In the mountains of Tibet, at an altitude of 3700 meters, in the middle of the Lhasa valley, the Potala Palace rises on a hill. For several centuries it has been the seat of the Dalai Lamas and the government of Tibet.
The history of the palace is rooted in the distant past. According to the legend, there is a sacred cave here, in which the bodhisattva Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), who is represented on Earth by the Dalai Lamas, lived. Emperor of Tibet Songtsen Gempo used to meditate in this cave. Since the place was considered sacred, the emperor decided to build a palace on the hill and declare this place his capital. And it was in the 7th century AD. Unfortunately, many buildings were built of wood, so in the 8th century they were burned down by lightning. Little remains of the former palace. But the cave is well preserved, and this place, as before, was considered holy.
In the middle of the 17th century, on the initiative of the 5th Dalai Lama, the construction of the palace began, which has survived to this day. In 1645-1648, the White Palace was erected, which became the residence of the Dalai Lamas.
The White Palace houses the private quarters of the Dalai Lama, the living quarters of the regent and mentor of the Dalai Lama, government offices and a library containing Buddhist scriptures. There is also a seminary and printing house. Official ceremonies were held in the Great Eastern Pavilion.
The second component of the Potala Palace is the Red Palace, which was built in 1690-1694. They pray and conduct religious rituals in it.
The Red Palace houses eight memorial stupas in which the Dalai Lamas are buried. In addition, there are many large and small halls. They are dedicated to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Dalai Lamas. There are halls for audiences and various ceremonies. They exhibit jewels and relics, statues of deities and the Dalai Lamas, books and ritual objects.
The Potala Palace was the residence of the Dalai Lamas until 1959 - that is, before the Chinese invasion of Tibet. The 14th Dalai Lama was forced to leave Tibet and seek asylum in India. We can say that the palace was very lucky. Unlike most Tibetan monasteries and temples, it was not destroyed by the Red Guards in the 1960s and 1970s. Probably because the Chinese government has listed the palace cultural monuments in need of special state protection.
Tibet, Lhasa (which in Sanskrit means "land of the gods"), the ledge of the Marproi rock ("Red Hill") - it is here, above the sacred city, that the palace called the Potala rises. It was built specifically for the spiritual and political ruler of Tibet, the founder of Lamaism, the Dalai Lama V (1617 - 1682).
The building of the palace seems to be an impregnable rock. It is hard to imagine, but this building, which has more than 30 floors, was built in 1694, when high-rise buildings were not built. At one time, it was perhaps perceived in the same way as skyscrapers are today.
The Potala Palace, towering over the whole city, impresses even the sophisticated person of the 21st century with its appearance. The building on a ledge of a cliff with countless windows carved into the snow-white wall creates a feeling of something majestic and almost fabulous.
Location of the Potala Palace in Lhasa
Tibet is perhaps the most mysterious country on our planet. The policy of self-isolation used to be characteristic of many, but only Tibet embodies it to this day. This, of course, is facilitated by the unique geographical position. Large Tibetan cities located at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters above sea level, and some more than 4,000. Steep passes and rarefied air make traveling to Tibet very difficult.
The city of Lhasa was erected in a sparse airspace, at an altitude of more than 3,650 meters. Until the Chinese occupation in 1951, the monks made up the majority of the population here.
The main building of Tibet is the Potala Palace. This huge building is clearly visible from afar from different parts of the city and especially well - from the top of the Chagpo Ri hill. Being in Lhasa, you catch yourself thinking that it is impossible to take your eyes off this building. Potala is located at 3,700 meters above sea level, its height is 115 meters, total area over 130,000 square meters. There is no exact data on how many rooms and halls are in the Potala. Their number is "somewhere over a thousand," as the guides say. Until now, not a single person had ever walked around all the rooms in this palace.
History of the Potala Palace in Lhasa
The name "Potala" comes from a Sanskrit word that means "mountain of the Buddha". On this site in the 7th century AD stood the palace of Song-sten Gampu, dedicated to the Buddhist ruler of Tibet.
Centuries later, in 1645, the Dalai Lama V, who is also the ruler of Tibet, ordered the construction of a palace on the site of the ruined residence. The construction of the first, lower part of the Potala - the Palace (Potrang Karpo) began. The nine-storey structure of the upper part was completed 3 years later. In 1649, the Fifth Dalai Lama moves from Drepung to his new residence.
