Kaza, Himachal Pradesh

The town of Kaza or Kaze is the subdivisional headquarters of the remote Spiti Valley in the western Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti district of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Spiti is a high altitude or cold desert having close similarities to the neighbouring Tibet and Ladakh regions in terms of terrain, climate and the Buddhist culture. Kaza, situated along the Spiti River at an elevation of 3,650 metres (11,980 ft) above mean sea level, is the largest township and commercial center of the Spiti valley.

Kaza, Himachal Pradesh

Kaza

Karze or Karzey
town
Kaza Losar Entry Gate
Kaza, Himachal Pradesh
Location in Himachal Pradesh, India
Kaza, Himachal Pradesh
Kaza, Himachal Pradesh (India)
Coordinates: 32.22°N 78.08°E / 32.22; 78.08
Country India
StateHimachal Pradesh
DistrictLahaul and Spiti
Elevation
3,800 m (12,500 ft)
Population
 • Total3,231
Languages
 • OfficialHindi
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
172114
Telephone code01906 - STD code
Vehicle registrationH.P.- 41
Sex ratio974 ♂/♀
Downtown Kaza, 2004
Public Hospital, Kaza, 2004
Family at home with visitors, Kaza, 2004

Description

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 (Tang-rGyud) Gompa dates to the early 14th century and is built like a fortified castle with massive slanted mud walls and battlements with vertical red ochre and white vertical stripes. It is on the edge of a deep canyon and overlooking the town of Kaza, 4 km from the town.[1][2] 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.[3]

Access

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, 11 km from Ki Monastery, the famous Gelugpa establishment. The route through Kinnaur is open throughout the year, except for occasional short periods resulting from landslides or heavy snowfall. This road, starting from Shimla, follows the Sutlej river unto a little beyond Poo, 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 remains closed during winter months, normally from October end to June due to heavy snowfall on both the passes.[4] Kaza is the one of the coldest towns in India. The temperature varies greatly in a different seasons and during a day, January is the coldest month of the year with an average temperature of -25 °C,while July is the hottest month with an average temperature of 10 °C.

Festivals & Tourism
Warning sign by Spiti District Administration near Kaza - Kunzum La Road

Kaza is known for its colorful festivals and the ancient Sakya Tangyud Monastery, 14 km from the town. It is also popular with tourists and adventure seekers during the period of June, July and August and September because of its central location and connections to the rest of the valley (Connects to Leh-Manali Highway via Kunzum Pass). This central location also makes Kaza an ideal base camp for trekking, mountaineering, and tours directed to other parts of the valley.

Festivals like Fagli and Gochi are celebrated. Hindus also celebrate their festivals like harvest festival, festival of light. There are various fairs like Ladarcha fair, Pauri fair, Tribal fair and Tsheshu fair. Kaza’s Ladachar Fair, Lauhal and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh are the most renowned fairs of the place, these fairs indicate the termination of summer season in the region.

Previously, Ladarcha fair used to be celebrated  in Kibbar maidan in Spit in the month of July where traders from  Ladakh, Rampur Busher and Spiti meet in this fair to barter their produce. Due to closure of Tibetan traders, this fair is  now being celebrated at Kaza, the headquarters of Spiti Sub Division in the 3rd week of August. A large number of visitors  and traders from Kullu/ Lahaul/ Kinnaur meet there. It has now  become a conference of cultures of Spiti, Ladakh & Kinnaur as also of the Indian plains.

The highest post office in the world at Hikkim village (PIN 172114) at an elevation of 4,400 m (14,400 ft) is situated 46 km (29 mi) from Kaza. It sends postal letters to and receives postal articles from Kaza post office.[5][6]

Monasteries

Sakya Tangyud monastery; built in the year 2009, Sakya Tangyud monastery is situated in Kaza town of Spiti Valley. Key (Ki) Monastery was built by Dromton, a student of the renowned instructor, Atisha, in the eleventh century and is located at a height of 13,504 feet in Kaza town.

Footnotes
  1. Handa (1987), pp. 83-85.
  2. Kapadia (1999), p. 204.
  3. Francke (1914), p. 44.
  4. "Lahaul & Spiti - land of lamas OR little Tibet OR Country of the gods OR The Land of haunting and unforgettable beauty". Himachal Tourism.
  5. http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20180606-the-worlds-highest-post-office
  6. "The world's highest post office!". Rediff News. India. 20 September 2007.

References
  • Ciliberto, Jonathan. (2013). "Six Weeks in the Spiti Valley". Circle B Press. 2013. Atlanta. ISBN 978-0-9659336-6-7
  • Francke, A. H. (1914, 1926). Antiquities of Indian Tibet. Two Volumes. Calcutta. 1972 reprint: S. Chand, New Delhi.
  • Handa, O. C. (1987). Buddhist Monasteries in Himachal Pradesh. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi. ISBN 978-81-85182-03-2.
  • Kapadia, Harish. (1999). Spiti: Adventures in the Trans-Himalaya. Second Edition. (1st edition 1996). Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi. ISBN 81-7387-093-4.

Key Monastery.

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