Key Monastery
Kye Monastery | |
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Country | India |
Geographic coordinates | 32°17′52″N 78°00′43″E / 32.29778°N 78.01194°E |
Architecture | |
Founder | Dromtön |
Date established | 11th century |
Part of a series on |
Tibetan Buddhism |
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Kye Gompa (
It is the largest monastery of the Spiti Valley and a religious training centre for lamas. It reportedly had 100 monks in 1855.[3]
The monastery is dedicated to Lochen Tulku, the 24th reincarnation of the great translator Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo.[4][5]
It is about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Kaza and 210 km (130 mi) from Manali by road.[6]
History
Kye Gompa is said to have been founded by
In the mid 17th century, during the reign of the
The walls of the monastery are covered with paintings and murals, an example of the 14th century monastic architecture, which developed as the result of Chinese influence.[citation needed]
Kye monastery has a collection of ancient murals and books, including
There are three floors, the first one is mainly underground and used for storage. One room, called the
Kye Gompa now belongs to the Gelugpa sect, along with Tabo Monastery and Dhankar Gompa, one of three in Spiti.
The monastery of Kee, for instance, accommodates nearly 250 monks, who reside within the sacred walls throughout the year. Some monks go to South Indian Monasteries during winters, the rest of them stay inside the monastery walls. These monasteries have their regular heads; these heads are the reincarnations of Guru Rinpoche. The current head of Kee Monastery is from Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. He is 19th birth of Guru Rinpoche.
A celebration of its millennium was conducted in 2000 in the presence of the
In recent times the monastery has also hosted the "Kachen Dugyal Memorial Old Aged – Handicapped Society" which provide accommodation for a number of elderly and disabled people.
Gallery
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Key monastery kitchen, Spiti, India. 2004
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Kachen Dugyal Memorial Old Aged – Handicapped Society, Spiti Monastery, 2004
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Close-up
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Kye village
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Spiritual signs
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Covered in snow in winter
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Dedication plaque
See also
Footnotes
- ^ "spyi ti dkyil dgon gyi byung ba". Buddhist Digital Resource Center. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ Sarina Singh, et al. (2007), p. 343.
- ^ Handa (1987), p. 131.
- ^ Confortin, Emanuele (22 September 2022). "Stayed at Key Monastery of Spiti Valley (and Savoured Tsampa)". Raacho Trekkers. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ Sharma, Rama. "Where the Gods live". The Tribune India. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ The Beautiful key Monastery, India. https://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/12/the-beautiful-key-monastery-india.html
- ^ Francke (1914), pp. 45-47
- ^ Handa (1987), pp. 97, 99.
- ^ Handa (2005), pp. 172.
- ^ a b Handa (2005), pp. 173.
- ^ Handa (2005), pp. 174.
- ^ a b SurfIndia.com - Kye monastery Archived 4 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
References
- Handa, O. C. (1987). Buddhist Monasteries in Himachal Pradesh. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi. ISBN 81-85182-03-5.
- Handa, O. C. (2005). Buddhist Monasteries of Himachal. New Delhi, India: Indus Publishing Company. ISBN 81-7387-170-1.
- Harcourt, A. F. P. (1871). On the Himalayan Valleys:— Kooloo, Lahoul, and Spiti". Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 15, No. 5, 336–343.
- Kapadia, Harish. (1999). Spiti: Adventures in the Trans-Himalaya. 2nd Edition. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi. ISBN 81-7387-093-4.
- Janet Rizvi. (1996). Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia. Second Edition. Oxford University Press, Delhi. ISBN 0-19-564546-4.
- Cunningham, Alexander. (1854). LADĀK: Physical, Statistical, and Historical with Notices of the Surrounding Countries. London. Reprint: Sagar Publications (1977).
- Francke, A. H. (1977). A History of Ladakh. (Originally published as, A History of Western Tibet, (1907). 1977 Edition with critical introduction and annotations by S. S. Gergan & F. M. Hassnain. Sterling Publishers, New Delhi.
- Francke, A. H. (1914). Antiquities of Indian Tibet. Two Volumes. Calcutta. 1972 reprint: S. Chand, New Delhi.
- Sarina Singh, et al. India. (2007). 12th Edition. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-74104-308-2.