Tibet is dotted with numerous monasteries in different sizes. As the capital of Tibet, Lhasa is home to many famous Tibetan monasteries. A taste of Tibetan monasteries in Lhasa is one of the highlights of any Tibet monastery tour for it brings a chance for you to know and understand more about Tibetan Buddhism and the ever-present Tibetan culture.
Tibetans have long invested large sums of money in monasteries, and it shows in the size of monastery compounds and the intricacy of temple details. At monasteries, you can get a good look at traditional architecture, valuable artifacts, golden Buddha statues, hand-painted murals, and Tibetan religious culture. If you
travel to Tibet and miss the famous monasteries in Tibet, it should be a great regret for you.
Here Tibet travel org pulls out the holiest, the precious and the downright riveting from an enthralling Buddhist world and lists the major monasteries that should be on any Lhasa itinerary.
1. Potala Palace
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Palace is a well-preserved museum that hosts millions of tourists every year. Built in 637 AD, the Potala has been home to the Dalai Lama lineage for more than a thousand years. The Potala is 13 stories high and holds countless treasures in its many rooms. Now, it is the landmark of Tibet. No one travel to Tibet without visiting the Potala Palace.
2. Jokhang Temple
As the holiest site in Lhasa, Jokhang attracts flocks of prostrating Tibetan pilgrims and curious tourists every year. It hosts the annual Great Prayer Festival, as well as all ceremonies of initiation for the Dalai and Panchen Lamas. Founded in 647 by King Songtsen Gampo, famous Tibet King, Jokhang temple was constructed to house a sacred image of the Buddha, the Jowo Rinpoche, which Princess Wengcheng brought with her from Tang Dynasty as a dowry. This statue is still enshrined within the temple and is the holiest object in Tibet.
3. Drepung Monastery
Famed as the most prestigious Gelugpa monastery in Tibet, Drepung Monastery was once home to 10,000 monks. The enormous monastic complex is the site of many prayer halls, dormitories, and temples. With the support of plutocrats, it developed as the richest monastery of Gelugpa and became the mother temple of Dalai Lamas. Many Tibetans travel to Drepung for pilgrimage each year. Its Buddha Exhibition on Shoton Festival is the most spectacular in Lhasa.
4. Sera Monastery
Renowned for its daily Buddhist Scripture debate, Sera Monastery has become the most riveting temple in Lhasa. In Tibetan Buddhism, lamas must participate in debates to further their comprehension and proceed to more advanced levels of studying Buddhist Scripture. The debate usually lasts about one hour and a half. In a battle of words, they supplement their efforts by using a variety of gestures including clapping their hands, pushing their partners for an answer, or plucking their prayer beads to win the virtue of the Buddha. It is the most interesting period to visit the monastery
5. Ganden Monastery
Famous as one of the earliest and largest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet, Ganden Monastery boasts rare and well-preserved cultural relics, such as the armor studded with jewels and engraved with four kinds of characters, exquisite tapestries, sutra written in gold, a set of thangkas painted with sixteen arhats and the four Heavenly Kings. At Ganden Monastery, you can enjoy fantastic views.
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