Tabo Monastery, Himachal Pradesh, Buddhist monastery in Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India

Tabo Monastery is a Buddhist temple complex in the Spiti highlands consisting of several prayer halls, shrine structures, and monks' quarters. The complex spreads across a large area in this remote mountain region.

The foundation dates to 996, when a Buddhist scholar established this monastery under royal protection. It stands as one of the oldest continuously active Buddhist centers on the Indian subcontinent.

The interior walls feature painted religious artwork and ancient Buddhist texts that tell stories from the Mahayana tradition. These creations show how monks have expressed their spiritual practice across many centuries.

Tabo Monastery stands at 3,050 metres on the left bank of the Spiti River, below Tabo village rather than on a hilltop. The road from Sichling covers about 20 kilometres, and winter snow can close it. The wooden doors and windows of the old halls are low, so visitors remove shoes and duck through narrow entrances.

Meditation caves are carved into the surrounding rock where monks deepen their practice in complete solitude. These hidden spaces reveal the historical bond between this place and the wild mountain landscape around it.