Tabo, hemmed in by scree slopes is one of only two villages in the Spiti valley. It is a windblown place riddled with caves once used by local hermits as meditation cells.
The Tabo Gompa, a world heritage site was established in AD 996. Behind its mud walls are said to be some of the finest Indo –Tibetan art in the world , blending western Tibetan, Indian & Kashmiri styles.
Beyond this is also a much newer Gompa which dominates the town. As our luck would have it there was a Buddhist ceremony taking place during our stay.
Here are a few pictures from Tabo

A Buddhist ceremony in Tabo



Is a colourful event




The whole village seems to be here

with this little one

doing the rounds in the crowd

The long horns


cymbals

and drums go on for hours

As does the trance inducing dancing, clockwise

and its opposite

We have no understanding of the events

or the symbolism of the skulls which we see often

It’s captivating regardless

…

…

At its conclusion

The locals bow down to the monks

The Tabo Gompa established in AD 996

built from mud with only a natual light source


Ancient murials reminscent of Lalibela in Ethiopia



The newer Gompha

Undergoing renovation

Inside it is

adorned with these figurines & their words of wisdom

some of which are too ethereal for us

The local eatery

understandably in this challenging environment does not have all the items on its menu

The tiny grocery store where a good old fashioned scale need no calibrating

Petrol and diesel is to be had at the furniture store. Those cupboards on sale are all steel

next door is clothing

and beyond that mud homes

…

…

that are still being built the same way, centuries later
Wow inspiring.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful impressions of these people and their habitat – apparantly yet rather unspoilt!
Shew! That Monastery and ceremony must be awesome to see. Witnessing how people continue to live, build, worship and celebrate as they have done for hundreds of years must be absolutely amazing. So isolated, remote and so beautiful. Indeed, it is much like Lalibela. Can’t WAIT to read more….!
The colours are in stark contrast to the surrounding mountains. Where do these guys find food and what are their main sources of income, are there veggie patches?
What a colourful affair!
3 letters in response—-WOW !! What a lot to take in—–again, amazing photos ! Thanks !!
An incredible journey on your part. May the discovery never end
so much colour in the ceremony makes it very striking in the harshness of the mountains and the grey of the mud dwellings. A true eye opener Thanks Gail
Interesting. Would have been great if someone could explain all this in English. Enjoy.
Thanks for your time!
Great stuff worthy of National Geographic .
Peace