Key Monastery, Himachal Pradesh

Key Monastery in Spiti Valley is one of the most famous historical monuments in Himachal Pradesh that is visited by hundreds of tourists every year. Over a thousand years old, this monastery is the largest in Spiti. Inside, you will find old scriptures and idols of Buddha. Hundreds of monks receive religious training at the monastery. There is a long history of attacks on the monastery which makes it of primary importance.

History

The Key Monastery was founded by Dromton, who was a pupil of Atisha, at some time in the 11th century. It has been attacked and damaged multiple times in its long history. The list includes the attack by the Mongols in the 17th century when the fifth Dalai Lama was in power. The monastery was sacked yet again in 1830 during the war between Ladakh and Kulu.
In 1841, the monastery was severely damaged by the Dogra army under the rule of Ghulam Khan and Rahim Khan. In the same year, it was destroyed due to the attacks of a Sikh regiment. Disaster struck the monastery yet again when the structure was damaged by a fire in the 1840s, and further damage was caused in 1975 when a massive earthquake occurred. The Archaeological Survey of India and the State Public Works Department then worked to repair and restore this historic structure.

Architecture

As a result of the repeated attacks and calamities, whether natural or man-made that Key Monastery had to suffer, the primary structure was built and rebuilt time and again. The constant renovation has led to the monastery now becoming an irregular box-like structure, which looks more like a defensive fort than a calm and quiet monastery per se. It is nevertheless a brilliant example of the monastic architecture that started to gain popularity in the 14th century because of the influence of China.

The walls of the Key Monastery are adorned with beautiful murals and paintings. The temples in the compound are all built on top of one another, and the building is marked by narrow corridors that lead to low rooms. The monastery has three floors in all. The first floor, which is used for storage, is mostly underground. The ground floor of the monastery houses the Assembly Hall which is beautifully decorated and also has cells that have been constructed especially for the monks.

One particular room that never fails to capture the attention of the visitors is known as Tangyur, which is a room that is richly painted with murals. The Fourteenth Dalai Lama inaugurated a new Prayer Hall on 3 August in 2000 in the Key Monastery. This prayer hall was also presented in the 69th Republic Day celebrations at New Delhi through a tableau.