ASI to repair structural wear and tear at ancient Tabo Monastery in Spiti valley

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will make an immediate intervention to address the structural wear and tear and damage to paintings at the ancient Tabo Monastery in the Spiti valley. “We will shortly make an estimate and float a tender for the conservation work at the 1,000-year-old monastery,” said an ASI official.

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Some time ago, those looking after the Tabo monastery had sent an urgent request to the ASI to undertake preventive measures to save it from damage due to extreme weather events like cloudbursts and flashfloods that had become quite common in the state over the past few years. To save the structures from irreparable damage, the monastery urged the ASI to provide a retractable roof over the monuments and improvement in the drainage system to avert water-logging.

“Our immediate intervention will address structural problems like cracks in walls, tilting of pillars and waterproofing of the roof. In the second phase, our science branch will try and conserve the paintings in the monument. The work will be done strictly as per our conservation policy,” said the official.

About the monastery’s request for setting up a temporary retractable roof over the structures at the monastery, he said that it was a big project and the proposal would be sent to the headquarters. “Such huge interventions by the ASI are rare, but our higher-ups will take a call,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the monastery said the roofing of the structures during the monsoon was essential to save the historic monument from irreversible damage. “If we are not able to save the structures, there is little point in conserving what’s inside the monuments,” said a priest of the monastery.