Trip To Kaza, Key, Kibber Monasterys (Spiti) – H.P, India

Music was in the air. The village of Dhankar had gathered around a lake to celebrate the opening of new Monastery. Unable to contain my excitement, I started walking towards the lake where the ceremony was to take place.

Trip To Gue, Tabo, Dhankar – H.P, India

The morning started on a positive note. All three of us were ready on time. I insisted that we take a detour at Sumdo to check out the Gue Mummy. The others not aware of existence of such a mummy, agreed instantly.

Route: Nako -> Sumdo -> Gue -> Sumdo -> Tabo -> Dhankar

Sanchi – Ashokan Wonder – M.P, India

Mahendra, son of Ashoka is said to have visited his mother in Vidisa who took him up to the beautiful monastery of Vedisagiri built by herself.  The above lines found in the Chronicles of Srilanka remain the only testament to the connection between the Maurya’s and Sanchi.

The foundation of the great religious establishment at Sanchi can be attributed to Ashoka (273 – 236 BC). Selection of the hill top to build the stupa might be to give a concrete shape to the newly aroused zeal for Buddhism in the emperor, who is said to have opened up seven out of eight original stupas erected over the body-relics of Buddha and to have distributed the relics among innumerable stupas built by himself all over his empire.

Preservation efforts for this World Heritage Site started in the 19^th century. Most of the monuments had to rebuilt with scattered remains. I found the site to be clean and well maintained.

Stupa 1