Lahaul and Spiti : Himachal Pradesh

Lahaul and Spiti are two separate districts which were merged into one, in the state of Himachal Pradesh in the country’s north. The current administrative centre of the district lies at Lahaul as Keylong. Before the merger, the two districts had different capitals. While Dhankar was the capital of Spiti, Kardang headed Lahaul district.

History of Lahaul and Spiti :

Lahaul and Spiti are two remote Himalayan Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, lying on the Indo-Tibet border. Lahaul and Spiti valleys, together form a district in Himachal Pradesh. Strange, exciting, primitive, these valleys are unsurpassed in mountain scape, in the rugged beauty of their rocky escapements and the splendor of their snow covered peaks. Lahaul is marked by a central mass of uniformly high mountains and massive glaciers. The Bara Shigri, Chota Sigri, Samundari and Sonapani glaciers are some of the glaciers which are found here. The two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga which rise on either side of the Baralacha La, flow through the narrow Chandra and Bhaga valleys and nourish the Lahaul valley. Lahaul is a land of fascinating Buddhist art and culture. The monasteries of Lahaul-Spiti are rich repositories of ancient murals, thankas, wood carving and golden images of Padmasambhava. The valley lies at a height of 2745 metres above sea level. Summer in this valley is cool and pleasant with green grass and alpine flowers. There are little monsoon in both these valleys and this enables climbers and trekkers to enjoy a long and unbroken season in perpetual sunshine to explore the wilderness and grandeur of the inner Himalaya.

Things to do in Lahaul and Spiti :

The main tourist attractions in Lahaul are the monasteries. The Khardong and Shashur Monastery are some of the famous monasteries which are found in Lahaul. The other places in Lahaul are Gondla, Tandi, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Keylong, Tayul Gompa, Sissu, Koksar, Jispa, Gemur, Darcha, Baralacha La pass, Sarchu, Shansha, Triloknath Temple and Udaipur. Khardong is the largest monastery in Lahaul and located across the valley from Shashur. It is believed to be built in 12th century. The Monastery has a large library of Kangyur and Tangyur volumes of Buddhist scriptures in Bhoti. Keylong is the district Headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti on the main road to Leh over Rohtang. It is an oasis of green fields and willow trees, water streams surrounded with brown hills and snow capped peaks.