Location
Guru Ghantal Monastery is situated 20 km before Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district of himachal pradesh. It lies between 32°4′48″N and 76°00′15″E. The ‘gompa’ stands at an altitude of about 3,020 meters.
About
Guru Ghantal Monastery is also known as Trilokinath temple. It is established by Guru Padmasambhava and one of the most renowned Buddhist pilgrim destinations in Himachal Pradesh. It is around 800 year old monastery. Guru Ghantal Monastery is visited and revered by people of all religions.
Archeitecture of the Guru Ghantal Monastery
The most noticeable feature of the Monastery is the wooden idols. The other monasteries has clay idols. Monastery white marble head was founded by Guru Padmasambhava. Now the white marble head is kept under lock for security reasons. Inside Monastery the idols of Guru Padma Sambhava and Brijeshwari Devi installed. There is a black stone image of Goddess Kali inside the Monastery. This provides evidence to the speculation that the monastery was once a Hindu temple. On the outskirts of the monastery is a seven storey fort which is made of stone and timber. The fort was a built by Raja Man Singh who was once the ruler of Kullu kingdom.
Worship
Every morning at 6 o’clock worship starts with chanting and prayers which is performed by Lamas in the assembly hall in monastery. In noon at 12.30 and in evening at 5.30, worship is performed by Buddhists. After all worship activities, monastery gets closed.
Festival
The monastery celebrate a festival called Ghantal on the 15th lunar day, corresponding to mid June. In this festival, the visiting lamas and thakur enjoyed a daylong feast.
Best time to visit: May to October.
How to access
By Air: The nearest airport is Bhunter.
By Train: The nearest railhead is Shimla and Pathankot.
By Bus: Keylong is also connected by state as well as private bus services from Manali in summers. Taxis can also be hired from Manali to reach Keylong.