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October 2003 - August 2004

Tibet, part II

Brett Voegele
2005-11-19 13:54:52

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Ganden Monastery

The next site, Ganden Monastery, was 2 hours from Lhasa by pilgrim bus. The chanting of the pilgrims on the bus made up for the early start (6 AM) and the fact that they liked riding with the windows open - even in November. Ganden sits in a bowl near the top of a ridge, and was beautiful at sunrise. However, like many monasteries, there were many buildings still in ruins from destruction caused 40-50 years ago. We did both the high kora and low kora, which afforded fantastic views of various valleys. The low kora also had several shrines, rock carvings, and rocks that are rubbed for their healing properties or squeezed through to test one's level of sin. There is also a sky burial site. Most impressive of the actual buildings was the one housing the tomb of Tsongkhapa, the revered founder of both the Gelugpa sect and Ganden Monastery. I enjoyed going through the various buildings with the many pilgrims. On the drive back to Lhasa I witnessed one of my favorite sights - approaching Lhasa from the East, you round a bend and see the massive Potala. However, at that point no other buildings are visible, and it seems as if the Potala is floating above the Lhasa River.

Lingkhor Kora

After my friend left I hung out most days with some travelers I'd met out West, simply talking over tea until the lights were flicked on and off at 11, indicating our time at that restaurant was up. I also did the Lingkhor, an 8 km. kora around what was the old city of Lhasa. Most impressive is an area of colorful rock carvings, where many pilgrims stop to prostrate and spin prayer wheels. Also interesting are the 'rubbing stones' found on a busy street corner. These are rocky outcrops said to have healing powers, grooved and worn smooth over time, where pilgrims rub their knees and back. One section of the kora is interesting for it's contrasts - pilgrims ...