The Nako Monastery of Kinnaur

The Nako monastery Kinnaur is a cluster of ancient Buddhist temples in the high Himalayan village of Nako, set beside a small lake in the Kinnaur country of Himachal Pradesh near the upper reaches of the Spiti and Sutlej valleys. Belonging to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and generally held to be of great antiquity, the temples preserve old wall paintings and clay images treasured as among the finer survivals of early Himalayan Buddhist art. Mud and timber shrines gather around the quiet village, in a stark landscape of bare mountains long crossed by seekers of faith, as described in our guide to Buddhism in India, and this account keeps to broadly established history where particular dates and details are uncertain.

Key Takeaways

• Nako monastery is a cluster of ancient Buddhist temples in the Himalayan village of Nako, Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh.
• The temples stand beside a small lake for which the village is widely known.
• They belong to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and are generally held to be of great antiquity.
• The shrines preserve old wall paintings and clay images of early Himalayan Buddhist art.
• Nako lies in high, stark mountain country near the upper Spiti and Sutlej valleys.
• The village and its temples reflect the living Buddhist heritage of the Kinnaur highlands.

Read on for the history, culture, and legacy in detail.

Quick Facts

What Is Nako Monastery?

Nako monastery is not a single building but a cluster of ancient Buddhist temples gathered within the high Himalayan village of Nako, in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Belonging to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of the western Himalaya, these shrines are generally held to be of great antiquity and are cherished for the old wall paintings and clay images preserved within their walls. Built in the mud-and-timber manner of the region, the temples stand among the houses of the village beside a small lake, serving as places of worship, devotion and community for the people of Nako. The complex is counted among the more remarkable survivals of early Himalayan Buddhist art, its murals and images reflecting a devotional culture of considerable age. Nako monastery is thus best understood as a group of venerable village temples, rich in sacred art, sustaining the Buddhist heritage of the Kinnaur highlands amid a stark mountain landscape.

Where Is Nako Located?

Nako is located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, in the high mountain country near the upper reaches of the Spiti and Sutlej valleys, close to the border between Kinnaur and the Spiti region. The village sits at a considerable elevation on a shelf of land above the great gorges of the area, in a stark and arid landscape of bare brown mountains, deep valleys and thin clear air. The small lake of Nako lies at the heart of the village, lending it a distinctive character amid the austere highlands. Reached by mountain roads that climb through the dramatic gorges of the region, Nako is among the more remote villages of the western Himalaya. Its position in the high, dry country near the Spiti border shapes its climate, its way of life and its Buddhist culture. The location of Nako, elevated and secluded, is central to the character of its ancient temples.

Why Is Nako Known for Its Lake?

Nako is widely known for the small lake that lies at the centre of the village, an unusual feature in so high and arid a landscape, where open water is rare amid the bare mountains. The lake, fed by the waters of the highlands, gives the village its name in local usage and lends it a tranquil and distinctive beauty, its surface reflecting the surrounding houses, trees and peaks. In the devotional culture of the region, such a body of water in a sacred village carries a quiet significance, and the lake is cherished as part of the character of Nako. The temples of the monastery stand near the water, so that shrine, village and lake together form a single harmonious setting. The presence of the lake sets Nako apart from the many dry villages of the high Himalaya. Its waters are inseparable from the renown and the serene atmosphere of the village and its ancient temples.

How Old Are the Temples of Nako?

The temples of Nako are generally held to be of great antiquity, reaching back by tradition into the early centuries of Buddhism in the western Himalaya, though their precise dates are uncertain and are treated here with appropriate caution. The age of the shrines is reflected in the style of their old wall paintings and clay images, which scholars connect with an early phase of Himalayan Buddhist art, and in the weathered fabric of the mud-and-timber buildings. Rather than fix exact years or founders, it is more faithful to describe Nako as belonging to the early stratum of Buddhist temple building in the region, among the villages that carried the faith through the high valleys. Its antiquity sets it apart among the religious sites of Kinnaur. The great age of the Nako temples, evident in their archaic art and venerable fabric, is central to their standing as treasured survivals of early Himalayan Buddhism.

What Murals and Images Do the Temples Hold?

The temples of Nako hold old wall paintings and clay images that are counted among the finer survivals of early Himalayan Buddhist art, preserved within the shrine rooms of the village complex. The murals are understood to depict the Buddha, revered teachers, sacred symbols and scenes drawn from Buddhist tradition, rendered in the rich and colourful style characteristic of the region, while the clay images are modelled figures of Buddhist deities and honoured figures. As sacred representations, these works serve devotional as well as artistic purposes, aiding worship and meditation within the temples, and they are described here with respect for their sacred character. Their survival in a remote high-altitude village makes them especially valued among the heritage of Kinnaur. The murals and images reflect the meeting of art and devotion that marks Himalayan Buddhism. The old paintings and clay figures of Nako are among the most treasured features of the monastery and its temples.

Which Buddhist Tradition Does Nako Follow?

