Himachal Pradesh Tabo Monastery
In the state of Himachal Pradesh, there are plenty of Buddhist Monasteries, one of which is Tabo Monastery. It is also named as the Ajanta of the Himalayas. Located in the Lahaul and the Spiti districts of HP, this monastery makes for the oldest Buddhist Pilgrimage in the region of the Himalayas. Tibetan Buddhists hold this place with high regards, probably second only to the Tholing Gompa or monastery in Tibet. Inside the monastery, there are about 9 shrines and temples, within an area of about 6300 mtsq. The monastery of Tabo is marked for the caves and cliffed structures, which are meant for the prayers by the monks. Remarkable feature about this monastery is the large number of temples, in different styles, which makes it a sought after tourist attraction and paintings and frescos add to the charm of the structure.
History
Tabo Monastery is considered to be constructed around 996 CE, which is said to be the Tibetan year of the Fire Ape. It was built by Rinchen Zangpo, who was the western Himalayan king of Guge along with Tibetan Buddhist Translator, Iotswa. Importance of this Tabo monastery is that, it is the largest operating monastery in the regions of Tibet and Himalayas. During the earthquake in 1975, as lots of structures were destroyed, the monastery was rebuilt and the Dukang or assembly hall was rebuilt, so that the Kalachakra ceremonies were held in 1983 and 1996. It is considered to be a national historic structure and Archeological Survey of India preserves it under its lookout.
It is said that the Buddhist king Yeshe O’d built the monastery, who had a wide spread presence in the Purang Guge kingdom, over most parts of Ladakh and Mustang valleys. They were known to build a lot of trade routes and temples in the region. This kingdom was responsible for propagating the Indian Mahayana Buddhism in Tibet. During this period, the translator Rinchen Zangpo and the king, put on the walls of the Tabo monasteries a number of inscriptions related to Buddhist teachings. During the 17th century, the region of Spiti Valley had some historical events, which were marked on the inscriptions. After the british rulers invaded the Tabo monastery, peace was restored to a large extent.
After the Tabo monastery was destroyed in the 1975 earthquake, ASI was renovated and brought under its control. Presently, the monastery has about 45 monks, headed by the Rinpoche Kyabje Serkong Tsenshap, who was the head Lama who looked after the Abbot since 1975.
Architecture
The Tabo monastery has about 9 temples, stupas with lots of decorations and carvings, and plenty of paintings dating back to 10th and 11th centuries. Main temple is built in a style representing the Vajradhatu mandala. Inside the monastery, there are lots of manuscripts and Pramana texts.
Main temple of the Tabo monastery has the following structures namely the assembly hall, before which is the main entry hall. Towards the western side there is an Apse or recessed area, where the Shrine area is present, along with an ambulatory passage. On the entry hall walls, there are plenty of paintings depicting Yeshe O’d and his two sons in different forms. A new entry hall to the temple has been built, which has new era paintings from the 19th century. Inside the Vajradhatu mandala, there is a large idol of Vajradhatu, which is seen sitting on a lotus throne towards the back wall. There are also other deities made of clay, along with the main protector deity Dorje Chenmo. Lots of paintings are found in all the halls, which are drawn with lively paintings and date back to 15th and 16th century. There are three statues of life size, located on raised platforms, inside the main shrine. Each statue has idols of deities on either side of the statue. Inside this room, there is a statue of Buddha, seated on the throne, whose base is made from two lions facing each other. The temple has a circumambulation area where the devotees walk in a clockwise direction, and this passes through the assembly hall. In the same room, there are many small images of Lamas. Tapestries adorn the walls of the shrine, where paintings of various Buddha’s incarnations are also seen.
A number of older temples have been found within the complex of the Tabo Monastery. There is a golden temple, which was once having gold covered and was later renovated by Sengge Namgyal in 16th century. The walls and ceilings are full of murals and paintings from the 16th century. Other older temples are Bodhisattva Maitreya temple, Initiation Temple, Temple of Dromtom, etc.
Some newer temples were added to the Tabo Monastery, such as the Chamber of Picture Treasures, White Temple, the large temple of Dromtom is the largest in the complex, etc. There is one more temple known as Mahakala Vajra Bhairava Temple, which houses the protective deity of Gelukpa sect, which can be entered only after protective meditation.
Apart from shrines and temples, there are a number of stupas, which are full of paintings and carvings, adding to the beauty of the Tabo Monastery.
The name of Ajanta of the Himalayas has been given to the Tabo Monastery, because of the large number of stucco and fresco paintings, presenting the relationships between India and Tibet in the past. These paintings represented the Nyingmapa, Sakyapa and Kadampa traditions in the earlier days and in the latter era, paintings representing Gelugpa tradition were provided.
The monastery is more of a fort with high walls and with 3 feet thickness. This has resulted in the survival of the monastery since so many years. There are plenty of houses for the monks, chortens, and temples, and the most remarkable feature is the Kadampa School of education, which later was transformed into Gelugpa school. A number of other schools are also running inside the Tabo monastery, where social sciences and arts and topics on Buddhism are being taught, along with meditation.
Festivals
Within the limits of the monastery, a number of festivals are held annual. Buddhist regional songs and dances are performed by the monks on different occasions. Chakhar festival is the most important festival held once every three years inside the Tabo Monastery, from September to October to pray for peace and tranquillity in the region. Religious dances with masks along with songs are held during this period.
Getting There
Nearest airport to the Tabo monastery is located at Jubbarhatti Airport at Shimla, which is about 365 kms away.
Kalka railway station is the nearest to the monastery, at a distance of 455 kms.
By taking the NH 22 from Shimla, one can reach Karchamm, after travelling through Rampur, Sharhan, and few other towns. From Karcham, one can take the state highway till Tabo monstery. One can also arrive from Manali, but has to pass through the Rohtang pass, Kumzum pass, Losar and Kaza. Road communication is therefore the best way to reach Tabo Monastery, after reaching shimla or Kalka railway station.
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