|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE 14-hour drive from Shimla to the desert mountains of Spiti valley is full of ‘wows’. Soon, you even forget the count. Nature has been up to something quite different at this high altitude: the valley floor lies 10,000 ft above the sea level and the slopes and peaks can tower up to 20,000 ft. The physical raw beauty of it all fascinates and overwhelms the traveller. The stark barrenness, the rugged beauty of the rocky escapements and the splendour of the snow-capped peaks, it is truly a “world within a world”, as Kipling wrote in his Kim, or, rather, a world beyond the world we know of and recognise.
Since Spiti’s position across the main Himalayan range deprives it from the benefit of the monsoons, the place is a cold desert. The mountains are barren, yet these don’t look desolate, harsh, yet quite calm and composed. These peaks have a character, an imposing one. The green is conspicuously absent, except in rare patches, but the slopes offer diverse shades of brown, purple, red and black. But more than this wondrous landscape, the drive to it is a major attraction in itself. And if you happen to be behind the wheel, you are discovering yourself at every turn: liberating at one moment and confining to the limit the very next. It brings you to life with a jolt, puts you at ease, but you can’t take it easy. The road, on one side, hugs the rugged cliffs and, on the other edge, it slopes towards River Spiti that flows through gorges across the valley. The water is inviting, though it is not as calm as the mounts that rise again from the other banks of the river. The road is quite narrow, bumpy and rugged in patches. An intersting part of the ride is when a vehicle comes from the opposite direction. If you haven’t been looking till the farther turn, you might have to reverse at least half a km. But there is a trick you can pick up from any mountain driver: when you reverse, move to the other side of the road and let the vehicle pass on its wrong side. It is convenient and quick! If one starts at dawn, or a little before that, Tabo makes an easy first destination and a stopover for the night via Kinnaur. But a caution en route: don’t take the old Maling village road, which comes almost midway, for it is notorious for landslides. Instead, drive up further and it is more satisfying as well. There are no bumps, except for a turn, and it offers a breath-taking view. Look down, and the steepness scares you just before the excitement takes over; look up and the mountains engulf your being, just before you smile to acknowledge the sense of accomplishment. Step out, and the winds will literally move you! Tabo is home to the second most important Buddhist monastery in the entire Himalayan region — the Tabo Gompa, built in 996 AD. Now 1,008 years old, it is rumoured to be the place the Dalai Lama will finally settle in. Also known as Tabo-Chos-Khor, which means ‘doctrinal circle’, it houses nine temples, 23 “chortens”, a monks’ chamber and an extension that houses the nuns’ chamber. The monastery houses fine sculptures, stucco images and wall paintings, which are similar to the paintings found in the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra. The life-like clay sculptures are particularly striking. From the complex and the village around it, a series of artificially excavated caves are well visible, though constantly decaying. The place is peaceful, not just quiet. Walk around, feel the mountains and listen to the sound of silence. A little further from Tabo is Dhankar Gompa and Nako Lake on way to Kaza, from where Ki monastery is a short distance away. One could return the same way or take the Manali route ahead. But by then you would have proved something to yourself, and that can’t really be spelled out!
|
|||
|
|
|||
One of the two remotest valleys of the Himachal Pradesh, Spiti Valley — the other being Lahaul—is bordered by Ladakh to the north and Kinnaur to the south. Hence the name “Spiti”, meaning the Middle Land. It is often referred to as the “Little Tibet”, courtesy the similarity it shares with the terrain and culture of Tibet, as a monk, while waiting for his ride at Sumdo, explains. It is from here that the Spiti valley begins. A stop at the Sumdo ITBP check post is required to enter the ID details before going further. 
How to reach: From
Shimla, via Kinnaur, a 412-km road goes to Spiti. 