Trilokinath Temple Tour

Sri Trilokinath Temple, Garsha Phakpa གར་ཞ་འཕགས་པ in Tibetan, is located in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, India. This sacred and scenic spot is at Trilokinath village, 6 km south of the left bank of Chandrabhaga or Chenab River and about 9 km from Udaipur village. It is sacred to both Tibetan Buddhists and Hindus. This bright white-painted temple is situated on a rocky outcrop at the end of the village road at 2,760 meters above sea level.

The name
Trilokinath is one of the names of Shiva in Hinduism, which means “Lord of the Three Worlds”; in Christianity, it means the three persons of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). However, local tradition clearly states that it was originally a Buddhist monastery, although nothing remains of the original building today.

History
The temple houses a six-headed marble statue of Avalokiteshvara, stolen decades ago. Later, that was replaced by a grey stone statue and later replaced by the present six-armed white marble statue of Avalokiteshvara, according to legend. Since the 12th century, it has been revered as Avalokiteshvara by Buddhists and Shiva by Hindus and the statue is crowned by Amitabh Buddha. The temple complex has the later planted Shiva Linga and Nandi.

The original idol is said to be with the head of Avalokiteshvara, found near the confluence of Chandra and Bhaga rivers, and is now housed in the Guru Ghantal or Gandhola Gonpa. The head has been dated to Nagarjuna (2nd century AD), which suggests some connection with the famous Kanika (Kanishka) Stupa at the nearby small monastery of Zangskar. A popular story says that the Kulu king reached Trilokinath and tried to carry the idol but could not move it and was defeated. There is a mark on the right leg of the marble figure, which is said to be the result of a sword strike by a Kullu soldier of that time.

The pillars of the original temple date back to the period of King Lalitaditya in the 9th century, and the courtyard is decorated with large Buddhist flags, a linga representing Shiva and a small Nandi. Both Buddhists and Hindus celebrate the three-day Pauri festival here in the month of Saun Bhadra.