Lahaul Spiti is a great place for people looking for solitude, amazing scenery, peace and some personal time away from noise and distractions of big cities. The remoteness and ruggedness of this region keeps this place quiet and suitable for a personal time away for contemplation and meditation. The simple and friendly people of the region are also quiet religious and appreciate the importance of spirituality in their daily lives. A special spiritual journey through Lahaul Spiti will hep you energise your batteries and spend some time meditating, interacting with Buddhist monks in extremely beautiful backdrops.
This journey is not something like a yoga or meditation retreat. It is more like a journey to different monasteries, scared places and spiritually important points of great natural beauty. In this trip, you can visit a few monasteries, interact with monks, benefit from their wisdom acquired over the course of thousands of years, meditate there or on mountain tops and just spend some time with yourselves or your companions. The driving distances per day per day are kept deliberately small to ensure the body and mind of the visitor remain fresh.
BEST FOR: Individuals or small groups looking for a quiet time to discover their spirituality.
Trip Summary:
Day 01: Shimla – Sarahan
Day 02: Sarahan – Reckong Peo – Kalpa
Day 03: Kalpa – Puh – Nako – Sumdo – Tabo
Day 04: Tabo
Day 05: Tabo – Dhankar
Day 06: Dhankar – Komic
Day 07: Komic
Day 08: Komic – Kibber
Day 09: Kibber – Ki moastery – Kaza
Day 10: Kaza – Losar – Kunzum La – Chandrataal Lake
Day 11: Chandrataal – Chatru – Rohtang Pass – Manali
DURATION: 11 days, 10 nights
BEST SEASON: June to October. Possible rest of year on request.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Low
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 4590 m.
WEATHER: Afternoons can be a bit warm during summer. Cold otherwise with strong winds.
EQUIPMENT: None necessary.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 01: Shimla – Sarahan
First day will begin with drive from Shimla to Sarahan (2313 m) over amazing Himalayan roads, dense forests and deep gorges. Upon reaching Sarhan, sepnd rest of day in hotel or walking around in Town. The ancient Bhimkali temple is one of 51 Shaktipeeths in Hindu religion and a pretty important place of worship for the locals.
Pickup from Delhi or CHandigarh available on request.
Day 02: Sarahan – Reckong Peo – Kalpa
The destination for this day will be Kalpa(2960 m), with a short stop at Reckong Peo. Kalpa is a small village and a big producer of fruits like apple and chilgoza. You can visit Kothi, an ancient Hindu temple with a gold idol of goddess Chanadika Devi. View of Kinner Kailash mountain from the village at sunrise or sunset is a sight to remember.
Day 03: Kalpa – Puh – Nako – Sumdo – Tabo
After leaving Kalpa, we will make stops at Puh, Nako and Sumdo (depending upon available time and route) and stop at Tabo (3280 m) for nightstay. Tabo monastery is more than 1000 years old and is considered to one of the holiest and Dalai Lama has expressed his desire to live there after retirement. It is also famous for it’s extremely detailed wall paintings. This monastery was the site of Kalachakra initiation ceremony in 1996 by Dalai Lama, which was also the date of completeion of 1000 years of existence of monastery.
Day 04: Tabo
This day will be spent in Tabo.
Day 05: Tabo – Dhankar
Next stop will be at Dhankar (3894 m), ancient capital of Spitian Kings who made their fort very near the village monastery on sharp, precarious cliffs overlooking the river valley below. Due to erosion, both structures are expected to survive for only a few years more. A new and bigger monastery has been constructed and artifacts transferred. Guests can spend some time there or climbing up the mountain nearby to see Dhankar lake. It is also a nice place to sit quietly and meditate. The monastery is home to about 150 who belong to the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Day 06: Dhankar – Komic
From Dhankar, we will drive to Komic (4250 m), which is famous for Tangyud Monastery famous for it’s location at such a high altitude. It belongs to the Sakya sect, a rare occurence in the region. The visitors can either stay in monastery’s guest house or one of other small villages nearby.
Day 07: Komic
This day will be spent in Komic, Hikkim (4440 m) and Langcha villages. Langcha’s monastery is a small one and has a beautiful Buddha statue overlooking the small village. Hikkim’s post office is the highest functioning one in entire world.
Day 08: Komic – Kibber
From Komic, we will move towards Kibber (4270 m) and spend a day in village which sits right on boundary of the wildlife sanctuary. Kibber Monastery was founded by Serkang Rimpochhe and is also an important place of worship for locals. This ay we can also drive till Gette and enjoy the sight of Spiti river valley and Ki monastery hundreds of meters below the cliff.
Day 09: Kibber – Ki monastery – Kaza
Our nightstay will be in Kaza, the administrative capital of Spiti regon and has a Hindu temple and a Buddhist monastery side by side. This day will be used for rest, stocking up on supplies, fuel and walking around in the town.
Day 10: Kaza – Losar – Kunzum La – Chandrataal Lake
From Kaza, we will drive further towards Chandrataal (4300 m) Lake with rest stop at Lohsar (4079 m). We will have to pass Kunzum La (4590 m) which is one of the highest motorable passes and site of a temple dedicated to Goddess Kunzum, a local diety. We can either drive to Chandrataal Lake from Kunzum La or hike for around 8 km. Nightstay will be in a campsite, 2 km from the lake, under the stars and close to nature.
Day 11: Chandrataal – Chatru – Rohtang Pass – Manali
On this last day of the trip, the car will take you to Manali (2050 m) while passing through Chatru and Rohtang Pass (3979 m). Drop there to end the Spiritual Journey of Lahaul Spiti.
Accommodation in Manali and drop at Delhi or Chandigarh can be provided on request.