The circumstances of the construction of the Upper Palace (Potrang Marpi), the second larger building, remain the subject of much controversy to this day. When the Dalai Lama died in 1682, construction had not yet been completed. The death of the Dalai Lama was hushed up until 1694, when, finally, the palace was built. According to some reports, the Red Palace was conceived as a mausoleum.
The thirteenth Dalai Lama undertook some renovation work in the early 20th century, removing some sections of the White Palace in order to expand some of the chapels. Until the 1950s, the palace remained the seat of the Tibetan government.
The Potala came under fire during a popular uprising against the Chinese in 1959. Luckily, the damage was negligible both during the uprising and in the following years of the Cultural Revolution.
The palace remained the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas until 1959, when the current Dalai Lama XIV emigrated to. For many years after the Chinese occupation, the palace was closed to the public, and only in 1980 it was reopened. In 1985, the last restoration work was completed, for which about 4 million dollars were spent.
Features of the Potala Palace in Lhasa
The palace was built from earth, stone and wood using the most elementary means. All building materials people delivered on themselves or on donkeys. It is not difficult to guess that the work was extremely difficult.
To get inside the palace, shaped like a truncated pyramid or trapezoid, you need to go through a wide area located on all sides of the building. Only after passing through them you can approach the slope, over the entire surface of which there are many zigzag staircases connecting all parts of the palace.
Potala Palace is divided into two parts - Pozhanggabo and Pozhangmabo (Red and White Palace). Pozhangabo is the place where the Dalai Lama's private quarters are located and solemn ritual ceremonies are held. Pozhangmabo is the abode of monks and servants. Buddhist halls and burial pagodas-stupas are located here.
In the main part of the building were built government offices, rooms for staff, consisting exclusively of monks, and a monastic school. Previously, there were also meditation rooms, libraries, armories, granaries, storerooms, torture chambers and a punishment cell.
Inside the building there are more than 1,000 different rooms, where 10,000 shrines and at least 20,000 statues are hidden. Numerous chapels and shrines are filled with statues, silk-embroidered paintings, incense vessels, and other ritual objects. The roofs of the palace covered with gold, granite walls, graceful cornices with gilded decorations give architectural ensemble splendor and grandeur.
One of the main attractions of the palace is the many frescoes depicting various everyday and ritual scenes. Some of the frescoes were not available for public viewing for a long time. Only at the end of the 90s they were hung in the halls, and now they can be seen by all the pilgrims and tourists who came to the Potala.
Many of the frescoes depict the twelve-armed god Avalokitereshvara and his wife, the goddess Tara. The fact is that these deities are considered the main patrons of Tibet. Tibetan craftsmen used agate, amber, gold and silver powder to make these frescoes.
On the roof of the Red Palace are the main shrines of the palace - tombs, which are richly decorated with gold and precious stones. The tallest tomb belongs to the 18th Dalai Lama, who died in 1933. It reaches a height of 10 meters, richly decorated with bas-reliefs depicting figures of Lamaism. The sarcophagus of the Dalai Lama is made of silver.
The oldest part of the palace is the lower room, built of rough and unhewn stone. In the center of the room, a hill was built with a sacred casket (“chorten”) placed on it. It is to this room that thousands of pilgrims who come to the Potala Palace strive.
The sacred building of the Potala is visited by a great number of pilgrims and tourists every year. The premises of the palace are open to everyone. True, it will not work to have time to see the entire palace - the Potala is open only 2 days a week and only 2 hours a day.
Potala Palace in TibetThe Potala Palace is the highest ancient castle in the world, located at an altitude of 3767 meters. The Potala Palace is a huge Buddhist temple complex, occupying 360 thousand m 2 and consisting of two parts: the Red Palace, as the center, and the White Palace, like two wings. The height of the palace is 115 meters - these are 13 floors.Potala was the main residence of the Tibetan Dalai Lama for several centuries.Now it's sacred place attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists. Located on the Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa, the Potala is the largest monumental building in all of Tibet, the ancient palace of the world. The word Potala itself means “Mystical Mountain”.
Once within the walls of this huge palace, surrounded by silence and tranquility, the religious ruler of Tibet sat. The centuries-old calm was broken in 1959 by the invasion of Chinese troops into Tibet, as a result of which the Dalai Lama XIV was forced to leave the country and received political asylum in India, where he remains to this day.
