The mysteries of Key Monastery!
The name ‘Spiti‘ means “The middle land” and has immense similarity with Buddhist culture as to that found in Tibet and also in Ladakh. No doubt that the whole of Spiti is known as Little Tibet!
This charismatic monastery was founded by Dromton back in the 11th century. However, during the 17th century, it was attacked by the Mongols, when it was under the reign of the Fifth Dalai Lama.
In 1820, it was again targeted during the disastrous wars between Kulu and Ladakh. But these aren’t the only challenging things that the monastery has seen! In the year 1841 when the Dogra army attacked it under Rahim and Ghulam Khan, it was severely destroyed!
The same year, the monastery suffered, even more, when a Sikh army targeted it. The complete period of the 1840s was hellacious for the monastery that it caught fire and in the year 1975, an earthquake destroyed it leaving it buggered!
Later, State Public Works Department and Archaeological Survey of India helped in the renovation and the monastery was totally repaired so that the monks could stay there and continue with their peaceful lives!
1st Photo by - Navaneeth Unnikrishnan
