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P
O T A L A . P A L A C E
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@exotic.T
I B E T
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| Perched
upon Marpo Ri hill, 130 meters above the Lhasa valley, the Potala
Palace rises a further 170 meters and is the greatest monumental
structure in all of Tibet. Early legends concerning the rocky
hill tell of a sacred cave, considered to be the dwelling place
of the Bodhisattva Chenresi (Avilokiteshvara), that was used
as a meditation retreat by Emperor Songtsen Gampo in the seventh
century AD. In 637 Songtsen Gampo built a palace on the hill.
This structure stood until the seventeenth century, when it
was incorporated into the foundations of the greater buildings
still standing today. Construction of the present palace began
in 1645 during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama and by 1648
the Potrang Karpo, or White Palace, was completed. The Potrang
Marpo, or Red Palace, was added between 1690 and 1694; its construction
required the labors of more than 7000 workers and 1500 artists
and craftsman. In 1922 the 13th Dalai Lama renovated many chapels
and assembly halls in the White Palace and added two storeys
to the Red Palace. The Potala Palace was only slightly damaged
during the Tibetan uprising against the invading Chinese in
1959. Unlike most other Tibetan religious structures, it was
not sacked by the Red Guards during the 1960s and 1970s, apparently
through the personal intervention of Chou En Lai. As a result,
all the chapels and their artifacts are very well preserved.
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From
as early as the eleventh century the palace was called Potala.
This name probably derives from Mt. Potala, the mythological
mountain abode of the Bodhisattva Chenresi (Avilokiteshvara
/ Kuan Yin) in southern India. The Emperor Songtsen Gampo had
been regarded as an incarnation of Chenresi. Given that he founded
the Potala, it seems likely that the hilltop palace of Lhasa
took on the name of the Indian sacred mountain. The Potala Palace
is an immense structure, its interior space being in excess
of 130,000 square meters. Fulfilling numerous functions, the
Potala was first and foremost the residence of the Dalai Lama
and his large staff. In addition, it was the seat of Tibetan
government, where all ceremonies of state were held; it housed
a school for religious training of monks and administrators;
and it was one of Tibet's major pilgrimage destinations because
of the tombs of past Dalai Lamas. |
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| A
walk around the back of the palace reveals its more fortress-like
nature. The palace is divided into the "white palace," which
is primarily used for administrative and residential purposes,
and the "red palace," which houses the important spiritual areas.
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