Key Monastery

INDIA, Himachal Pradesh, Lahaul and Spiti

Also spelled Kye, Ki, or Kee, the monastery is located over 4,000 m above sea level on the left bank of the Spiti River in the Lahaul Spiti district. It is over 1,000 years old and is the oldest center for religious training in the district. The monastery is said to have been founded by Dromton, a pupil of Atisa, in the 11th century.
The monastery has a temple gate with both posts painted with the eight auspicious symbols, while in the center of the lintel there are two rows of Tibetan script. The monastery is constructed on three levels in traditional Tibetan style with white walls, red ocher bands across the tops of the walls, and flat roofs. The monastery consists of a central hall and many shrines. The central hall has three stories. The first story is underground and used for storage. The second story is at ground level and contains an assembly hall and Tengyur Shrine, both decorated with murals; it also houses residential monastic chambers. The third story contains a shrine of the incarnate lama, known as Zimchung. Due to a cycle of destruction and renovation, irregular box-like structures were built and eventually the complex came to resemble a defensive fort.
The monastery houses many ancient scrolls, paintings, and old musical instruments, including trumpets, cymbals, and drums. It also has a library which holds manuscripts of the sacred Tengyur.