Potala Palace - the tallest 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 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 Grand Palace above the cave of Fa-Wan, 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 palace building 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 local residents 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 a typical Tibetan architectural style and is the most majestic and striking creation of Tibetan architects and craftsmen. Castle Potala - ancient and the most famous palace in China - 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 is an ancient statue of Avalokiteshvara 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 hurt ancient construction 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 a place where courtiers used to live, there were reception halls, pantries, 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. It's sama Big 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.
Tibet is home to one of the most beautiful Buddhist palaces in the world, the Potala. The building got its name in the 11th century. In 1994, the Potala Temple was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is located at an altitude of more than 3 thousand meters. The Potala Temple is the official winter representation of the Dalai Lama. It was here that all the ceremonies, meetings with the Tibetan government were held. Currently, a lot of tourists come here from different countries the world in order to see with their own eyes all the beauty and power of the Tibetan temple, to get acquainted with rare exhibits.
History of the Potala
This beautiful temple complex is located in the picturesque Lhasa Valley on Mount Marpo Ri. In Tibet, it is one of the tallest monumental structures. According to a mythical legend, Songtsen Gempo (a Tibetan ruler in the 7th century AD) meditated in a cave on Mount Marpo Ri. Later, he decided to build a temple complex on the hill. The building had its original appearance until the 17th century. With the help of the Dalai Lama in 1648, the temple was restored and slightly reconstructed. Today it is this building that travelers can see when they arrive in Tibet. About 7 thousand workers and 1,000 artists took part in the construction of the structure.
In 1922, the Supreme Head of Tibet repaired the halls and other places of worship in the White Palace, and the workers also restored the Red Palace. This great building was damaged only once - in 1959 during the invasion of the Chinese.
In addition, the temple remained in excellent condition even after the robberies of the Red Guards, who destroyed many Tibetan palaces in the 60-70s. 20th century. In the Potala temple complex, all the exhibits and sanctuaries at that time remained intact.
Once upon a time, administrators and religious mentors were trained in the castle. In the White Palace are small chapels that are valued for their safety and sacredness.
White Palace
The Potala Temple consists of the White and Red Palaces. In the White Palace you can see the rooms of the monks of the Supreme Head of Tibet, the Solar and the Great East Pavilions.
It is worth noting that the Solar Pavilion consists of an eastern and a western part. The rooms of the thirteenth Supreme Head of Tibet are located in the western part, and the rooms of the fourteenth Dalai Lama are located in the eastern part. Tourists will be able to see brocade blankets, jasper and gold tea utensils, porcelain sculptures, statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and much more in the Sun Pavilion.
The Great East Pavilion is the largest in the White Palace. It was here that cultural celebrations and political meetings took place. The walls of the Great Eastern Pavilion are decorated with frescoes on the themes: “the life story of a princess”, “how a monkey turned into a man”. In the center of the large pavilion stands a large statue of the Dalai Lama.
Red Palace
In the Red Palace, the monks of the Dalai Lama read prayers in the name of Buddha Shakyamuni. Here you can see many pavilions with memorial shrines and other unusual rooms.
The Red Palace has eight sanctuaries, among which it is worth highlighting the rooms of the thirteenth Dalai Lama and the fifth Supreme Head of Tibet. Their appearance just surprises. They are so large and luxurious that any tourist will definitely remember the memorial sanctuaries in the Potala for a lifetime. The stupa of the fifth Dalai Lama has a height of more than fourteen meters (five-story building). It is completely made of real gold. Tibetan memorial shrines alone are a large part of the world's wealth.
The Stupa of the thirteenth Dalai Lama rises to a height of about 14 m. It was built in 1934.
In the Red Palace, travelers will see various attributes, unique scriptures, unusual products and handicrafts, icons of Buddhist saints, frescoes depicting the construction of the Tibetan temple complex.
The highest and most spacious hall of the Red Palace is its western part. This is where the Dalai Lama once received guests, held ceremonial events and held sacrifices. Among the exhibits there is a banner with imperial painting, brocade and gold threads. You can also see the statue of the many-armed and many-faced Avalokiteshvara, made of silver and gold.
The most ancient attraction of the temple complex is the Pabalakan pavilion (Avalokiteshvar) and the Favana cave (27 sq. km.). The pavilion is located directly above the cave, which allows tourists to view the beauty of the complex. Fawan Cave houses rare statues of princesses of the Tufan Kingdom: Ludongzang, Chizul and Wencheng.
Most of the roofs of the pavilions of the palace are covered with gilding and have a traditional Chinese shape with flying corners, which are often decorated with animals from legends.
Potala Palace is a monument of Buddhist architecture. Many exhibits here are unique and amazing. Having visited this Palace, travelers want to come back here again.
Lhasa, translated from Tibetan, means “Land of the Gods” and the presence of the divine is really felt everywhere here.
When you come to Lhasa, especially on your first trip to Tibet, the first thing you notice is the Potala Palace (Tib.: པོ་ཏ་ལ potala, Chinese: 布达拉宫 budalagong), towering on Mount Marpo Ri in the city center , which for many centuries was the winter residence of the Dalam Lamas. The palace is named after Mount Potalaka, the mythical habitat of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the living embodiment of which is the Dalai Lama.
Construction of the Potala began in 637 by the king of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo. However, after a fire and internecine wars, the palace was completely destroyed and acquired its present appearance already under the fifth Dalai Lama in the middle of the 17th century.
In 1645, the Fifth Dalai Lama ordered the construction of the White Palace to begin. Three years later, in 1649, the 9-story structure was completed and the Dalai Lama moved into it from Drepung Monastery. Subsequently, the construction of the Red Palace was started, which was erected by 1694. An interesting fact, which is still the cause of various disputes and disagreements, is that until the completion of the construction of the palace, the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama was hidden from the people. According to the data, the Fifth Dalai Lama died in 1682, but this news was kept in deep secrecy. There are many opinions about the reasons for hiding the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama. One version says that death was hiding from the people in order to complete the construction of the Red Palace. After all, the people building the palace were inspired by the deepest faith and respect for the Fifth Dalai Lama. The news of his death could stop the construction of the Palace, so his death was hidden for 12 years until the construction of the palace was completed.
Potala consists of 13 floors with a total height of 118 meters. Inside there are one thousand rooms, in which there are more than one hundred thousand altars and two hundred thousand Buddhist statues and images. Particular attention is paid to the stupas, which contain the relics of the Fifth and Thirteenth Dalai Lamas. Currently, the Potala attracts thousands of Buddhist pilgrims. They bypass the bark ritual detours) around the Palace, recite mantras and prayers, make prostrations.
Mount Chakpo Ri rises opposite the Potala. In the 15th century, a medical college was located on this mountain, which, unfortunately, was destroyed in 1959. Now Chakpo Ri attracts pilgrims and tourists with its rock paintings. Many of them have survived since the time of King Songtsen Gampo (7th century).
I would like to return to this place of power again and again, inhale this rarefied air with the aromas of incense, yak oil and crystal freshness, slowly make barks around the Potala, absorbing its history and wisdom.
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 included the palace in the list of cultural monuments in need of special state protection.