The first building on the site of the current palace was built in 637 by the king of Tibet. Songtsen Gampo, who decided to build a small palace over the Fa-Wan cave where he used to meditate. After some time, the king came up with the idea of making Lhasa the capital, so a large palace was erected on the site of the old building, which expanded significantly after Songtsen Gampo became engaged to the Chinese princess Wen Cheng.- by order of the king, the building of the palace was expanded to 999 rooms, and high walls with towers were erected around it and a bypass channel was dug.
Unfortunately, since almost everything in those days was built of wood, the palace, which was no exception, could not survive a severe thunderstorm in the second half of the 8th century, during which lightning struck it, and the fire that started burned all the wooden buildings. What was left of the palace was finally razed to the ground by internecine wars - only Pabalakan Hall and Fa-Vana Cave have survived to this day..
The Potala Palace, which we see today, began to be built only in 1645, during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama. By 1648, the White Palace was built. Red Palace, added in 1694. More than 7,000 workers and 1,500 artists and artisans worked on its construction. In 1922, the 13th Dalai Lama renovated many of the chapels and halls in the White Building and made changes to the Red Building.
After the completion of the White Palace in 1648, the winter residence of the Dalai Lama was placed here. In the Solar Pavilion of the White Palace, the ruler lived and worked, and in the Great Eastern Pavilion he received guests and held solemn ceremonies. The white walls symbolize peace and tranquility. The walls of the hall are decorated with beautiful frescoes and paintings. There is also a statue of the Potala, the most respected artifact that attracts thousands of Tibetan tourists. It is completely covered with gold leaf with a total weight of 550 kg. and encrusted with tens of thousands of precious stones. The rest of the burial stupas, being much smaller in size, are also decorated with a huge amount of gold and jewels.
Great East Hall on the fourth floor with an area of 725 sq.m. was the site of important religious and political ceremonies.Three chapels surround it on three sides: in the east, in the north and in the south. The Dharma Caves and the holy chapel are the only 7th-century buildings with statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wen Cheng and Princess Bhrikuti still standing inside.
The heart of the complex is the Red Building (which was built from 1690 to 1694) - the highest part in the center. This part is entirely devoted to religious education and Buddhist prayers. The building consists of many halls, chapels and libraries on several levels with galleries and winding corridors. Richly decorated with paintings, gems and carvings, it contains several temples and tombs of eight past Dalai Lamas, including pagodas of 200,000 pearls.
The Potala Palace occupies the entire hill on which it is located. The majesty of the huge building, stretching over the entire hill, still amazes both travelers and tourists, as well as the Buddhists and pilgrims themselves.
Innumerable treasures are stored in many halls, there are stupas of the Dalai Lamas and many high teachers, many buddhas and deities. Volumetric tantric mandalas are especially impressive.:
Samvara Mandala
Guhyasamaja Mandala
Yamantaka Mandala
Kalachakra Mandala
In the Potala there are schools of Buddhist logic, a seminary, a printing house, gardens, courtyards, and even a prison. For over 300 years, the ancient palace has kept many cultural relics such as frescoes, stupas, statues, tanka and rare sutras. Of particular importance is the Fa-Wana cave, in which, even before the construction of the building, King Songtsen Gampo read the sacred texts.
In 1994, the Potala Palace was listed world heritage UNESCO and named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Today, the complex is visited daily by thousands of Tibetan pilgrims and travelers from all over the world.
This is what the Potala looks like at night
Roughly knew that in Tibet there is a huge palace on the mountain. I decided that I needed to get to know him better. Let's go together.
Potala - unique ancient palace in Lhasa, located at an altitude of 3767 meters above sea level. No palace in the world is located as high as the Potala. The palace got its name from the name sacred mountain located in India, where, according to legend, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvar (Guanyin) lives.
The first wooden Potala Palace on the slope of the Red Mountain was built in the 7th century for the niece of the Tang emperor Wen Cheng, who came to Tibet to marry the Tibetan prince Srontszangambo (617-650). Wen Cheng captivated the ruler with her beauty and intelligence, and he ordered that a palace be built for her. The Tang princess is the most famous and revered woman in Tibet, who had a huge impact on the development of this region. She taught the locals how to grow vegetables, grind flour, distill wine and spirits, and, most importantly, introduced them to Buddhism, which was already widespread throughout China. With her help, Prince Srontszangambo created an administrative and military system in Tibet.
1939
However, already in the 8th century, the palace with 999 rooms was destroyed by lightning and internecine wars, and only in the 17th century, by order of the fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682), the palace was restored, after which the layout of the building did not change. Since then, the Potala has served as the sacred residence of the Dalai Lamas, a religious center and the place from which Tibet is governed.
