Dhangkar Gompa

2006 World Monuments Watch

The Dhangkar Gompa is one of five major Buddhist monastic centers in the remote region of Spiti near the Tibetan border. Portions of the gompa, or temple, are still being used for worship, while other sections have been closed. Located a short distance above the gompa, the Dhangkar fortress served as the traditional home of the royal family of Spiti, the Nonos, for several generations before falling into disrepair in the late 1800s. Built using traditional materials of mud, stone, and timber, the monastery contains a series of fifteenth-century wall paintings. The gompa is in an advanced state of deterioration caused by geotechnical instability as well as neglect and inadequate maintenance.