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Ganden Monastery
The monastery lies 45 kilometers (28 miles)
east of Lhasa. Lying at the mountainside, it looks magnificent
and grand. Tsong Khapa, the founder of Gelugpa, established
it in 1409. A story says that when Tsong Khapa and his disciples
were selecting construction site a crow pecked his hat suddenly
and dropped it on the mountainside. Then the monastery was
constructed there in accordance with Buddha's wish. Ganden
monastery is the first Gelugpa monastery in Tibet. Its tripa,
abbot of the monastery, is actually the Throne Holder of
Gelugpa, which is Panchen Lama and Dalai Lama's order.
Main structures in the monastery consist
of the Main Assembly Hall (Tshomchen) and Tantric colleges.
The hall has 108 pillars and occupies a floor space of 1,600
square meters, capable of holding 3,500 lamas. Maitreya
and Tsong Khapa are enshrined and worshiped in the hall.
Left of the huge hall is a small hall, which was the numen
chapel of the monastery. The chapel was built in 1416 and
the fourth Panchen added gold roof to it in 1610. Behind
the chapel, there is a huge stone flying here from India
according to legend.
Tri Thok Khang is one of the early structures,
which is the residence of Tsong Khapa and the successive
tripas. Their clothing has been kept in the hall. In 1720,
it was expanded and its gold roof was constructed during
reign of the Seventh Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas usually would
stay here during visits.
Serdhung is a three-story building which
houses Tsong Khapa's and his successors' stupas. In 1419,
Tsong Khapa died and his disciples built the hall to house
his tomb which was made of 900 taels of silver, equaling
more than 1100 troy ounces. The thirteenth Dalai Lama changed
it into gold later. More than 95 silvers tombs were built
for deceased Ganden tripas.
Ganden monastery has two Tantric colleges
which were both built by Tsong Khapa's disciples. Both the
chanting halls of the two can hold 1,500 lamas chanting.
Except for the two, there are more than 20 small chanting
halls, which belong to different Khangtsens, smaller organizations
than colleges. Each of them can house 200 chanting monks.
Dormitories and Debating Courtyards are scattered in the
monastery. Debating is an essential training method for
lamas, and will be held almost every morning.
The monastery has extremely delicate and
fine murals and sculptures. It also keeps an armor decorated
with gems, which was worn by Emperor Qianlong and was bestowed
to the monastery as an offer to Tsong Khapa. Its thangkas
are special and similar with embroidery of south China.
The most important and valuable arts left are the paintings
of Buddha and Jataka stories drawn by the First Panchen
Lama.
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