan silk thangkas upto 800 years old and frescoes depicting the life of Padmasambhava. About 11 kms from Ki village is the small village of Kibber, also known as Khyipur. It claims to be the highest village in the world, at 4205m, although Gete (4270m), another village about seven kms east of Ki, has a better claim to this honour. Kibber was a part of the overland salt trade centuries ago, and is a pretty little place. The Ladarch festival in Kibber each July attracts Buddhists from all over the region.

The Pin Valley has been declared a national park and is famous for its wildlife. The beautiful valley holds Spiti's only concentration of Nyingmapa Buddhism. The most important gompa in the valley is the 600 year old Kungri Gompa.

Tabo Gompa is one of the most important monasteries in the Tibetan Buddhist world. It is 1,002 years old monastary. It was built in 996 AD. There are nine temples in the complex, at all ground level and dating from the 10th to the 16th century. The main assembly hall of the Tsuglhakhang is surrounded by 33 raised Bodhisattva statues and houses a four-sided statue of Sarvarvid Vairocana, one of the five Dhyani Buddhas.

Shashur Gompa is 3 kms from Keylong. Dedicated to a Zanskari lama, it was built in the 16th century and is of the Gelukpa order. The 5m thangka is famous in the region. An annual festival, held every June or July is renowned for the mask dances performed by the lamas.