Tabo monastery, founded in 996 AD by the ruler Yeshe O’d in Tabo village in the Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh

An escape to a Buddhist monastery 

Tabo monastery, founded in 996 AD by the ruler Yeshe O’d in Tabo village in the Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh, is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in India.
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Tabo Monastery in Himachal Pradesh. Located on the banks of Spiti river, a tributary of Sutlej, at an altitude of 3280 metres, it is bordered by steep cliffs. At this remote location, a quite outing can be good for the soul.
There are nine temples in the compound of the monastery, which were built between the late-10th and 17th centuries. There are four beautifully decorated stupas too.
The main temple at Tabo originally consisted of an entry hall that led to the assembly hall. It was considered sacred because of the presence of portraits of Yeshe O’d and his two sons, Nagaraja and Devaraja, on the south wall. This also served as the temple of the protective deity Dorje Chenmo.
The temple now has a new entry hall with paintings dating back to the late-19th and early-20th century. The main deity, the fourfold figure of Vajradhatu-Vairocana, said to be one of the five spiritual sons of Adibuddha, the self-created primordial Buddha, is located at the back of the assembly hall. The larger than life statue - showing him turning the wheel of law - is placed about two metres above the ground level.

After the assembly hall, the temple of Dromton is the largest temple in the complex and contains many wall paintings. The Golden temple, once layered in gold, has outstanding murals covering the walls and ceilings. The Maitreya temple has a carved stone column base containing the figure of a lion. The main icon is a large seated image of Maitreya that is over six metres (20 feet) high.
The Initiation temple is where the initiation to monastic life takes place. The wall facing the door has a huge painting of Vairocana surrounded by eight Bodhisattvas. Mahakala Vajra Bhairava temple, called 'temple of horror’, contains the protective deity of the Gelukpa sect. It contains fierce deities and is only entered after protective meditation.
Religious festivals such as Chakhar, dedicated to peace and happiness, are celebrated usually in September or October with lot of singing and dancing.
Those visiting the monastery can stay at the Sarai building. On the monastery premises, there are several restaurants that serve tourists local delicacies.
The best time to visit Tabo Monastery is between May and October. The nearest bus stand is Kaza, which can be reached from Delhi via Shimla or Manali. Regular buses ply from Delhi to Shimla and Manali. One can also take a train to Chandigarh/Kalka and then a cab to Shimla. Direct flights are available till Shimla and Bhuntar, from where it’s a two-hour ride to Manali.