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Ani Sangkhung Nunnery
Head past Muslim tea stalls and butcher shops, along part of the Lingkhor pilgrim circuit to the yellow walls of the Ani Sangkhung Nunnery. This small, friendly and active nunnery is the only one within the precincts of the old Tibetan quarter. The site of the nunnery probably dates back to the 7th century, but it housed a monastery until at least the 15th century. The principal image, upstairs on the 2nd floor, is a thousand-armed Chenresig.
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Barkhor
One cannot help but be swept up in the wondrous swell of humanity that is the Barkhor , not a sight per se but a kora (pilgrim circuit) that proceeds clockwise around the periphery of the Jokhang Temple. You'll swear it possesses some mystical spiritual gravity, as every time you approach within 50m, you somehow get sucked right in and gladly wind up making the whole circuit again!
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Barkhor Square
The square has become a focus for political protest and has been the scene of pitched battles between Chinese and Tibetans on several occasions, most noticeably in 1998 when several Tibetans were killed and a Dutch tourist was shot in the shoulder. Look for the video cameras recording everything from the rooftops above the square.
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Chapel of Arya Lokeshvara
Allegedly this is one of the few corners of the Potala that dates from the time of Songtsen Gampo's 7th-century palace. It is the most sacred of the Potala's chapels, and the image of Arya Lokeshvara inside is the most revered image housed in the Potala. The statue is accompanied on the left by the seventh Dalai Lama and Tsongkhapa, and on the right by the fifth, eighth and ninth Dalai Lamas and the protector Chana Dorje (Vajrapani). Relics include stone footprints of Guru Rinpoche and Tsongkhapa.
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Chapel Of Chenresig
This Chapel Contains The Jokhang's Most Important Image After The Jowo Sakyamuni. Legend Has It That The Statue Of Chenresig Here Sprang Spontaneously Into Being And Combines Aspects Of King Songtsen Gampo, His Wives And Two Wrathful Protective Deities. The Doors Of The Chapel Are Among The Few Remnants Still Visible Of The Jokhang's 7th-Century Origins And Were Fashioned By Nepali Artisans.
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Chapel Of Chenresig Riding A Lion
Chapel Of Chenresig Riding A Lion
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Chapel of Immortal Happiness
The Chapel of Immortal Happiness was once the residence of the sixth Dalai Lama, whose throne remains; it is now dedicated to Tsepame, the Buddha of Longevity, who sits by the window. Next to him in the corner is the Dzogchen deity Ekajati (Tsechigma), with an ostrich-feather hat and a single fang.
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Chapel of Jampa
The first room in the main Red Palace building is the Chapel of Jampa, which contains an exquisite image of Jampa commissioned by the eighth Dalai Lama; it stands opposite the Dalai Lama's throne. To the right of the throne is a wooden Kalachakra mandala. The walls are stacked with the collected works of the fifth Dalai Lama. The chapel was unfortunately damaged in a fire in 1984 (caused by an electrical fault) and many valuable thangkas (religious paintings) were lost.
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Chapel of Jowo Sakyamuni
The most important shrine in Tibet, this chapel houses the image of Sakyamuni Buddha at the age of 12 years, brought to Tibet by Princess Wencheng. You enter via an anteroom containing the Four Guardian Kings, smiling on the left and frowning to the right. Inside are statues of the protectors Miyowa (Achala) and Chana Dorje (Vajrapani, blue). Several large bells hang from the anteroom's Newari-style roof. The carved doorway has been rubbed smooth by generations of pilgrims.
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Chapel of Kalachakra
Noted for its stunning three-dimensional mandala, which is over 6m in diameter and finely detailed with over 170 statues. A statue of the Tantric deity Dukhor (Kalachakra) stands in the far right corner, though access to the room is limited.
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Chapel of Sakyamuni
The Chapel of Sakyamuni houses a library, the throne of the seventh Dalai Lama and some fine examples of calligraphy.
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Chapel of the Buddha of Infinite Light
This is the second of the chapels consecrated to Öpagme (Amitabha), the Buddha of Infinite Light. The outer entrance, with its wonderful carved doors, is protected by two fierce deities, red Tamdrin (Hayagriva; right) and blue Chana Dorje (Vajrapani; left). There are also statues of the eight bodhisattvas.