The area of the palace occupies 360,000 sq.m., the height is 119 meters. In total, the palace has 9 floors, although from the street it seems that there are 13 of them, and more than 2000 rooms. The majestic trapezoidal structures of the palace are built right on the mountainside and are painted in white and red colors. The walls of the palace are made of granite, while the windows and roofs are made of wood. The interiors are lit with oil lamps, and the halls are decorated with silk ribbons and sutras. The palace is designed in the architectural style typical of Tibet and is the most majestic and striking creation of Tibetan architects and craftsmen. Potala Palace - the oldest and most famous palace in China - is called the "pearl on the roof of the world."
The palace consists of two main parts - the Red Palace in the center and two pavilions of the White Palace.
The Red Palace, or as it is also called Potrang Marpo, mainly served for religious ceremonies and prayers. In its premises there are eight stupas that store a particle of the relics of the Dalai Lamas, numerous relics, items made of precious metals and stones. The palace is characterized by a complex layout of halls, a large number of galleries of different levels, with winding and narrow passages.
The most spacious room of the Red Palace is the Great Western Hall, which consists of four temples. This magnificent hall is the clearest evidence of the greatness and power of the Fifth Dalai Lama. The hall is famous for its unique paintings, reminiscent of Persian miniatures, which depict scenes from the life of the Fifth Dalai Lama. The columns in the hall are wrapped with a special precious fabric from Bhutan.
In the northern part of the hall is a sacred tomb, on the door of which, in the 19th century, the Chinese emperor Tong Ji had an inscription proclaiming Buddhism "a flowering field of wonderful fruits." Here it is ancient statue Avalokitesvara and two of his servants, carved from a precious stone. A floor below, a low, dark passage leads to Fa-vaan's cave.
On the fourth floor of the Red Palace in the Western Temple, there are 5 stupas of the Dalai Lama, including the stupa of the fifth Dalai Lama. Its length is almost 15 meters. The stupa was built from sandalwood, covered with 3727 kg. pure gold, adorned with 18680 pearls and precious stones. On the left is the stupa of the twelfth Dalai Lama, and on the right is the stupa of the tenth.
The 13th Dalai Lama's tomb is located to the west of the Great Western Hall. You can only get here through the top floor along with the monks or guides of the palace. Built in 1933, the giant memorial stupa is covered in pure gold and priceless stones. The memorial stupa reaches 22 meters in height. Rich religious decorations include elephant tusks from India, porcelain vases, and miniature pagodas made from over 200,000 pearls. The walls are decorated with traditional Tibetan paintings depicting events from the life of the 13th Dalai Lama.
In the pavilion of the Red Palace of Shushengsanjiedian, there is an amazing statue of a thousand-handed Guanyin with 11 faces.
The main buildings of the White Palace, the color of which symbolizes tranquility and peace, are the Great Eastern Pavilion, the Solar Pavilion, as well as living quarters for teachers of the Dalai Lamas, trusted monks and officials. The spacious premises of the Great Eastern Pavilion were used for important ceremonies and receptions. Here is the throne of the Dalai Lama.
The Sun Pavilion above the Great East Pavilion served as the living quarters for the Dalai Lamas. This is where they worked.
In addition, two buildings of the 7th century have been preserved in the palace, the only ones that were not destroyed during civil strife - the Fa-wana cave and the Pabalakan pavilion. According to legend, King Srontszangambo used to meditate and study sacred texts in the cave. Until now, the hearth and stone vat, which were used by the king himself, have been preserved in the cave.
A large-scale reconstruction of the palace, for which more than $6.6 million was spent, was carried out in 1989-1994. At the same time, an expensive monitoring system was installed in the premises to prevent fires. December 7, 1994 the palace was included in the UNESCO heritage list. In 2002-2006, more than $40 million was spent on the restoration of the palace. Now the palace is open to tourists and partly works as a museum.
The Potala Palace is almost entirely built of wood. It is lit with oil lamps. And the halls are decorated with silk ribbons with sutras. All of these create a fire hazard. The administration of the Potala Palace pays great attention to the prevention of accidents. Therefore, in 1994, 4.7 million yuan (US$566,000) was invested in the installation of a 24-hour monitoring system. Thanks to the measures taken, since 1988 there has not been a single fire in the palace. December 7, 1994 the palace was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Previously, it has never been calculated how many rooms are in the 13-story palace. It was only in 1994 that the administration nevertheless decided to establish the exact number of premises. To carefully examine the palace, it took specialists as much as five years, longer than the restoration of the building itself. The Potala is a huge treasure trove of ancient relics. The sacred stupa of the 5th Dalai Lama (1617-1682), made of 5.5 kg of gold and a huge amount of precious stones, is kept here.
