Spiti

Spiti, according to an old folksong, is “…the heavenly valley, valley of the wish-fulfilling jewel...”. Situated in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, high up in the western Himalayas, at an average elevation of over 3500 metres above sea level, the valley is sandwiched between perennially snow-capped mountains, and therefore remains largely unknown. It is connected by a road, often narrow and rough, that passes through canyons and high mountain passes, beneath rocky overhangs, across streams and for the most part alongside the beautiful Spiti River, with picturesque villages embellishing its banks.

Perhaps it is its very remoteness that has helped Spiti retain its ancient tradition and culture in all their simplicity and charm. For a seasoned walker Tibet is, from most parts of the valley, just about a day’s walk away. Not surprisingly, therefore, at various times in history, Spiti has been a part of the western Tibetan kingdom of Guge. That explains why Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhism has flourished here over the last millennium or so. Even today the lives of the local community are centred around the five major monasteries or gonpas (namely Tabo, Dhangkar, Ghungri, Tangyud and Key) and the numerous temples that dot the moonscape (calling it landscape would be doing it grave injustice).

The history of Spiti, in fact, dates back to prehistoric times. The Tethys Sea is known to have existed in this area till some 60 million years ago. That was when the Indian subcontinent tore away from the super-continent called Gondwanaland and crashed into Eurasia, thereby giving birth to the mighty Himalayas. The ammonites or fossils of cephalopods that abound in the valley bear testimony to its ancient history.

Spiti Gallery