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About
Kaza |
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The
town of Kaza, Kaze or Kaja is the subdivisional headquarters
of the distant Spiti Valley in the Lahaul and Spiti district
of the state of Himachal Pradesh in the Western Himalayas of
India. Spiti, which is a part of the Lahaul and Spiti district
of Himachal, is a high altitude or cold desert having close
resemblance to the adjacent Ladakh and Tibet regions in terms
of topography, climate and the Buddhist culture. Kaza is
situated along the Spiti River at an elevation of 3,650 metres
above mean sea level, it is the largest township and
commercial center of the valley . It also has a market for
daily necessities. Kaza is 210 Km from Kalpa and 47 km from
Tabo.
Spiti means the 'middle country' - a name obviously given as a
result of its ties with both Tibet and India. With freckles of
green over a dry, weather-beaten face, Spiti is a cold desert
where the monsoon rain never comes. It is characterized by
stark beauty, high mountains and narrow valleys. A century
ago, Rudyard Kipling in Kim called Spiti "a world within a
world" and a "place where the gods live" - a description that
holds true to the present day.
The town is divided into the old, as Kaza Khas and new as Kaza
Soma sections. The new town contains the administrative
buildings. The Tangyud Gompa dates to the early 14th century
and is built like a fortified fortress with huge slanted mud
walls and battlements with vertical red ochre and white
vertical stripes. It is on the edge of a deep valley and
overlooking the town of Kaza, 4 km from the town.Approaching
it from the south one sees Kyu-ling (Skyid-gling), the stately
palace of the Nono (king) on the other side of the river. |
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Access |
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Kaza
is overlooked by high mountain ridges on all sides. It has two
access points : one from Kinnaur valley and the other from the
Lahaul valley, the well-known Gelugpa establishment is about 11
kms from Ki Monastery,. The route through Kinnaur is open
throughout the year, except for occasional short periods
resulting from landslides or heavy snowfall. This road, starts
from Shimla and follows the Sutlej river into a little beyond
Reckong Peo, thereafter turning northwards to follow the Spiti
river all the way to Kaza. The other road starts from Manali and
after crossing the 13,090-foot (3,990 m) high Rohtang Pass to
reach Gramphoo where it joins the road from Keylong and proceeds
south along Chandra River till Batal then climbs up to cross the
14,928-foot (4,550 m) high Kunzum pass, enters the Spiti valley
to reach Kaza. It remain closed during winter months, usually
from October end to June due to heavy snowfall on both the
passes. |
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Climate of Kaza |
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Kaza
is known as cold desert and does not receive rain fall.Kaza is
among the coldest place in India. The temperature varies greatly
in a different seasons and during a day , january is the coldest
period of a year with an average temperature of -37°C,while the
july is hottest month with an average temperature of 13°C.This
region is known as Cold Desert and does not receive rainfall. In
summers the weather remains pleasant when light woolens are
advised. In winter the temperature can drop below freezing
point, when heavy woolens are required. |
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Tourist Attractions of Kaza |
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Kaza is known for its colorful festivals and the ancient
Sakya Tangyud Monastery in a side valley which is 4 kms
from the town. It is also popular among adventure seekers
and tourists during summer months because of its central
location and connections to rest of the valley and
outside. Kaza has a Buddhist Monastery and also a Hindu
temple. Kaza mainly serves as a tourist base for Spiti
valley and one can visit places like the Ki Moneastery,
Kibber and Komic village, Nako, Pin valley, Kunzum Pass
and Chandratal lake from here.This central location also
makes Kaza an ideal base camp for mountaineering, trekking
and tours directed to other parts of the valley. Some of
the major tourist attractions in and around Kaza beside
Tangyud Monastery are -
Key Gompa
Key Gompa is located at an elevation of 4116 meters above
the sea level and is only 7 Kms away from Kaza. It has the
biggest monastery which was founded in eleventh century
and has ancient paintings of Buddhist monks and historic
Buddhist scrolls. Thus, it is an amazing place to visit.
Gette Village
Gette Village is located at an elevation of 4270 Mtrs.
above the main sea level. Gette is said to be the highest
inhabited village in Asia. Its located in the Lahual and
Spitu district very near to Ki Monastery.
Kibber
Kibber is a village high in the Spiti Valley in the
Himalayas at 4270 metres or 14,200 ft in Himachal Pradesh
in northern India. It contains a monastery and the Kibber
Wildlife Sanctuary.
Losar village
Losar village is about 60 km to the north of Kaza at an
elevation of 4079 Mtrs. above the main sea level.
Pin Valley National Park
Pin Valley National Park is a protected area for
himalayan high altitude wildlife.
Langza village
Langza village is well-known for presents of marine
fossils. |
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How To Reach Kaza |
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By
Rail
Jogindernagar is the nearest railway station. The rail route
from Jogindernagar to Chandigarh is a narrow gauge one. Shimla
and Chandigarh are the nearest broad gauge railway stations.
Buses and taxis are available from Shimla and Chandigarh to
reach Kaza.
By Road
It is about 115 km journey from Manali which takes six
hours. Another option is to take bus from Shimla via Kinnaur to
Kaza. The route from Shimla to Kaza remains open from May to
October and is about 412 km long.
By Air
Kaza can be reached either from Manali or by Shimla. Indian
Airlines and some private airlines operate regular flights to
Bhuntar Airport, the nearest airport to Manali. Pre-paid taxis
are available from Bhuntar airport. Buses and taxis can be hired
from Manali to Kaza. Flights from New Delhi and Chandigarh
operate on a daily basis to Shimla airport. |
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