Key Monastery of Spiti
Even with rain tipping down, the city just keeps scorching up day by day. Want to find an escape from all this frenzy? We have got you a spiritual getaway. Key Monastery, located in the Lahul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, is the most pristine location for spiritual refinement. A place that is so magnificent and tranquil, it gives you time to connect to yourself.
Key Monastery or key gompa
Key Monastery or Key Gompa is not only an ancient structure but also an edifice Tibetian monastery standing in the Spiti region. The monastery is almost a thousand years old, meaning it has its roots on this ground since the 11th century.
And the sublime structure is 4,166 meters above sea level, giving us picturesque as well as unspoiled views from the monastery. The monastery is a humble abode to many monks, students, or lamas who wish to attain religious education.
Key Monastery Photo
The monastery treasures of the most distinguished collections of arts are duly guarded between its walls. It houses ancient Buddhist scrolls and paintings, Thangkas (painted Tibetian banners), and also valuable manuscripts that hold the legends of Tibetian culture and religion.
It also has a unique set of collection of weapons which were used by the fighters to protect the people residing in the monastery.
Gustar Festival
One of the most famous festivals that the Key monastery celebrates is Gustar Festival (locally pronounced as Guettar). This festival is widely celebrated by the monasteries that follow Tibetian Buddhism. “Gustar” meaning triumph of good over evil, the main highlight of the festival revolves around this idea.
The main highlight of this festival is the Cham dance.
Cham dance is a ritual that is followed to “cleanse off evil forces”, and is a dance ritual that uses a face mask with vivid colours and expressions.
The dancers in this ritual are usually the Lamas that are staying in this monastery. The masks in these dances represent characters from the Tibetian fables. This ritual tells us about the rich culture of Tibetian Buddhism.
Thus, Key Monastery or Key Gompa stands majestically standing in one of the most beautiful valleys in India is a great location to get engrossed in the beautiful scenery, rich culture and most importantly, a peaceful break from everything.