Nako follows the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of the western Himalaya, the stream of the faith that spread through Kinnaur, Spiti and the neighbouring highlands and shaped their religious culture over many centuries. This tradition, with its schools, lineages and devotional practices, binds the villages of the region into the wider Buddhist world of the Himalaya, in which monasteries and village temples alike sustain the life of the faith. At Nako, the tradition is expressed in the worship conducted within the ancient temples, in the sacred murals and images they preserve, and in the festivals and observances of the village. The details of the affiliation of the shrines belong to the heritage of the region and are treated here with appropriate care, without the assertion of uncertain fact. What is clear is that Nako belongs among the Buddhist sites of the western Himalaya. Its tradition reflects the deep roots of the faith in the high country of Kinnaur.

What Does the Village of Nako Look Like?

The village of Nako presents the appearance of a close cluster of flat-roofed houses of stone, mud and timber, gathered on a shelf of land around the small lake amid the bare mountains of the high Himalaya. The ancient temples of the monastery stand among the dwellings, their weathered walls and shrine rooms set within the fabric of the village itself, so that sacred and domestic buildings are closely woven together. Narrow lanes thread between the houses, past the water of the lake and the trees that grow near it, in a settlement well adapted to the harsh climate and the scarcity of the high desert. Fields and groves surround the village where the land and water allow. The whole forms a harmonious and distinctive scene, austere yet serene, characteristic of the old Buddhist villages of Kinnaur. The appearance of Nako, with its temples set among the houses by the lake, marks it as a place of quiet beauty and deep heritage.

How Do Villagers Worship at Nako?

Villagers and monks at Nako worship within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, following the cycles of prayer, ritual and devotion that order the religious life of the high Himalayan village. Their devotions are understood to include the chanting of sacred texts, the recitation of prayers, offerings before the clay images and painted figures of the shrines, and the observance of the festivals of the Buddhist calendar. The ancient temples, adorned with their old murals, serve as the centres of communal worship, where the people gather for ritual and prayer amid the stillness of the village. Such practices are approached here with respect, as expressions of a living faith rather than as subjects of assertion. The remoteness and elevation of Nako lend a particular depth to the devotional life of the community. Through their worship, the people of Nako sustain the Buddhist traditions of the western Himalaya in one of the more ancient sacred villages of Kinnaur.

What Is the Kinnaur Region Like?

Kinnaur, in which Nako lies, is a high mountain district of Himachal Pradesh, a land of deep gorges, soaring peaks, swift rivers and apple orchards set along the valleys of the Sutlej and its tributaries. The region rises from greener, forested country in its lower reaches to the stark, arid highlands near the Spiti border, where Nako stands amid bare mountains and thin clear air. Kinnaur has a rich and mixed religious culture, in which Buddhist and Hindu traditions meet and mingle, reflected in its temples, monasteries and festivals. The remoteness and elevation of the district have shaped a resilient way of life rooted in farming, herding and faith. Its dramatic landscape, from orchard-filled valleys to high desert, is among the most striking in the western Himalaya. The character of Kinnaur, high, varied and deeply devout, is central to the setting and heritage of the ancient temples of Nako.

Why Is Nako a Treasured Heritage Site?

Nako is a treasured heritage site because its cluster of ancient temples preserves old wall paintings and clay images that rank among the finer survivals of early Himalayan Buddhist art, kept alive in a remote high mountain village. The great antiquity of the shrines, the quality of their sacred murals and the harmonious setting of temple, village and lake together make Nako a place of special importance in the cultural landscape of Kinnaur and the wider western Himalaya. The preservation of such early art in so isolated a place is itself remarkable, and the temples have drawn the attention of scholars and conservators concerned with the heritage of the region. As a living sacred site, Nako is valued both for its devotional role and for its art. Its significance lies in the meeting of ancient architecture, early Buddhist painting and enduring village faith. The heritage of Nako is an important part of the Buddhist legacy of the Himalaya.

How Does Nako Compare with Other Himalayan Sites?

Nako holds a distinctive place among the Buddhist sites of the western Himalaya, its cluster of ancient village temples by a lake setting it apart from the great hilltop monasteries of the neighbouring regions. While many famous gompas of the area crown crags above their valleys, the shrines of Nako stand woven into the fabric of the village itself, among the houses and beside the water. Its old murals and clay images connect it with the early phase of Himalayan Buddhist art found at a handful of ancient sites across the region, making it part of a rare and precious tradition. Yet Nako shares with the other sacred places of the highlands the devotional life, the festivals and the architectural idiom of Himalayan Buddhism. Its combination of great antiquity, fine early art and village setting gives it a character quite its own. The place of Nako among Himalayan sites highlights both its rarity and its deep roots in the faith.

What Is Life Like at This Altitude?

Life at Nako unfolds at a considerable elevation in the high, arid country near the Spiti border, where the thin air, the intense cold of winter and the fierce mountain sun shape a hardy and resilient way of living. The people of the village have long adapted to these extremes, farming the land where water allows, tending orchards and livestock, and sheltering through the long hard seasons in their close-built houses of stone and timber. The small lake and the surrounding fields sustain the settlement amid the bare mountains. The ancient temples are at the heart of the village, their community bound to the devotion and support of the people. The high altitude demands endurance of all who live or travel here, and visitors must acclimatise with care to the thin air. Yet the elevation gives Nako its vast horizons, its clear light and its serene beauty. Life at this height is inseparable from the character of the village and its temples.

