DHANGKAR HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE WORL D MONUMENTS FUND AS ONE OF THE HUNDRED MOST ENDANGERED SITES IN THE WORLD (see www.wmf.org ).
The Dhangkar complex is built on a 1000-foot (300-metre) high spur overlooking the confluence of the Spiti and Pin Rivers. Dhang or dang means cliff, and kar or khar means fort. Hence Dhangkar (or Dangkhar as it is also spelt) means “fort on a cliff”.
Dhangkar gompa , one of the five major monastic centres in Spiti, has been a Gelug-pa institution since the 1450s, though it is also known to have been Nyingma-pa, Sakya-pa and Kagyu-pa before that, depending on the religious allegiance of the Nono's family. Both the fort and its associated monastery are believed to be over 1000 years old. The earliest written reference to Dhangkar is found in the history of the western Tibetan kingdom of Guge, wherein the heir to the throne of King Tse de was exiled to Dhangkar in the late 11 th century. The Nono's court at Dhangkar has also been depicted in a 15 th century mural in Tabo gompa .
Dhangkar fortress served as the traditional home of the royal family of Spiti - the Nonos - for many generations before falling into disrepair in the late 1800's, when the Nono shifted his headquarters to Kyuling. In recent years, due to the deterioration of the building, some sections of the gompa have been abandoned and a new gompa has been built further down. Meanwhile, the fort of Dhangkar, destroyed by an earthquake in 1975, now lies in ruins, but is still a place worthy of a visit. From the remnants of the fort one can see vast expanses of the Spiti valley.
Dhangkar is also of art historical importance. Founded between 7th and the 9th centuries, the old temple complex occupies the southern part of the steep mountain slope of the village. The monastery consists of a number of multi-storeyed buildings perched together, giving a fortress like impression. There are five different halls including Kanjur, Lhakhang, and Dukhang where a life size silver statue of Vajradhara, the Diamond Being, is placed in a glass altar embellished with scarves and flowers. Most interesting is the small chapel on the uppermost peak above the main monastery - Lakhang Gongma. The building is decorated with depictions of the Sakyamuni, Tsongkhapa and Lama Chodrag on the central wall
