Away from Spiti's main road, up a side valley beneath a wall of red-and-ochre cliffs, lies the village of Lhalung — the "land of the gods." Its treasure is a small, unassuming temple that turns out to be one of the oldest and most beautiful in the whole valley: Lhalung Monastery, better known as the Serkhang, or Golden Temple.
Founded by the great translator
Lhalung was established in the late 10th century by Rinchen Zangpo, the legendary Tibetan translator of the western Himalayan kingdom of Guge, who is credited with founding 108 monasteries across the region — Tabo among them. That places the gompa's origins more than a thousand years ago, making it a contemporary of the earliest Buddhist art in the trans-Himalaya.
Inside the Golden Hall
The name Serkhang means "House of Gold," and the main shrine earns it. Its walls are covered with more than fifty stucco and clay images of deities, bodhisattvas and protectors, arranged as mandalas across each wall and still carrying traces of their original pigment and gilding. Unlike the grander, much-photographed monasteries elsewhere in Spiti, Lhalung is intimate and hushed — you often have the room to yourself. Outside stands an old willow tree tied to the founding legend: the gods, it is said, raised the temple in a single night after Rinchen Zangpo planted the sapling and vowed to build if it survived the year.
Reaching Lhalung from Naggar
Lhalung sits in the Lingti area of Spiti, a short drive off the route between Dhankar and Kaza. Getting here from Naggar is a multi-day trans-Himalayan journey: Naggar to Manali, through the Atal Tunnel and over Kunzum Pass to Kaza, then out to Lhalung via the Dhankar road. Most travellers fold it into a wider Spiti circuit that also takes in Tabo, Dhankar and the Pin Valley.
Practical tips
- Best time: June to September, when the Spiti roads are reliably open; winter brings deep snow and closures.
- The temple is usually opened by a caretaker from the village — ask around if you find it locked, and offer a small donation for its upkeep.
- Photography inside the shrine is generally not allowed, to protect the fragile clay art; enjoy it with your eyes.
- Remove your shoes, walk clockwise, and keep your voice low out of respect.
- Acclimatise properly — Lhalung sits above 3,600 m, like most of Spiti.
For travellers who prefer their heritage quiet and their crowds absent, Lhalung is a highlight of any Spiti journey. Build it into an unhurried loop, and let Ghar in the Hills in Naggar be your resting point in the Kullu valley before and after the high passes — a warm room and a home-cooked meal to bookend the long roads of Spiti.