The Chinese government has invested 4.9 million yuan in the palace's fire protection system. During the first stage of the project, from 1989 to 1994, 53 million yuan (6.4 million US dollars) and several tons of gold were spent to restore the Potala. Prior to this, for 300 years, there were no full-scale reconstructions of the palace. There are many cultural treasures in Tibet. Since the 1950s, the Chinese government has spent 200 million yuan to preserve cultural monuments in Tibet. Historians, ancient architects and geologists carried out research in order to draw up a plan for the preservation of the Potala.
The second phase of the restoration project was completed in 2006. The focus at this stage will be on the "snow town" at the foot of the Red Hill. By 2001, more than 300 families had settled in the snowy town where the Tibetan nobility once lived. At the first stage, the Red and White Palaces of the Potala were restored, the premises were cleaned from rats, and a sewer system was installed. To preserve the appearance of the palace, experts turned to traditional construction techniques. For example, they covered the roof with a layer of oil to make it waterproof. This technology has been used by the Tibetans for centuries. However, even when using oil, the roofs leaked during heavy rains, when the rammed earth from which they were made began to dissolve. At the second stage, a special chemical was added to the rammed earth, which will not allow the roof to pass water. Particular attention was paid to wooden structures. They were treated with a substance that repels rats. But new technologies did not harm the ancient structure of the palace. The purpose of the reconstruction was not to change the original appearance. Special measures were taken to preserve statues, manuscripts and other valuables. Huge statues in multi-layered robes, wooden frames, canvases and sheets of metal were taken out of the palace. During construction, they were kept under the supervision of the monks. None of the 100,000 pieces of art were damaged during the work. In the second phase of the project, which began in 2002, the team abandoned the use of cement for the roof, instead using chemicals. Thus, they avoided the destruction of ancient structures.
The first buildings appeared here as early as the 7th century, but the Potala acquired its current appearance only in the 16th-17th centuries. The palace was built from 641 to the 17th century. In 1645, construction began on the first, lower part of the Potala - the White Palace (Potrang Karpo). The nine-story building was completed 3 years later, and in 1649 the Fifth Dalai Lama moved from Drepung to his new residence.
white palace was the place where the courtiers used to live, there were reception halls, storerooms, etc. They say that treasures, weapons, as well as sacred books and archives that Tibetan kings and Dalai Lamas have been collecting for centuries have been stored here and now. However, this cannot be verified - tourists are only allowed into a few rooms. In addition, photography inside these premises is strictly prohibited.
The central part of the complex - Red Palace(Potrang Marpi) red-brown, like the clothes of lamas, in color. Here were the apartments of the Dalai Lama, the main lamaist shrines, the tombs (suburgans) of the Dalai Lamas, starting from the Fifth.
The circumstances of the construction of the upper Red Palace, which is larger in size, remain the subject of controversy to this day. It is known for sure that the Fifth Dalai Lama died in 1682, and the fact of his death was hidden until the completion of the construction of the Red Palace in 1694, that is, for 12 years. According to some reports, the work was started by a regent who ruled Tibet from 1679 to 1703. According to other sources, the Red Palace was conceived by the Fifth Dalai Lama as a mausoleum, and by the time of his death, work was already in full swing. In any case, the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama was not announced until his body was placed in the newly completed Red Palace.
There are also several opinions regarding the name of the palace. The most likely explanation is that it comes from the Tibetan name used to denote the Pure World of Avalokiteshvara, also known as the Potala. Considering the fact that both Songtsen Gampo and the Dalai Lama are considered to be the earthly incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, this explanation seems quite acceptable.
In total, both palaces have more than 1000 rooms and 13 floors. On the territory of the Potala, Phakpa Lhakhang Temple There is a sacred statue of Aria Lokeshvara for Buddhists. Here is the personal monastery of the Dalai Lama, a religious school, cells of monks, a treasury and storerooms.
