Centuries of serenity

Up in the Himalayas, in India's far north, lies Tabo, a small village on the Spiti river that is home to some of the subcontinent's most stunning cave paintings.

The Tabo Monastery, founded in AD996 by the scholar Richen Zangpo, is at the heart of this village. As a Unesco World Heritage Site, it is one of the main religious and archaeological destinations in Himachal Pradesh. The royal monastery sits 3,050m above sea level and is spread over an area of 6,300 square metres.

It features a total of nine shrines that were constructed and reconstructed between the tenth and 15th centuries AD and houses 23 Chortans (memorial chambers) and a prayer hall decorated with vibrant stucco frescoes that are the best-preserved examples of Indo-Tibetan art, according to the Dalai Lama. "These works of art delightfully express the vigour of the transmission of Buddhism from india to Tibet and the dynamic mingling of cultures," he has said.

The walls of the ancient monastery are lined with prayer wheels or Mani wheels. According to Buddhist belief, spinning the prayer wheel has the same effect as orally reciting prayers. Unfortunately, photography is not permitted inside the halls.

Nevertheless, the views alone are worth the long journey. Emirates Airline and Air India run direct services to New Delhi and will offer add-on flights to Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh. From Shimla, it is 365km to Tabo by road, via Wangtu, Powari, Jangi, Puh, Khub, Chango and Hurling. Tabo can also be reached from the town of Kullu on a 295km trip.