Spiti
The golden face-paint is starting to peel off the large 2005 Buddha statue, who stares across the Spiti valley from a shoulder of ridge above Langza…
Must-see attractions in Himachal Pradesh
Manali
This woodland of magnificent towering deodars (cedars) offers the nicest walking route between the centre and Old Manali, though is not recommended for a…
Shimla
Gorton Castle (1904), a massive and austere grey-stone edifice with neo-Gothic touches, was formerly the colonial government secretariat. Repairs are…
Spiti
The colourful new Sakya Gompa, inaugurated in 2009, stands just above the main road in New Kaza. Across the road is a row of eight stupas, with lines of…
Manali
Gatothkach, the warrior son of the Pandava Bhima and his demon wife Hadimba, is worshipped in the form of a sacred tree 200m southwest of the Hadimba…
Himachal Pradesh
Though not open to the public, it's worth the short stroll, around three minutes southwest from the temple, to get a better view of this fabulous mansion…
Himachal Pradesh
At the lake's southwest corner, this monastery is not Rewalsar's most outwardly attractive, but the prayer hall has artful murals, and at the waterfront…
Spiti
A new but very much traditionally styled extension to the old gompa's Zal-ma is nearing completion and will eventually house a museum of the monastery's…
Dharamsala
The focal point of the institute is this very colourful temple containing a giant thanka and a 4m-high gilded statue of the historical Buddha, Sakyamuni …
Shimla
The distinctive, 1897 Railway Board Building has red and cream corner spires and has survived the years thanks to a fire-resistant cast-iron and steel…
Himalayan Nyinmapa Buddhist Temple
Manali
This temple, containing a two-storey statue of the historical Buddha, was built in 1957. The land was donated to commemorate the death of the Wazir of…
Himachal Pradesh
The classic view of old Nako seen across this small sacred lake is now marred by three modern buildings, but the waters still add serenity to the setting,…
Dalhousie
From the main viewpoint at Dhainkund, a beautiful ridgeline walk leads to the Jai Pohlani Mata Temple in around 1km, where there's a teahouse and great…
Parvati Valley
In the heart of the village this double-barrelled temple is most intriguing for the hunting trophies and long loops of bangles that decorate its southern…
Himachal Pradesh
From near the Jakhani Temple in Dugh, a good 2.5km walking trail takes you ever upwards to this small, whitewashed shrine whose main attraction is the…
Spiti
To enrich your knowledge of Tibet and Buddhism, discover this great little reference library hidden away upstairs within the monastery guesthouse building…
Himachal Pradesh
Built about AD 700, this squat temple just inside the entrance to the Chaurasi compound features a weathered but wildly carved wooden doorway and more…
Himachal Pradesh
The handsome three-storey pagoda-style temple beside Prashar Lake was built in the 14th century in honour of the sage Prashar Rishi, who is believed to…
Manali
Rebuilt in 1991, this towered temple sits near the top of Old Manali on a site where, legend says, the Noah-like figure of Manu landed his ark after the…
Spiti
The lamas who remain at Dhankar no longer inhabit the old gompa, having moved in 2009 to the red-and-gold New Monastery, 800m away around the hillside.
Himachal Pradesh
Built in the 16th century and dedicated to Krishna, this temple has a small collection of carved panels from other area temples in its courtyard.
Mcleod Ganj
Through a gallery-cafe and film screenings, this organisation tells the tales of individual Tibetan lives as a way to illustrate Tibet's plight.
Manali
This small Tibetan monastery has an atmospheric prayer room crammed with statues of bodhisattvas (enlightened beings) and revered lamas.
Dalhousie
Half a kilometre southeast of Khajjiar meadow towards Chamba, a 25m-high statue of Shiva makes a photogenic landmark near the roadside.
Himachal Pradesh
Tucked into a mostly residential area, this photogenic little 17th-century sikhara temple is dedicated to Rama.
Himachal Pradesh
Dedicated to the local god Mathi, Mohatmin Mandir temple has some excellent old and new carvings in wood and stone.
Himachal Pradesh
This 11th-century temple sacred to Vishnu stands right beside Gandhi Gate just off the north end of the Chowgan.
Himachal Pradesh
Up on the hillside above the Chowgan, the rusty-coloured 18th-century Rang Mahal looks like a Victorian prison but was originally the royal granary and…
Mcleod Ganj
Just a short hop from the underwhelming Dal Lake, 3km northwest of McLeod, the Tibetan Children’s Village provides free education for nearly 2000 refugee…
Kinnaur Kalachakra Celestial Palace
Himachal Pradesh
Kinnaur Kalachakra Celestial Palace, a monastic structure in peaceful, prayer-flag-strewn gardens, was built for the Dalai Lama's 1992 visit. From the…
Lahaul & Spiti
Raja Ghepan, the presiding lord of Lahaul, resides on Ghepan (Gepang) mountain, which towers above Sissu, 4km west of the Rohtang Tunnel's northern…
Shimla
On the way up to the Jakhu temple, you can peep through the gates to see the glass verandas of this 19th-century mansion that was built for colonial…
Dalhousie
The bowl-shaped, pine-ringed meadow at Khajjiar is a major tourist draw, 22km down the Chamba road from Dalhousie. It's touted as a 'mini-Switzerland' and…
Shimla
This small, one-room gallery displays enlargements of a few historic photos of old Shimla, with cursory explanations, but you can see it all in five…
Himachal Pradesh
This former palace of the Kullu rajas has a gaudily redecorated gateway with impressively heavy wooden doors, but inside is a fairly forgettable colonial…
Himachal Pradesh
Within the Bhimakali inner courtyard, to the right of the two towers, the building with conical slate-roofed spire enshrines a club-wielding Lankra Vir…
Manali
Though there's relatively minimal information here beyond a few photos of local wildlife species, the place is handy for a free toilet. More importantly,…
Himachal Pradesh
Lording it over the town is the unmissable if relatively unexotic Akhand Chandi Palace, the whitewashed former home of the Chamba raja. Built in the mid…
Manali
Himachal Tourism's amusingly low-tech leisure and games centre beside the Manalsu Nala stream includes swan-shaped pedal-boats, a little haunted house and…
