Tabo Caves

On the hill facing Tabo village, one can see a series of caves with colourful Buddhist flags fluttering outside. At first, it is difficult to make out whether these are natural or man-made caves. Some of these caves are even multi-storeyed. Incidentally, one of the caves up there is also a part of Tabo Monastery complex that is now under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). A flight of steps take you to this cave on the hill that has a small temple and a hall like chamber where prayers and other rituals were performed. A small kitchen attached to this mud cave is where monks used to cook their food. Other caves are difficult to reach as you the walk is tedious up the hill. You can easily spot that these caves must have been inhabited at some point in time. Locals told us that evidence of smoke and food has been found inside these caves. From these caves, you get a lovely panoramic view of Tabo village and its mud monastery with the Spiti River and the towering mountains forming the backdrop. I wish there were some efforts taken to preserve these ancient caves.