Lhasa was and still is, the religious, cultural & economic center of Tibet. Places of interest include the Potala, the 13 storey, 1,000 room palace of the Dalai Lama; the monasteries of Drepung & Sera, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, Norbulinka; and the Jokhang, the holiest shrine in Tibet. The circular Barkhor Street with innumerable shops & wayside peddlers intermingle with the devotees walking clockwise around the Jokhang infusing the magic that is Tibet.
Lhasa was and still is, the religious, cultural & economic center of Tibet. Places of interest include the Potala, the 13 storey, 1,000 room palace of the Dalai Lama; the monasteries of Drepung & Sera, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, Norbulinka; and the Jokhang, the holiest shrine in Tibet. The circular Barkhor Street with innumerable shops & wayside peddlers intermingle with the devotees walking clockwise around the Jokhang infusing the magic that is Tibet.
Potala Palace
Potala Palace, located on the red hill, was built in 640 A.D. during the reign of Songtsen Gompo. The original Potala Palace was destroyed in the 9th century but was rebuilt in the 17th century during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama. It is best viewed from outside, where one can observe the different aspects & moods of its sophisticated design. The architectural wonder stands 117m high, has 13 stories and over 1,000 rooms. The most poignant areas are the roof terraces housing the Dalai Lama’s residences, the large courtyard & the spectacular multi–storied interior atriums that extend upwards to the roof terraces. It is replete with ancient artifacts; the sacred statue of Arya Lokeshwara, ornate burial Chortens of the Dalai Lamas, galleries and chapels noted for their murals, the intricate three-dimensional Mandala & much more.
Sera MonasterySera means hail stone in Tibetan language. Set at the foot of the Wudu hill to the north of Lhasa city, Sera comprises of a great sutra chanting hall, a college and 32 sections that covers 114,964 sq. mts. Founded by Jamchenchupje in 1419, Sera was famous for its fighting monks, who spent years perfecting the martial arts.
Jokhang TempleJokhang temple was built in 647 A.D and is the spiritual center of Tibet and the holiest destination for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. It houses the sitting statue of Sakyamuni, when he was 12 years old. From dawn till dusk, one can see an astounding display of chanting, prostrating pilgrims circumambulating the temple. Hundreds of faces, ornaments, clothes & colors swirl round in a gigantic whirlpool of religious fervor.
Drepung MonasteryIt is located at the foot of the West Valley Mountain (Gyephel-Ou-Tse) about 10 kms from Lhasa. Drepung Monastery was built by Jamyang-Choje Tashi-Phiden in 1416 AD. Drepung is one of the six largest monasteries of the Gelupa sect & comprises of six main temples: Ganden Palace, Tsochen, Ngakpa, Losaling, Gomang & Dyeyang. The main relics in these temples are image of Maitreya, Yamantaka, Mitrukpa, Sutrakangyur with golden letters, Thankas, Silk scrolls (which are very precious & are rarely seen in the world), various gilded statures, Buddhist scriptures & countless other cultural relics. There are monastic colleges for the study of Philosophy & one for the practice of Tantric Buddhism. The monastery covers an area of over 20, 000 sq. mts.
Norbulinka ParkNorbulinka means “the jeweled garden” is the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. This large complex of small palaces like Gesang Palace, Jianse Palace and Daktanmiju lies within a walled garden that covers 360,000 sq. mts. The whole garden consists of two main parts – Norbulinkha at the western area & Jianselingka at the eastern area. It has fascinating murals in excellent condition, superb Mandalas & frescoes.
Barkhor Street market
A circular street around the Jokhang Temple in the center of the old section of Lhasa, it is the oldest street in a very traditional style in Tibet, where you can enjoy bargaining with the local Tibetan vendors for the handicrafts which are rare to be seen elsewhere in the world. Barkhor Street is one of the most important religious paths along which pilgrims walk around Jokhang Temple while turning prayer wheels in their hands through centuries. Buddhist pilgrims walk or progress by body-lengths along the street clockwise every day into deep night.
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Lhasa is the historical capital of Tibet and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of 3,490 metres (11,450 ft), Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world. It contains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhist sites such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang, and Norbulingka palace.
