LAHAUL & SPITI
Lahual and Spiti, are twin valleys situated on the north eastern extremity of Himachal Pradesh, bordering Tibet. They comprise the largest district of the state.

The two valleys at Lahaul and Spiti have a tenous link over the Kunzam Pass ( 4,520 metres ). The two twin valleys, Lahaul and Spiti in the North-Eastern corner of Himachal, protected by distance is a region of nature at its wildest which has lent it much enchantment. The threshold of one of the Lahaul plateau is nourished by the Chandra and Bhaga rivers and is surrounded by high mountains on all sides, the Great Himalayas to the North, the Pir Panjal to the South and the Spiti and Chandra watershed to the East. Lahaul has curious mixture of Buddhist and Hinduism. There are a number of Monasteries and Temples.

 

PRIME ATTRACTIONS
Keylong : ( 3,340 meters) located above Bhaga river, the district headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti has been described as oasis of green fields, willow planted water courses, brown hills and snowy peaks. In the past, Keylong was home of the Moravian missionaries.
Gondla: Located at an altitude of 3160 m above sea level, Gondla is at a distance of 18 kms from Keylong on the right bank of Chandra river. The location of royal houses of the village is interesting. In the month of July a fair is held here when Lamas dance & enjoy.
Tandi: Tandi is 8 kms. short of Keylong and is situated at the confluence of Chandra & Bhaga rivers. A legend says that there were two lovers, Chandra being the daughter of the Moon and Bhaga the son of the Sun god. To perform there eternal marriage, they decided to climb to the Baralacha La & from there they ran in opposite directions.
 

MONASTERIES
Guru Ghantal Monastery (3020 m): This is on the right bank of Chandra river about 4kms. above Tandi and is believed to be the oldest Gompa of Lahaul having wooden structure with pyramidal roofs, wood carving and preserving the idols of Padmasambhava & Brajeshwari Devi. On the full moon night in mid-June a festival called "GHANTAL" is celebrated by Lamas & Thakurs together.
Kardang Monastery: Baralacha Pass - LahaulIt is about 5kms. from Keylong across Bhaga river at a hieght of 3500 m. Believed to be built in 12th century, the Monastery has a large library of Kangyur and Tangyur volumes of Budhist scriptures in Bhoti.
Shashur Monastery: Located at a distance of 1.5 km from Keylong, the Shashur monastery was founded by Lama Deva Tyatsho of Zanaskar, Ladakh. In the 17 AD, he was a missionary of the king of Bhutan, Nawang Namgyal. The term Shashur means 'in the blue pines'.
 

OTHERS
Gemur: It is 18-km from Keylong in Bhaga valley where devil dance is held during July in the Local Gompa. The place is situated on Manali-Leh highway.
Sarchu: It is the last border point between Himachal and Ladakh, where HPTDC put up a tented colony for the convenience of the tourists during summer season. It is situated at a distance of 116-km from Keylong.
Kee Gompa: A picturesque collection of Tibetan style buildings set on a small hill, is the largest in Spiti. Along the road, it is 14-km from Kaza, but the best way to get here is on foot, a 10-km hike along the path.
Kibar: 15-km northwest of Kaza is Kibar or Kyipur, which at 4,205m. is reputed to be the highest village in the world. It is 200 km from Manali, and there's a bus to Kaza via Keylong and the bus trip takes 8 hours.

How to Reach
By Air: Kullu and Shimla are two closeby airports that are well connected to other parts of India.
By Rail: The nearest railheads from Lahaul & Spiti lie at Shimla and Pathankot.
By Road: Manali is well connected by road to all part of the country. From Manali, buses and taxis are available to reach anywhere in the Lahaul and Spiti valley between May to October on the basis of opening and closing of the Rohtang Pass, the entranceway to the valley.

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