Dhankar Monastery is located in the Spiti Valley Himachal Pradesh and is at an altitude of 3,894 meters. Dhankar Monastery also calls Dhankar Gompa. This monastery has a very popular and spiritual recognition for the Buddhist community. The monastery was built 1000 years ago and was renovated by the LHA-Od Lama and since then it was also known as LHA-Od GOMPA. The monastery has a statue of Vayohana and a small museum where the murals are stored. Due to the very old parts of the monastery, it still stands in a delicate position. Due to this, more than twenty people are not allowed to enter this monastery at a time.
Dhankar Monastery Spiti
Dhankhar Gompa is built on a 1000 feet high spur. From here you can see the confluence of the Pin rivers. Dhankhar Gompa is a village in the Spiti district in India. It is a Buddhist temple and is situated between the towns of Kaza and Tabo. Dhang or Dang means rock, and Kar or Khar means fort which means fort situated on a rock. The monastery was built in 1855 by 90 monks. About 150 sadhus live in the village adjacent to the monastery. In 2006, the World Monuments Fund selected the Dhankar Gompa as one of the 100 most endangered sites in the world, considering the Gompa Museum. The route from Kaza to Dhankhar is 24 km.
Dhankar Monastery History
A new teaching temple was built by the 14th Dalai Lama on 12 July 2009. Dhankhar was the capital of the Spiti Valley during the 17th century. At that time it was ruled by Knossos. They had the right to cultivate government land and repair the fort. He also did a lot of work for the people there. He was known for bringing justice to the people and solving their problems and punishing them for wrongdoings. The monastery is also known as Lhaop Gonpa. Lhaop was the name of a famous lama. He was the founder or renovator of the Monastery of that time. The monastery was looted several times during his time.
How to Reach Dhankar Monastery
The Dhankar Monastery can be reached by Shimla and Manali. It is difficult to go from Manali to Dhankar in winter. Nevertheless, some people go by the road of Shimla Kinnaur in winter. You can take a taxi from Manali to Kaja and then from Kaja to Dhankar Monastery. Dhankar Monastery is between Tabo and Kaja and can take a direct taxi from Shimla to Kaja. Kaja buses also go from Manali. And the second route is also bused from Shimla to Rexong and then Kaja. You can also go to the monastery in your car. Kaja is 4 to 5 journey from Manali.
Best Time to Travel to Dhankar Monastery
Winters in this area are very cold and hence it is advisable not to go here during those cold winter months. In winter, a lot of snow falls here, so it is difficult and dangerous to go here at that time. The good time to visit this place is from May to September. The temperature in summer is up to 5–20 ° C.
