This old,gompa-style monastery is the major attraction of Tabo. This ancient gompa was built in 996 CE by the King Rinchen Zangpo of Guge, which was a kingdom in the western Himalayas. Richen Zangpo was a great scholar and Buddhist. It is the oldestoperating Buddhist monastery in India and the Himalayas. Also called the “Ajanta of the Himalayas”, this monastery has some of the finest fresco paintings on its walls depicting Buddhist Pantheon tales. The monastery is a recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site and is revered for its holiness in trans-Himalayan Buddhism. The monastery comprises a number of smaller gompas, temples and a chamber for the monks. The frescos on the wall have been painted by the finest artistes of that era, blending Tibetan, Kashmiri and Indian styles. Besides the frescos, the monastery also has a chamber adorned with beautiful stucco statues of Bodhisattvas and intricate wooden carvings. This is the only monastery in the region which lets the visitors stay in the premises to experience life in the monastery.