Since its construction, the Potala has served as the home of each of the subsequent Dalai Lamas, although since it was built in the 18th century summer palace in Norbulingka, it began to serve only as a winter residence. The Potala also housed the Tibetan government, and with all the chapels, halls, philosophical and religious schools, the tombs of the Dalai Lamas, the palace was a separate world. The 13th Dalai Lama undertook some renovation work in the early 20th century, removing some sections of the White Palace in order to expand some of the cells.
The Potala was also shelled during a popular uprising against the Chinese in 1959. Luckily, the damage was not significant either during the uprising or in the following years of the Cultural Revolution.
For many years after the Chinese occupation, the palace was closed to the public, and only in 1980 it was reopened. In 1985, restoration work was completed, for which about $4 million was spent.
In 1645, the Potala Palace was rebuilt by the Fifth Dalai Lama. The reconstruction process lasted 50 years. After that, for three hundred years, the palace was partially rebuilt and completed. The Potala Palace today has 9 tiers (although there are 13 in appearance) and rises 110 meters along the mountainside. It is a mixed construction of stone and wood. The walls are built of granite. The greatest thickness of the walls is 5 meters. Molten Gugong is also poured into the front of the walls to strengthen the structure and increase resistance to earthquakes. At the same time, golden details of the decor were made, which made it possible to ingeniously solve the problem of a lightning rod. For hundreds of years, the Potala Palace has been tested by lightning, thunder and earthquakes. However, he, as before, rises in all his glory. The Potala Palace consists of the White Palace (the residence of the Dalai Lamas), located on the sides, and the central Red Palace (Buddhist pavilions and halls of the Dalai Lamas) and the western white Buddhist halls. In front of the Red Palace rises the white tower Sayfotai, where large tanks hang - woven icons (or applications) with the image of Buddha. All the buildings of the Potala were erected in different periods, however, during the construction, the mountainous terrain was cleverly used and excellent constructive solutions were used. The Potala Palace has reached a high aesthetic level. The Red Palace is the main object of the entire ensemble. It contains the halls of the Dalai Lamas of different generations and various memorial and prayer halls. Including the most famous hall with a stupa of the fifth generation Dalai Lama Losanjiatso. The stupa is almost 15 meters high. It has a square foundation and a round roof. The body of the stupa can be divided into three parts: the foundation, the body-“decanter” and the roof. The body of the fifth generation Dalai Lama, in incense and red flowers, was buried in a "decanter". The stupa is lined with 3724 kg. gold leaf and decorated with more than 15 thousand precious stones, such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, green jade, pearls, agates. On the foundation of the stupa there are vessels for sacrifices. The western hall is called Xiangtan. This is the largest hall in the palace of the fifth generation Dalai Lama. The roof of the structure is supported by 48 large wooden columns 6 meters high. During the construction, the architects used an arched structure, which is often used in buildings of Han architecture. There are many wooden sculptures of Buddha, lions, elephants and various animals. During the reconstruction and expansion of the Potala Palace in the XVII century. famous Tibetan masters have created tens of thousands of beautiful wall paintings, which are displayed in the halls and galleries. The content of the paintings is varied. They depict historical characters, plots of stories and legends, moments in the history of Buddhism, and also reflect life, folk customs, sports entertainment and games. All these paintings are priceless works of art of the Potala Palace.
In addition, the Potala Palace contains tens of thousands of scroll paintings, examples of stone and wood carvings, clay sculpture, historical treasures such as the Beijing (Buddhist canon on shells), as well as traditional art objects such as Tibetan carpets, Jingfan (Canon on silk or wool), ceramics, porcelain, jade products, etc. They not only have a high artistic value, but also reflect the ancient thousand-year history of friendly contacts and cultural ties between the Han and Tibetans. Being the “Pearl of the Roof of the World”, the Potala Palace is known throughout the world due to its palace structures, clay and wooden statues, metal products, drawings and paintings, as well as various carvings. It demonstrates the highest technique of the Tibetan, Han, Mongolian and Manchu masters, as well as the magnificent achievements of the Tibetan building art. In 1994, the Potala Palace was officially included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
Home and central part The complex is represented by the White Palace (Potrang Karpo) in the east and the Red Palace (Potrang Marpo) - in the west.
The Potala Palace was created as a symbol of Tibetan statehood. This happened at a time when the country was once again united by the administration of the Buddhist Dalai Lamas.
