Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drigung Til Monastery
Elev 4150m
Although it suffered some damage in the Cultural Revolution,
Drigung Til Monastery
(Zhígòngtī Sì; admission ¥30)
is in better shape than most of the other monastic centres in this
part of Ü. First established in 1167, it is the head monastery of the Drigungpa school of the
Kagyupa order and the most famous sky-burial site in central Tibet. By 1250 it was
already vying with Sakya for political power - as it happened, not a particularly good
move because the Sakya forces joined with the Mongol army to sack Drigung Til in 1290.
Thus chastened, the monastery subsequently devoted itself to the instruction of contem-
plative meditation. There are around 205 monks at Drigung Til these days.
Drigung Til sprouts from a high, steep ridge overlooking the Zhorong-chu Valley. The
180-degree views from the main courtyard are impressive and a serene stillness pervades
the site. It's a joy just to hang out in the courtyard by the monastery to take in the view
with the monks after their morning prayer or during afternoon debates.
Every 12 years, in the year of the monkey, Drigung Til stages the massive Powa
Chenmo festival, which brings pilgrims from all over Tibet. The festival was banned by
the Chinese in 1959 but allowed to resume in 1992 and 2004, when it attracted more than
100,000 people. The next Powa Chenmo is scheduled for 2016, if the authorities allow it
to go ahead.
Sights
Assembly Hall
BUDDHIST, MONASTERY
The main assembly hall is the most impressive of Drigung's buildings. The central figure
inside is Jigten Sumgon, the founder of the monastery. Look for the statue of local protect-
or Abchi on a pillar to the side.
Upstairs on the 1st-floor Serkhang (golden chapel) you can see statues of Jigten
Sumgon and his two successors, all wearing red hats. Jigten's footprint is set in a slab of
rock to the side of the statue, as is his silver funeral chörten.
From the 1st floor you can go upstairs to a balcony and a circuit of prayer wheels. Steps
lead up from here to the chörtens of two previous abbots.
