A word (Om mani padme hum) was written on top of hill which
was clearly seen from our Kaza hotel. I was wondering how one could reach there
and paint!!
Our first place of visit in Spiti was Tabo, 48 km from Kaza
on Kaza-Shimla highway. The name Tabo was catchy and hence I decided to visit!!
Sounds strange but it was true.
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Road near Kaza |
It took more than two hours to cover this distance thanks to
bad roads. Good roads are hard to find in Spiti and one should be prepared for
bumpy and dusty ride. We had no complaints as the scenery all along the way was
breathtaking.
The valley after Kaza
is very wide. The road goes along Spiti River. In between brown hills were
patches of green where people grew vegetables.
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Unstable hills and roads |
Spiti is a rain shadow region but is seeing rains in recent
years. This creates havoc in the area as the soil is loose causing landslides.
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A small stream joining Spiti river |
As we neared Tabo, the valley narrowed down. This part was
scary as it was prone to landslides. Even winds were bringing down soil from
the hills.
Tabo is famous for its monastery. Unlike other monasteries situated
on hills, Tabo monastery lies on plain land. It was founded in 996 CE.
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Tabo monastery |
Another place to visit in Tabo is the caves. Situated on a
hill overlooking Tabo town are several caves. These are artificially excavated caves. These
caves might have been used for meditation though there is no clear evidence for
this. Some caves are also used as houses
but most of them are not in good condition.
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View of Tabo town from caves |
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Caves |