Stupas, symbol of Buddhist belief and faith, face neglect in Lahaul-Spiti district

Pratibha Chauhan

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Shimla, February 18

Symbols of Buddhist belief and faith, over 750 stupas, dotting the mountain landscape of Lahaul-Spiti district, are in a state of neglect with no agency or funds available to restore their lost glory.

No agency to fund restoration

Since there is no agency to fund restoration, general upkeep and maintenance of these stupas, I have requested the Chief Minister to look into the issue so that funds can be made available for this task. Ravi Thakur, MLA, Lahaul-Spiti

While some of these stupas, called ‘chortin’ in local language, are almost crumbling, others need a major refurbish as these religious symbols are an integral part of practically every village in Lahaul Spiti, where a majority of the population holds deep faith in Buddhism. The stupas, mostly white, are made of stone and mud and are adorned with colourful fluttering prayer flags and Mani stones with mantras carved on them.

Lahaul Spiti MLA Ravi Thakur echoed his concern on the state of neglect of these stupas before Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. “Since there is no agency to fund restoration, general upkeep and maintenance of these stupas, I have requested the Chief Minister to look into the issue so that funds can be made available for this task,” says Ravi Thakur.

He said repair of each stupa, depending on the size, could cost anything between Rs 25,000 and Rs 1.50 lakh. Efforts are being made to cover the restoration of the important big stupas from the MLA Area Development Funds, besides other agencies. While most big stupas are in need of repairs, the ones located in Tindi, Trilokinath, Cindwari, Thirot, Mulling, Gushal and some in the Udaipur sub-division are in the deplorable condition, requiring immediate refurbish.

“Since the religious faith and sentiments of the local population are attached to it, a mechanism must be devised so that their regular upkeep is ensured,” said Nawang Cheering from Chchem Kyee. The locals take a ‘parikrama’ of the stupas for long life, well-being and prosperity of the area in general. A beginning has been made to protect and conserve the Buddhist culture here as a sum of Rs 5.75 crore has been allocated under the Integrated Tribal Development Project in Spiti (Kaza) in October 2023. The works to be undertaken include construction of a tribal museum at Chicham at a cost of Rs 1.86 crore, a boys hostel at the Kungri Gompa (monastery) for Rs 2.30 crore and a conference hall-cum-library at Komik for Rs 90.50 lakh.

The alluring charm of the mystic Himalayan region, dotted with centuries-old monasteries like Tabo and Dhankar, remains the biggest attraction for tourists, especially art aficionados. In fact, a sizeable number of foreign tourists make a beeline to these fascinating monasteries in the two tribal districts of Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur to get a glimpse into the Himalayan Buddhism, which flourished here.

The purpose of erecting a stupa could vary as it could be in memory of a spiritual guru or a lama (Buddhist monk), dead family members or dedicated to Lord Buddha, Trilokinath, Goddess Tara or some other deity. The stupas normally have gold, silver, precious stones like emeralds and corals inside them. The top is adorned with a sun and moon and could have religious writings inside it.

The Tabo monastery was founded in 996 AD (and refurbished in 1042 AD) by Rinchen Zangpo. It is considered the oldest monastery in Himachal Pradesh and is located at the southern edge of the Trans-Himalayan plateau in the Spiti Valley in the cold arid desert at an altitude of over 10,000 feet.

Dhankar monastery is situated in the Spiti Valley between Kaza and Tabo at almost 12,800-feet elevation. Dhankar was the traditional capital of the Spiti Valley kingdom during the 17th century. It is similar to the Key and Tangyud monasteries in being a fort monastery built in Tibetan pattern. These monasteries treasure some priceless centuries old artifacts like thangkas (paintings) and scriptures, which must be conserved before they are lost.