Kungri Monastery, HP

Kungri gompa is located around 10 km from Attargo and 3 km from Gulling in Pin
Valley. Attargo itself is located around 12 km from the subdivisional district
headquarter of Spiti. The river Spiti has to be crossed in order to reach the Pin
Valley, most of which has been declared a National Park.

The gompa does not merely holds the distinction of being the second oldest one in
the Spiti valley, rather it also happens to be the only gompa following the Nyingmapa
Buddhism in the valley. Nyingmapa is the oldest order of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Kungri gompa was erected in the first half of the 14th century, around 1330 and
consists of three separate rectangular blocks, all of which stand facing the eastern
direction. Recently, Kungri gompa ganied a lot of attention because of the foreign aid
it received for its renovation work. However, despite renovation work, the gompa
provides the strong impact of the tantric cult that held sway over the Pin valley in the
bygone era.

Within the gompa, attractions include silk paintings of various Buddhist deities on the
inner walls, huge statues and over 300 volumes of the sacred Tibetan texts, Kenjur
and Tenjur preserved carefully in white muslin.

The monastery also has the buzhens performing a sword dance. The buzhens are
wandering friars some of who live in the Mud village on the right bank of the Pin
river.

Festival
The Devil Dance is performed in this monastery during the month of June or July.

Spiti
A subdivision of the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, Spiti is a cold
desert where monsoon rain have never come. The striking beauty of this place
marked by narrow valleys and high mountains forced even a renowned writer like
Rudyard Kipling to term it " a world within world' and 'a place where gods live'.
A major attractions of Spiti is the Pin valley which is home to some of its important
monasteries. Amongst these, the Kungri Gompa is extremely important. For tourists
desirous of visiting the Kungri Gompa, accommodation is available at Kaza,
Sagnam, Gulling, and Tabo.

Other Attractions

Tabo Monastery : With sobriquets such as Spiti's

pride and the Ajanta of the Himalayas, the Tabo
Monastery is definitely one of the most significant
one in the valley. Constructed by the Ringchen
Zangpo in the 996 AD, the monatsrey is more
than a place of worship. Rather, it is also place for
learning and debate as well as repository of
Buddhist art.

Dhankar Monastery : Located 7 km from

Sichling, a village at the confluence of the Spiti
and Pin river, the Dhankar Monastery is an
extremely important centre of religious training.
Around 70 lamas reside in this monastery which is
associated with the Gelukpa school of Tibetan
Buddhism. A figure of Vairochana or Dhayan
Buddha, Buddhist scriptures in Bhoti language,
murals of Medicine Buddha, protector deities and
Budhist thangkas are the prime highlights of this
monastery. The monastery is located 24 km from
Kaza.

Kye Monastery : One of the oldest gompa in the

Spiti valley, Kye has had a history full of troubles.
Three invasions post 17th century and an
earthquake in 1975 have had their impact on the
monastery which today resembles more like a
defensive fort. However, still it is amongst the
most renowned monasteries in the region.
Constructed in the 10th century, Kye houses and
displays rare thangkas, paintings and musical
instruments.

Thang Yug Gompa : 14 km from Kaza, this

monastery too was affected by the earthquake of
 1975. Its old monastery structure was seriously
damaged and the villagers had to shift it to a new
location near Comic village. The monastery
belongs to the Sakya-pa sect and has a head
lama from Tibet.

How to Reach
Attargo can be reached from both Shimla as well as Manali. The Manali route is
open between July to October depenpding on the weather conditions and passes
through Rohtang Pass, Kunzum La, Losar, Rangrik to lead upto Kaza and then
Attargo.

The second route is from Shimla till Sumdo, via Narkanda, Rampur Bushehr and
Pooh in Kinnaur. From Sumdo, take the state Highway of Spiti valley to reach Attargo
via Tabo.

From Attargo, the Kungi Gompa can be easily reached on foot.