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Chapel Of The Buddha Of Infinite Light
This Chapel Is Usually Closed. Just Outside Is The Large Tagba Chörten (Stupa).
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Chapel of the Dalai Lamas' Tombs
In the west wing of the assembly hall is one of the highlights of the Potala, the awe-inspiring Chapel of the Dalai Lamas' Tombs . The hall is dominated by the huge 12.6m-high chörten of the great fifth Dalai Lama, gilded with some 3700kg of gold. Flanking it are two smaller chörtens containing the 10th and 12th Dalai Lamas, who both died as children. Richly embossed, the chörtens represent the concentrated wealth of an entire nation.
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Chapel Of The Eight Medicine Buddhas
The Eight Medicine Buddhas Are Recent And Not Of Special Interest.
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Chapel Of The Hidden Jowo
Chapel Of The Hidden JowoThis Is The Chapel Where Princess Wencheng Is Said To Have Hidden Jowo Sakyamuni For Safekeeping After The Death Of Her Husband. You Can See The Cavity On The Eastern Wall, Currently Blocked By A Bag Of Tsampa (Roasted-Barley Flour). Inside Is A Statue Of Öpagme (Amitabha) And The Eight Medicine Buddhas With Characteristic Blue Hair.
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Chapel of the Holy Born
The last chapel in the Potala is the Chapel of the Holy Born. Firstly, in the corner, is the statue and chörten of the 11th Dalai Lama, who died at the age of 17. There are also statues of the eight medicine buddhas, a central Sakyamuni and fifth Dalai Lama, and then Chenresig, Songtsen Gampo and the first four Dalai Lamas.
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Chapel of the Nine Buddhas of Longevity
In the Chapel of the Nine Buddhas of Longevity, look for the murals by the left window - the left side depicts Tangtong Gyelpo and his celebrated bridge (now destroyed) over the Yarlung Tsangpo near Chushul. The images of coracle rafts halfway up the wall add an intimate touch. There are also nine statues of Tsepame here.
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Chapel of the Victory over the Three Worlds
The Chapel of the Victory over the Three Worlds houses a library and displays examples of Manchu texts. The main statue is a golden thousand-armed Chenresig, while the main thangka is of the Manchu Chinese emperor Qianlong dressed in monk's robes, with accompanying inscriptions in four languages.
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Chapel of Three-Dimensional Mandalas
The Chapel of Three-Dimensional Mandalas houses spectacular jewel-encrusted mandalas of the three principal Tantric deities of the Gelugpa order (Chana Dorje, Demchok and Yamantaka). Unfortunately you can no longer walk around to see the fine blackened murals near the throne of the seventh Dalai Lama.
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Chapel Of Tsepame
Inside Are Nine Statues Of Tsepame (Amitayus), The Red Buddha Of Longevity, In Yabyum (Sexual And Spiritual Union) Pose.
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Chapel Of Tsongkhapa & His Disciples
Tsongkhapa Was The Founder Of The Gelugpa Order, And You Can See Him Seated Centre, Flanked By His Eight Disciples.
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Drubthub Nunnery
Southwest of the Potala an unmarked road leads around the eastern side of Chagpo Ri, the hill that faces Marpo Ri, site of the Potala. Take this road past stone-carvers and rock paintings to Drubthub Nunnery . The nunnery is dedicated to Tangtong Gyelpo, the 15th-century bridge-maker, medic and inventor of Tibetan opera, who established the original nunnery on the top of Chagpo Ri. Gyelpo's white-haired statue graces the nunnery's main hall.
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Four Guardian Kings
Just inside the entrance to the Jokhang are statues of the Four Guardian Kings, two on either side. Beyond this is the main assembly hall or dukhang, a paved courtyard that is open to the elements. During festivals the hall is often the focus of ceremonies. The throne on the left wall was formerly used by the Dalai Lamas. You'll see a line of pilgrims filing past the main Jokhang entrance as they walk the pilgrim circuit around the temple.
