Tabo caves (Phoo Gumpha)
cave · 17.6 km away
temple1 h 16 min from Tabo
Gue Monastery and the mummy of Sangha Tenzin
Gue Monastery in Spiti keeps the mummy of Sangha Tenzin, a monk about 500 years old, in a village close to the Indo-Tibetan border, 76 minutes from Tabo.
What it is
Gue, also written Gyu, is a village in Spiti close to the Indo-Chinese border, in the valley of the Gue stream. Its monastery keeps the mummy of Sangha Tenzin, a Buddhist monk of the late medieval period, about 500 years old. It is said to have formed naturally, through austerities in the last stage of his life. On maps the site is listed as the Gue Mummy Lama Tomb.
Photos: DebSnap09 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Nrr1729 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
By road it is about 34 km from Tabo, roughly 76 minutes by car. The road follows the Spiti river and then turns up the Gue stream. Fuel up and carry water, since there is little between the turn-off and the village.
The visit
The mummy is the draw, and it is shown with respect in the monastery rather than as a sight. Ask before photographing, and keep your voice low. The village sits close to the border and the boundary has been disputed, so we have no verified rule on permits: ask in Tabo or Kaza the day before, and carry identification.
When to go
The road follows the same seasons as the rest of Spiti, with summer short and winter long. See when to visit Tabo.
Around it
Back in Tabo, the monastery and the cave retreats are the other things to see. The two-day plan puts Gue on the second day.
Plans that include this
All 1 plans that stop here →Nearby places
Questions people ask
What is the Gue mummy?
The monastery at Gue keeps the mummy of Sangha Tenzin, a late medieval Buddhist monk about 500 years old. It is said to have formed by natural mummification through austerities in the final stages of his life, and it is kept at the village monastery for visitors.
How far is Gue from Tabo?
About 34 km by road, roughly 76 minutes by car, so it is a half-day trip each way. The road follows the Spiti river and then the Gue stream, and the village is close to the Indo-Tibetan border, so check locally for any current restrictions.
Why is Gue a sensitive place?
The village lies close to the Indo-Chinese border and the line there has been disputed since the 1950s. We have no verified rule about permits, so ask at Tabo or Kaza before you set out, carry ID, and do not photograph anything that looks military.