Himachal Diaries: Part Fourteen

Day Eight (08.07.2024): Exploring Kaza

Kaza is located at an elevation of 11,980 feet above sea level. It has a cold desert climate, with very little rainfall. The summers are mild, but the winters are extremely cold, with temperatures often dropping below freezing.

I woke up at 6am and had been served room tea at 7am. We had breakfast at 8:30am. 

As mentioned yesterday we had to keep the luggage ready with a day's belonging with us. We got into the vehicles, crossed the sandy road and the same bridge and drove to Kee village.

Kee village is most famous for the Kee Gompa, a stunning Tibetan Buddhist monastery perched on a hill overlooking the village. Situated at an altitude of 13,668 ft above sea level, the village itself is nestled amidst breathtaking landscapes, with barren mountains, snow-capped peaks, and the winding Spiti river adding to the charm. We saw the first view of Kee Gompa at 9:45am and reached the base at 10am.

Kee Gompa

The monastery is dedicated to Lochen Tulku, the 24th reincarnation of the great translator Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo. It is known for its unique architecture, multiple levels of colorful buildings stacked on top of each other, intricate murals, rich collection of ancient books, thangkas and sculptures, stunning views of the surrounding mountains. It's one of the oldest and largest monasteries in the region, and a significant center for Buddhist learning. It is believed to have been founded in the 11th century by Dromtön, a student of the renowned teacher Atisha. The serene and peaceful atmosphere of the monastery, coupled with the stunning views, creates a truly spiritual and memorable experience. The main prayer hall, the assembly hall, the library, the various temples and shrines within the complex, and the panoramic views from the rooftop.

We started walking towards the gompa at 10am. Hrishikesh guided us on the pathway uphill and then the pathway downhill to the three statues and monastery view. Some did not opt to walk uphill to the monastery. We started with the staircase and the zigzag road and then reached the monastery gate. 

There was a souvenir shop to the left and a homestay to the right. We climbed the stairs and Chinmay, Kalyani, me halted at the main door for a break and watched the view. 

From the main door to the open area, there are series of prayer wheels. There is a room Mani Lakhang on one side, prayer hall opposite to it, giant butter lamp to its left and way to monastery temples to its right. 

I missed the group since I got busy in clicking photos. So I had to explore ahead on own. First temple is on Nakpo Gursum, to the right of the stairs. 

I walked upstairs to the open area to view the Kudung. On the way, there was Ghonkhang, restricted only to monks. Then there is another temple and meditation area, where a few fellow travellers were meditating. There were a few isolated meditating rooms as well. Done with all the temples, I was back to the base open area and entered the prayer hall.

Like every prayer hall, there were long desks and sitting area for monks. There was a section of nine buddha poses. 

There was a section of sculptures of Acharya Tsongkhapa and his disciple Dharma Rinchen and Acharya Khedup Geleg Palzang and the holy Dalai Lama. I saw the view of the three statues from the open area. 

We all were done with exploring the monastery till 10:30am and walked downhill to the three statues. Few did shopping of keychains, prayer wheels, prayer flags, fridge magnets, etc. We reached the base, walked downhill to the statues at 11am. What a awe inspiring view of the monastery it was!

It was worth walking downhill at this altitude. The three statues were of Yangyiai, Kyab and Edmundyeo. 

Now walking uphill was a major task at this altitude. I had panting breaks on the way which led to my car waiting while others drove to Kaza market. We reached the market at noon. Everyone spread out to buy things, few bought munchings, few bought tshirts, few bought souvenirs, etc. I did on tour shopping after six years. I had to buy souvenirs as a gratitude to a few friends. Done with the shopping, we left the market and drove to the hotel for lunch at 1:30pm.

Luggage was loaded in the cars. We left at 2:30pm and drove towards Losar. More on this in next post.