Visited the Jokhang Monastery today – it is the center around which the city of Lhasa developed. Built in 648 (about 1350 years ago) and  expanded to present scale in the 17th century after several renovations. It is also located on the famous Barkhor Square. For most Tibetans, it is  the most sacred and important temple in Tibet and brought Buddhism into this land.

On the outside, we saw people conducting prayers…

Click Here to Watch Jokhang Temple Video

There is a wonderful history relating to how it’s construction came about:

Jokhang Temple (“House of the Lord”) in Lhasa is the holiest site in Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 647 by King Songtsen Gampo (r.617-49), the first ruler of a unified Tibet, and his two foreign wives who are credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet. The king’s first wife, Princess Bhrikuti (married in the 630s), was the sister of the Nepalese king, while his second wife, Princess Wencheng (married 641), was the niece or daughter of the Chinese emperor.

The temple was constructed to house a sacred image of the Buddha, the Jowo Rinpoche, which Queen Wengcheng brought with her from China as a dowry. This statue is still enshrined within the temple and is the holiest object in Tibet.

The temple has been regularly expanded over the years, including extensive reconstruction under the fifth Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Remarkably, however, the core of the temple is still original from the 7th century.

Some legends……

Various traditions explain the foundation of the temple. In one version, Queen Bhrikuti founded the temple to house the statue, while Queen Wengcheng chose the site based on the principles of geomancy (feng shui). Another legend says that the king threw his ring into the air, asking the spirits to show him where to build the temple. The ring fell into a lake, from which a stupa emerged. The lake was filled in to support Jokhang Temple, whose central shrine was built over the miraculous stupa.

Inside the temple…….

Inside the temple- no photos were allowed to be taken .It was a real mystery tour, with numerous statues and images of Buddha and lots of Tibetans patiently waiting in a queue to offer their prayers.

Yes I did buy some beads – will in the future be walking the streets of London, meditating and counting.

Views from top of Jokhang Temple. Can see Potala Palace in the background.