What Festivals Does Nako Keep?

Nako keeps the devotional festivals of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and of the wider culture of Kinnaur, which mark the cycles of the religious calendar and draw the people of the village together in worship and celebration. Like the other sacred villages of the region, Nako is understood to observe seasonal ceremonies, prayer gatherings and, in keeping with Himalayan Buddhist tradition, occasions of sacred masked dance in which costumed dancers enact scenes drawn from the faith. Such festivals are occasions of devotion, community and blessing rather than mere spectacle, and they are described here with respect for their religious character. The ceremonies bind the people of the village to their ancient temples and to the living traditions of the highlands. These gatherings renew the bond between the community and its faith through the turning of the year. Through its festivals, Nako sustains the devotional culture of the western Himalaya in one of the more venerable sacred villages of Kinnaur.

How Do Visitors and Pilgrims Reach Nako?

Visitors and pilgrims reach Nako by mountain roads that climb through the dramatic gorges of Kinnaur toward the high country near the Spiti border, a journey that is itself part of the experience of visiting so remote a village. The ascent through deep valleys and bare mountains leads at last to the shelf of land where Nako sits beside its small lake, and travellers must acclimatise carefully to the great elevation. Many come to see the ancient temples with their old murals and clay images, to walk the quiet lanes of the village, and to take in the serene setting of shrine, house and water amid the stark highlands. Others are drawn by the austere beauty of the region and by the sense of reaching a place of deep antiquity and faith. Nako forms part of the wider heritage and pilgrimage circuit of Kinnaur and Spiti. Visitors encounter a meeting of ancient Buddhist art, village devotion and dramatic mountain landscape.

What Care Does the Heritage of Nako Need?

The heritage of Nako needs careful attention because its ancient temples, built of mud and timber and holding fragile old murals and clay images, are vulnerable to the harsh mountain climate, to the passage of time and to the pressures of a changing world. The wall paintings in particular, counted among the finer survivals of early Himalayan Buddhist art, are delicate works that require sensitive conservation if they are to endure for future generations. Efforts to protect and preserve such sites in the region are understood to involve careful repair of the structures and conservation of their art, undertaken with respect for their sacred and living character. Balancing the needs of worship, the welfare of the village and the preservation of the art is a delicate task. The care of Nako reflects a wider concern for the fragile heritage of the high Himalaya. Preserving its temples and murals is essential if this treasured legacy of early Buddhism is to survive.

The Nako Monastery Today

Nako monastery is remembered and valued today as one of the more remarkable Buddhist heritage sites of the western Himalaya, a cluster of ancient temples by a small lake in a high village of Kinnaur. The shrines endure as living places of worship, their old murals and clay images preserving some of the finer survivals of early Himalayan Buddhist art, cherished by the village and by those who study the culture of the region. Set amid the stark mountains near the Spiti border, Nako is part of the wider heritage of the high valleys, where Buddhist villages and monasteries sustain the traditions of the faith. Its antiquity, its sacred art and its serene lakeside setting continue to draw pilgrims, scholars and travellers. For those interested in the heritage of the Himalaya, Nako offers a vivid example of an ancient sacred village. Its legacy endures in its old temples, its murals and the living devotion of the people of Nako.

Sources & Further Reading

• Archaeological Survey of India (asi.nic.in).
• Ministry of Culture, Government of India (indiaculture.gov.in).
• Department of Tourism, Government of Himachal Pradesh (himachaltourism.gov.in).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Nako monastery?

Nako monastery is a cluster of ancient Buddhist temples in the high Himalayan village of Nako, in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Belonging to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and generally held to be of great antiquity, the shrines stand beside a small lake and preserve old murals and clay images of early Himalayan Buddhist art.

Where is Nako located?

Nako is located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, in the high, arid mountain country near the upper Spiti and Sutlej valleys, close to the Spiti border. The village sits at a considerable elevation around a small lake, among bare mountains reached by roads that climb through dramatic gorges.

Why is Nako known for its lake?

Nako is known for the small lake at the centre of the village, an unusual feature in so high and arid a landscape. The lake gives the village its name in local usage and lends it a tranquil beauty, and the ancient temples stand near its waters, forming a harmonious sacred setting.

How old are the temples of Nako?

The temples of Nako are generally held to be of great antiquity, reaching back by tradition into the early centuries of Himalayan Buddhism, though precise dates are uncertain. Their old murals and clay images are connected with an early phase of Buddhist art in the western Himalaya.

What art do the Nako temples hold?

The Nako temples hold old wall paintings and clay images counted among the finer survivals of early Himalayan Buddhist art. The murals depict the Buddha, revered teachers and sacred scenes, while the clay images are modelled figures of Buddhist deities, all preserved within the ancient village shrines.