In order to finally raise above all mortals the already high temple-palace, which is also high in the mountains, it is named after the mythical palace in southern India, which belonged to the patron saint of Tibet, the Buddhist deity Avalokiteshvara, standing on a mountaintop, on the coast indian ocean(in Chinese Buddhism, Putuo's paradise on an island in the East China Sea). According to Buddhist mythology, the Potala is the paradise where the bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Tara live.
Story
The Tibetan temple-palace Potala was built on the site of a huge (more than 1000 rooms) palace of the king of the Yarlung dynasty of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, who ruled in 604-650. and brought Buddhism to the people of Tibet. Today, visitors to the Potala are shown the Chogyal Drupuk Cave, where King Songtsen Gampo meditated, and the Phakra Lhakhang Hall as surviving fragments of that ancient palace complex. Songtsen Gampo was considered the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara.The ideological inspirer and initiator of the construction of the Potala in 1645 was Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682) - the fifth Dalai Lama, or the Great Fifth, a Tibetan religious and political figure. He was also considered to be the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara. Consequently, the Potala Palace - a paradise on earth - became a clear confirmation of the integrity and revival of the Tibetan state.
However, in the construction of the Potala Palace, there is also an obvious political subtext. First half of the 17th century became a period of fierce struggle between rival schools of Tibetan Buddhism, supported by the rulers of different regions of Tibet. It was in 1642 that the Fifth Dalai Lama received supreme authority over all of Tibet: his Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism defeated all others, and a new supreme Tibetan religious government emerged. Lhasa was declared the capital, where they erected a palace for the new nobility.
The first of the entire complex was built the White Palace in 1645-1648: the Fifth Dalai Lama turned it into his winter residence.
The Red Palace was erected between 1690 and 1694.
Before the start of construction, the site was prepared: the crest of the mountain was leveled using the technique of cutting descending terraces, traditional for Tibetan mountain architecture. Thus, a striking effect of the building “growing” out of the mountain was achieved.
In terms of building technology and materials, the Potala Palace is similar to ordinary peasant houses in Tibet.
Powerful external load-bearing walls are made of roughly processed stones. They are cemented with clay. Thick wooden beams are inserted into the walls, supporting the floor and ceiling. Indoors, the beams are supported by wooden columns.
The sloping outer walls are also typical of the houses of ordinary Tibetans: the walls are sloping inwards by 6-9°. The space between the outer and inner walls reaches 5 m (!), It is filled with earth, stones and intertwined willow branches.
The Potala Palace, by its very appearance, should inspire awe and obedience to the will of the gods and their representatives on earth. That is why he was raised up on a hill in the middle of a valley high in the mountains of Tibet.
Created with the support of the Mongols, the Potala Palace in its appearance combined the Indian roots of Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese architectural decoration and traditional Tibetan building technology.
Since 1951, it has been part of the PRC as an autonomous region. Its spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has been in exile since 1959. But the Potala Palace survived: unlike most Tibetan monasteries and temples, the Potala was not destroyed by the Red Guards and the Chinese army, thanks to the personal order of the first Premier of the State Council of the PRC, Zhou Enlai (1898-1976).
Potala today remains the architectural embodiment of the Buddhist essence of Tibet.
The White Palace consists of the spacious East Pavilion, the Solar Pavilion, the living quarters of the regent and the tutor of the Dalai Lama, and more office space government of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Great East Pavilion has always been used for official ceremonies. The Dalai Lama's private quarters were located in the Solar Pavilion, where he lived and worked, read sacred texts, and resolved management issues.
The Red Palace served as a place for prayer meetings and religious rituals. There are also several pavilions here.
In the western annex of the Red Palace is the tomb of Thupten Gyatso, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama (1876-1933), who ruled from 1895 to 1933.
He was also awarded this honor for the fact that in 1912 he achieved the proclamation of the independence of Tibet and the formation of an independent Tibetan state.
The walls of the Potala Palace are covered with a layer of lime in the White Palace and ocher in the Red Palace. The walls always look like new, because they are poured over from above, and yak wool is used instead of tassels.
You can always find out what places in the palace are of particular importance: they have small gilded Chinese roofs, but at the same time with gilded Indian ornaments, made in the old days by Nepalese craftsmen.
The windows of the palace are covered with black yak wool carpets.
Eight memorial stupas with the embalmed bodies of the Dalai Lamas are considered very important for the palace and the Potala temple. Among them is the stupa of the Fifth Dalai Lama, the builder of the White Palace.
