Key Monastery

Kye Monastery
Kye Monastery
Religion
Affiliation	Tibetan Buddhism
Sect	Gelug
Location
Location	Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, Lahaul and Spiti district, India
Country	India
	Location within Himachal Pradesh
Geographic coordinates	32°17′52″N 78°00′43″E / 32.29778°N 78.01194°E
Architecture
Founder	Dromtön
Date established	11th century

Kye Gompa (Tibetan: དཀྱིལ་དགོན་, Wylie: dkyil dgon;^[1] also spelled Kyi, Ki, Key, or Kee; pronounced like the English word key) is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Gelugpa sect located on top of a hill at an altitude of 4,166 metres (13,668 ft) above sea level, close to the Spiti River, in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, Lahaul and Spiti district, India.^[2]

It is the largest monastery of the Spiti Valley and a religious training centre for lamas. It reportedly had 100 monks in 1855.^[3]

The monastery is dedicated to Lochen Tulku, the 24th reincarnation of the great translator Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo.^[4]^[5]

It is about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Kaza and 210 km (130 mi) from Manali by road.^[6]

^ "spyi ti dkyil dgon gyi byung ba". Buddhist Digital Resource Center. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
^ Sarina Singh, et al. (2007), p. 343.
^ Handa (1987), p. 131.
^ Confortin, Emanuele (22 September 2022). "Stayed at Key Monastery of Spiti Valley (and Savoured Tsampa)". Raacho Trekkers. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
^ Sharma, Rama. "Where the Gods live". The Tribune India. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
^ The Beautiful key Monastery, India. https://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/12/the-beautiful-key-monastery-india.html