Previous Year Question

Pair 1 is correct: Tabo monastery and temple complex—Spiti Valley

• Tabo Monastery is situated in the Spiti Valley of the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.

• It was established in 996 CE during the revival of Buddhism in the western Himalayas.

• Its foundation is associated with the scholar-translator Rinchen Zangpo and the patronage of Yeshe-Ö, the ruler of the Guge kingdom of western Tibet.

• The monastery contains earthen temples, stupas, murals, manuscripts and clay sculptures.

• Because of its ancient murals and artistic wealth, it is sometimes described as the “Ajanta of the Himalayas.”

Therefore, Pair 1 is correct.

Pair 2 is incorrect: Lhotsava Lhakhang Temple, Nako—Zanskar Valley

• Nako is situated in the Hangrang Valley of Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh.

• It is not situated in the Zanskar Valley. Zanskar is a region of present-day Ladakh.

• The principal temple of the Nako complex is the Lhotsava Lhakhang, or the “Translator’s Temple.”

• “Lhotsava” or “Lotsawa” means a scholar-translator, and the temple’s name is associated with Rinchen Zangpo.

• The Nako temples contain murals and polychrome clay sculptures dating approximately to the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

Therefore, Pair 2 is not correctly matched because its location is incorrect.

Pair 3 is correct: Alchi temple complex—Ladakh

• The Alchi temple complex is situated in Alchi village near the Indus River in Leh district, Ladakh.

• It is also known as Alchi Choskor or Alchi Gompa.

• Its important temples include the Dukhang, Sumtsek, Manjushri Temple and Lotsawa Lhakhang.

• It is renowned for its ancient Buddhist murals, monumental images and elaborate wood carvings.

• Its murals display the influence of Kashmiri and western Himalayan artistic traditions.