The Potala Palace is surrounded by monastic living quarters (concentrated in the western wing), storerooms and external fortifications. Due to the crowding of buildings, it is sometimes difficult to judge what period they belong to, but, in all likelihood, this is the end of the 17th century. It should be noted that the palace-temple was constantly being completed, making changes to the overall complex.
Visitors can enter the Potala Palace complex through a narrow gate accessed by several stepped ramps.
In the interior of the palace, wooden beams and columns, as well as walls, are decorated with intricate carvings and drawings. The halls are filled with many relics: these are spatial mandalas for contemplation, funeral stupas, statues of the Dalai Lamas and teachers, statues of deities and yidams, books, ritual objects.
In all the centuries of its existence, the Potala Palace has never been tangibly damaged. Its beautiful appearance and good condition of the interiors are supported only by the necessary repairs.
Lhasa has grown noticeably in recent decades, with many modern-style buildings, but the Potala, as of old, still towers majestically above the changing urban landscape.
The Potala Palace was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
general information
Location: southeast Tibet.Administrative location: Lhasa city, Tibetan autonomous region, China.
Status : place of worship, historical monument.
Construction: VII, XVII, XIX centuries.
Languages: Tibetan, Chinese.
Ethnic composition: Tibetans, Hans.
Religion: Buddhism.
Currency unit: yuan.
Numbers
The total area of the palace: 360,000 m2 (together with the front yard and pond).The total height of the complex: 117 m.
Length: 400 m.
Width: 350 m.
Wall thickness: 3-5 m.
Floors: 13.
Height above sea level: 3650 m.
East Court Square (terraces): 1600 m2.
Chogyal Drupuk cave area: 27 m2.
Number of monks(Namgyal monastery) : 200.
Climate and weather
Mountain.January average temperature: -2.5°C.
July average temperature: +15°С.
Average annual rainfall: 420 mm.
Relative humidity: 60%.
Attractions
■ Potala palace and temple complex(VII, XVII centuries).■ white palace(1645-1648)
■ red palace(1690-1694)
■ Thupten Gyatso Tomb- Dalai Lama XIII (1934-1936)
■ Other structures: monastic living quarters, storerooms and external fortifications (end of the 17th century).
Curious facts
■ In 1652, the Fifth Dalai Lama, the builder of the Potala, arrived in Beijing, where the Yellow Palace was built especially for him. The Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty, then ruling China, gave the Fifth Dalai Lama the title of Piercing, carrying a thunder scepter like an ocean lama, as a token of special gratitude. In gratitude, the Fifth Dalai Lama awarded the emperor with the title of Heavenly God, Manjushri, the Highest, the Great Lord.■ Construction stone was brought to the construction site from a quarry northeast of Lhasa. Porters delivered - on their own backs and in drags. The clay used as a mortar was mined on the spot, and the remaining pits were turned into a pond, called the Pool of the Dragon King.
■ The Thirteenth Dalai Lama played a very important role in the so-called Great Game - the diplomatic and military confrontation between Russia, Great Britain and the Qing Empire in late XIX- early XX century. At the same time, he was on the side of Russia. In 1904, after the British invasion of Tibet, the Dalai Lama fled to Urga, the capital of Mongolia. Turning to the Russian consulate, he asked the tsarist government for permission to move to Russia. The Dalai Lama was refused: if this request were granted, Russia would spoil relations with China for a long time, if not forever.
■ The main difference between the architecture of the Potala and the walls of traditional Tibetan houses is that the walls of the small bastions in the east and west wings are rounded, not straight.
■ Only diligent adherence to the Tibetan traditions of house-building in the Potala can explain the presence of a vertical parapet on the flat roofs, into whose front surface branches of willow and tamarisk are inserted, the ends pointing outward and painted red. They symbolize bundles of brushwood and armfuls of hay, which even today Tibetan peasants pile on the roofs of their simple houses.
■ The underground sanctuary of the ancient pre-Buddhist religion Bon has been preserved in the lower basement tier.
■ Relics of the Potala - one hundred sacred scrolls on palm leaves from ancient India. They were written over a thousand years ago, using gold and silver ink, dyes from pearls, iron powder, coral, seashells and copper dust. The paper of the scrolls does not lend itself to damage by insects or dampness.
■ After the reincarnation of the Fifth Dalai Lama (his death and the search for a new one), his associates hid this for almost ten years, fearing that the people would rebel and stop working on the construction of the Potala Palace.
■ Stupa of the Fifth Dalai Lama occupies the fourth floor, its height is about 15 m, it is made of gold.
