Shashur monastery is a Buddhist monastery of the Drugpa sect in Lahaul and Spiti, northern India. Sha-shur means "blue pines" in the local language, as patches of blue pine can be seen around the monastery. The monastery comprises of various attractive things that draws number of tourists every year to the place.
History of Shashur Monastery
The Shashur monastery was founded in the 17th century AD. Lama Deva Tyatsho of Zanskar is the founder of the monastery. Lama Deva Tyatsho was actually a missionary of the King of Bhutan. Deva Gyatsho carried out the work of renovation and gave it the present structure.
Location of Shashur Monastery
Shashur monastery is situated a little distance away from Keylong in the Himachal Pradesh state of India. It is located 37 kilometres from Manali.
Architecture of Shashur Monastery
It is a three storey monastery built at a narrow site 600 m above the valley on a hill. This narrowness has led to the monastery being constructed vertically. However, despite this the monastery conforms to the ancient mandala concept.
Attractions of Shashur Monastery
The attractions of the monastery are the 15-feet `Thankha` and precious wall paintings. Some of the Thangka paintings are over fifteen feet and the wall paintings depicts all the 84 siddhas of Buddhism. The monastery also houses a statue of Namgyal.
There are other monasteries close to this monastery that are worth visiting. One is Guru Ghantal Monastery which is perched on a hill above the Tandi village. It comprises of the statue and images of Guru Padmasambhava and Brajeswari Devi. Another is Kardang Monastery which exhibits a huge collection of sacred Kangyur and Tangyur texts in its library.
Festival of Shashur Monastery
In the month of June-July, during the Chham celebration, the lamas of the monastery celebrate the devil dance. The dance is performed by the colourfully dressed up and masked monks. The villagers and the visiting tourists flock in large number to enjoy these performances.
Connectivity of Shashur Monastery
The best time to visit Shashur monastery is from June to November when the weather conditions are favourable. Keylong lies on the Manali - Leh Highway hence the monastery can easily be accessed by roads. Buses and private taxis are available on this route. From Keylong itself, the monastery can be reached by taking a walk. Nearest airport is Bhuntar in Kullu.
