Tsang - Tibet - page 303

Look for the huge animal horns, elephant tusks and tiger skin adorning the pillars along-
side some lovely bodhisattva statues. Sakya's famous library (admission ¥10), long con-
sidered the greatest in Tibet, is also accessible from this hall and worth a visit for its floor-
to-ceiling collection of texts.
As you exit the assembly hall the chapel to the right (south) is the Purba Lhakhang .
Central images are of Sakyamuni (Sakya Thukpa) and of Jampelyang (Manjushri), while
wall paintings behind depict Tsepame (Amitayus) to the left, Drölma (Tara) and white,
multi-armed Namgyelma (Vijaya) to the far left, as well as a medicine buddha, two
Sakyamunis and Jampa (Maitreya).
To the north of the inner courtyard is the Nguldung Lhakhang containing 11 gorgeous
silver chörtens, which are also reliquaries for former Sakya abbots. Look to the left corner
for the sand mandala inside a dirty glass case. A sometimes-locked door leads into another
chapel with additional amazing chörtens and murals. Bring a torch as the room is even
dimmer than others.
Next door is a new Relic Exhibition (admission ¥20), which contains several of the
monastery's prize statues and thangkas.
As you exit the inner courtyard take the entry way left to the Tsechu Lhakhang , which
houses a speaking statue of Guru Rinpoche and funeral chörtens from the lineage holders
of Drölma Phodrang (Sakya had two ruling houses, the Drölma Phodrang and the Phutsok
Phodrang).
There are a couple of chapels open outside of this central complex (but still within the
walled compound), the most interesting of which is the very spooky protector chapel of
the Phakpa Lhakhang . If the thick incense doesn't get you, the terrifying monsters, huge
cham masks and demonic yaks that wait in the dark recesses just might.
There are several other gönkhangs on the top floor of the monastery, accessed by a long
ladder to the side of the main entrance.
It is possible to climb up onto the outer walls of the monastery for a final kora of the
monastery that takes in fine views of the surrounding valley.
Northern Monastery Ruins RUINS
Little is left of the original monastery complex that once sprawled across the hills north of
the Trum-chu, but it is still worth climbing up through the Tibetan village and wandering