States » NorthPosted at: Jun 25 2025 10:24AM


Climate change threatens ancient shrines in Himachal: Tabo Monastery at risk amid glacier thaw, flash floods

Keylong, June 25 (UNI) The rapidly changing climate in the northwestern Himalayas is triggering a silent emergency, placing centuries-old religious and cultural heritage at grave risk.
Situated at a height of around 10,008 ft from the sea, around 996 AD, Tabo Monastery in Spiti Valley, 'a cornerstone of Buddhist spirituality and Himalayan heritage', is the latest to sound the alarm.
Frequent cloudbursts and flash floods, worsened by accelerated glacier melting and erratic monsoon patterns, have prompted the monastery authorities to urgently request intervention from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
“We have urged the ASI to provide temporary protective roofing and improve drainage to shield the monument from monsoon-triggered damage,” said Lama Sonam Kunga, a priest at the monastery.
ASI officials have visited the site, but action is still awaited.
Cracks in wooden pillars, swelling of walls in the Maitreya temple, and water seepage during heavy rains have already begun damaging the mud-based structures and mural-rich interiors.
Without immediate protection, irreversible loss to the millennium-old monument looms large.
The Tabo Monastery’s plea also includes long-term climate resilience measures — structural reinforcement using traditional materials, an early warning system, and a local disaster risk-reduction plan in collaboration with authorities.
This crisis is not isolated. Sudden surges in nullahs across Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, and Kinnaur are threatening other religious sites, including Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras. Last year, flash floods near Manikaran in Kullu caused severe damage.
Climate-linked disasters are emerging as a new challenge to Himachal’s sacred geography.
Experts and communities are calling for the ASI, state government, and disaster management bodies to act swiftly — not only to preserve these irreplaceable monuments but also to recognise the mounting threats posed by a warming Himalayan environment. Delay now could mean heritage lost forever.
UNI ML ARN
Tags: #Climate change threatens ancient shrines in Himachal: Tabo Monastery at risk amid glacier thaw# flash floods
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