Kaza
| Summer: | 03° C – 18° C |
| Winter: | -08° C – 05° C |
The town of Kaza is the subdivisional headquarters of the remote Spiti Valley in the Lahaul and Spiti district. Kaza is 210 Km from Kalpa, 47 km from Tabo. The town is divided into the old, as Kaza Khas and new as Kaza Soma sections. It is a high altitude or cold desert having close similarities to the neighbouring Tibet and Ladakh regions in terms of terrain, climate and the Buddhist culture. Kaza boasts of high mountains with snowy crowns, crystal clear river and streams and barren splendour interspersed with patches of green. Kaza’s mountainous terrain and pristine locales attracts visitors who want to indulge in adventurous activities. It is the base camp for trekking, mountaineering and other adventures. Pin-Parvati, Parang-La and Pin-Bhaba are some of the popular trails which start from Kaza. In August, villagers from across Spiti descend on Kaza for the Ladarcha Fair. All sorts of goods are bought and sold and traders wear their finest clothes. Graves and settlement point to the fact that Kaza had settlements of Khasa and Saka tribes between the sixth century BC and the fifth century AD. The tribes migrated to Kaza or the Spiti Valley from Central Asia.
Kibbar
Ki Monastery
It is located at a distance of 16 km from Kaza and at a height of 14,200 feet above mean sea level. Kibbar has the distinction of being the highest motorable village in the world. The village is known for its scenic mountains, barren splendour and monasteries. Kibber village is popular among adventure lovers too. Trekking and mountaineering are the main adventure activities. Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary is also located close to the village. The high altitude sanctuary spans approximately 1400 sq km. Electricity, a clean water source, a post office and even a high school keep this agricultural town running. Only a few hundred people inhabit the village. Electricity, a clean water source, a post office and even a high school keep this agricultural town running. Only a few hundred people inhabit the village. The culture also is similar to that of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism is the predominant religion. The harsh landscape of limestone rocks and cliffs in this arid high altitude desert doesn’t deter tourists who come in search of the monastery.
Ki Monastery founded in the 13th century is located at a height of 4116 meters above the sea level and is only 7 Kms away from Kaza. It is certainly the largest monastery in Spiti. It has the biggest monastery which was built in eleventh century and has ancient paintings of Buddhist monks and historic Buddhist scrolls. The Ki Gompa has about 300 lams in residence and is the seat of Lochen Tulku, the 17th incarnation of ‘the revered founder. It has priceless collection of thangkas and rare manuscripts, besides weapons and wind instruments. Serkang Rimpochhe of Tabo founded the Ki Monastery. According to local legend when the mortal remains of the Lama was being cremated, a water source burst from the earth. In August, 2000 Dalai Lama performed Kalchakara ceremony which was attended by devotees and lamas from across the world. Thus, it is an amazing place to visit.