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1 comment on My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary ✨ Rugged Roads & Ancient Mummies: Driving a Mahindra Thar to Gue Monastery, Spiti Valley 🚙🏔️

My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary ✨ Rugged Roads & Ancient Mummies: Driving a Mahindra Thar to Gue Monastery, Spiti Valley 🚙🏔️

Gue Monastery, Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh by gautam lahiri

As my Mahindra THAR scaled the mountains, climbed the broken roads and boulders, something spiritual and wild surrounded us.

Our journey was nothing less than outstanding as we inched our way into the high desert of Spiti to visit Gue Monastery (pronounced as ‘Geeyu’) – a tiny village near the Indo-Tibetan border that has the famous 500-year-old mummy of Sangha Tenzin.

Chhota Dhank (Dhank Viewpoint) 🌄

dramatic cliffs, mountain vistas, and scenic driving of dhank viewpoint Himachal Pradesh by gautam lahiri
Every bend from Tabo towards Gue presented incredible mountain beauty. We saw dramatic cliffs, narrow, terrifying roads, all of which added to the scenic driving
dramatic cliffs, mountain vistas, and scenic driving of dhank viewpoint Himachal Pradesh by gautam lahiri
The Thar’s windshield showed the Eastern Himalayan arc of the greater Trans-Himalayan/ Zanskar Range fringe near Spiti. Famous local peaks (within the district) included Kanamo (5,960 m) and multiple six-thousand-metre peaks in neighbouring valleys

Hurling Village 🏘️☕

Hurling village circuitous Himalayan Roads, Himachal Pradesh by gautam lahiri
We stopped on the edge of the National Highway 505 for a panoramic view of the Trans-Himalayan range, where we passed Hurling village, a peaceful settlement that offered cookies. It was a tea stop energy point
Our brilliant Thar near the Hurling village, soaking in the beauty of Himachal Pradesh by gautam lahiri
The soft rays of the afternoon sun caressed the mountain ridges, and our Thar stood under its bright reflections. It was pure surreal

Lari Checkpost / Lari Village🛣️🚧

Kanamo (≈5,960 m) in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh by gautam lahiri
For a fleeting second, I could not help but slam the brakes to capture the Kanamo peak, shrouded with fresh snow of the season after crossing the Lari village or the Lari check post

Road to the Gue Monastery 🛣️🏔️

The Thar takes the rough road with ease as we drive to the Gue Monastery

Sumdo (Turn-off to Gue)🚙🗻

Sumdo, way to Gue Monastery in Himachal Pradesh by gautam lahiri
After negotiating multiple twists and turns, we finally came to the key junction, detour point, and high-mountain gateway, Sumdo. This road leads to the valley to the Gue monastery

The Gue Monastery🏯

The Gue Monastery, Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh by gautam lahiri
Perched at a height of 10,000 feet, the monastery is built in the Gue village. It is famous for enshrining the self-mummified remains of Lama Sangha Tenzin, a Buddhist Monk
The mummy of Sangha Tenzin and Zangdok Palari Monastery is dedicated to Padma Sambhava
The mummy of Sangha Tenzin and Zangdok Palari Monastery is dedicated to Padma Sambhava
The mummy of Sangha Tenzin and Zangdok Palari Monastery is dedicated to Padma Sambhava
The carbon 14 tests have revealed the mummy of 1475 AD, making it 500-600 years old, with high nitrogen levels indicating it to be malnourished when he died. You can see his hands folded in “Dhyana Mudra”
The Buddha statue in the Gue Monastery, Himachal pradesh by gautam lahiri
The Buddhist statue inside the Gue Monastery
The Gue Monastery, Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh by gautam lahiri
An hour from sunset, the last of the sun rays play on the monastery and the surrounding mountains as we turn homeward
The Gue Monastery citadel, from where we saw the Trans-Himalayan Range. Icy winds from the mountains were cutting us to pieces

Did you find the mystical Gue monastery snuggled in the cold, high-altitude Spiti desert, carved by the Spiti River, remarkable?

Do comment and thank you for being with us.

Inference

  • 🧘‍♂️✨ The monastery houses one of the few naturally preserved Buddhist monk mummies in the world, seated in meditation
  • 📜⛰️ The mummy reflects an ancient, extremely rare practice of deep meditation and natural preservation in the harsh Himalayan climate
  • 🚧🇮🇳🌄 — Gue lies close to the India–Tibet border, adding historical, cultural, and geopolitical significance to the region
DistancesFrom Manali → Gue: roughly 210–264 km by road depending on exact start point and route (Manali→Kunzum/Gramphu→Kaza→Gue). Expect long mountain driving and the Kunzum pass on this route.
From Shimla → Gue (via NH-505 / Kinnaur→Nako→Tabo→Kaza): roughly 350–420+ km (Shimla→Kaza portion ~350–420 km depending on source; then Kaza→Gue as above)
From Delhi → Gue (drive): widely varying online estimates (700–800 km+ by the longer multi-stop road routes). Most travellers split the trip into 3–4 days with stops (Shimla / Kalpa / Nako / Kaza). Use Kaza as the practical reference town
When to goMay to October → Ideal, clear weather, open roads, stunning landscapes
November to April → Region gets extremely cold; roads may have snow/ice and temporary closures
Pocket PinchKaza (your best base): options range from budget homestays to midrange hotels and a few nicer eco-lodges. Typical nightly ranges as found on major booking sites:
Budget homestays/guesthouses: ₹800–₹2,000 / night (basic rooms)
Midrange hotels & boutique lodges: ₹2,000–₹5,000 / night
Premium/unique stays (limited): ₹5,000+ / night for the more premium eco-lodges / camps (seasonal)
Why I chose the Mahindra TharExtremely rugged suspension, good clearance, and tough characteristics / Thar’s 4×4 low-ratio was very useful on steep or loose sections
Travel Tips
My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary – The Mystical Bhimakali Temple in Sarahan🛕https://wp.me/pbXnOA-42a
My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary 🌄 Road-trip Rally: Chandigarh → Rampur → Sarahan by Mahindra Thar 🚙https://wp.me/pbXnOA-3Vw
My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary 🌄 Serenity & Skyline: 🏡 Homestay Retreat in Sarahan – Gateway to the Himalayashttps://wp.me/pbXnOA-43S
My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary 🌄 Chitkul – The Last Village of India 🇮🇳❄️ | A Himalayan Escape to the Edge of the Worldhttps://wp.me/pbXnOA-45h
My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary ✨ Where Rivers Meet the Mountains — A Mesmerising Drive to Khab Bridge, Himachal Pradesh 🏔️🇮🇳https://wp.me/pbXnOA-47T
My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary 🌉 Karchham Bridge to the Sky ☀️: Stunning Drive from Chitkulhttps://wp.me/pbXnOA-46X
My Himachal Pradesh Diary Series

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One response to “My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary ✨ Rugged Roads & Ancient Mummies: Driving a Mahindra Thar to Gue Monastery, Spiti Valley 🚙🏔️”

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    Anonymous

    excellent compilation

    Liked by 1 person

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