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| Saturday, 27 September 2003 |
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Tibet - a land of mythical mountains by Jayantha Sri Nissanka in Tibet For many centuries Tibet has been considered as a paradise by travellers. Itis sparsely populated land, unspoiled nature, magnificent topography - Himalayas, Mount Qomolangma (Everest), rivers, etc add to the country's allure. Though Tibet is known as a paradise, access to the Tibet is not easy due to transportation difficulties. Flights from China to Tibet are packed with tourists. Wherever you go in Tibet you can see glittering golden roofs of monasteries on mountains. These monasteries are witnessed of rich cultural and religious lives of Tibetans who are searching the philosophy of life and Nirvana. It is a common scene on roads elderly people attire in traditional Tibetan dress walk turning prayer wheels. Possibly they may be walking to monasteries. Religion has taken deep roots in the hearts of Tibetans affecting every aspect of their lifestyle. Indeed devotion to religion has become a part of the Tibetan life. From any part of the Tibet capital Lhasa, anyone can see the golden roof of the Potala Palace, one of the most important buildings in Tibet as it was the religious and administrative centre of 13 Dalai Lamas in the past. Construction of this Palace was begun in the 7th century A.D. by Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo. This is one place any tourist will spend more time. The name 'Potala' is a Sanskrit word which means mythical mountain. The Palace covers 130,000 square metres of floor area and is located 3,700 metres above sea level. the main building consists of 13 floors. The UNESCO declared the Palace as a world heritage site in 1994. Although it was constructed in the 7th century, the Palace was totally destroyed by fire. However, during the rule of 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century large-scale reconstruction was begun on the original site. Thereafter, renovation was continued by successive Dalai Lamas. The Palace consists of red palace and white palace. The red palace was the religious area and the white palace was the administrative area of Dalai Lamas. Tombs of 13 Dalai Lamas were housed in the red palace. Some of these tombs have been made out of pure gold and ornamented with numerous precious stones. For instance, the tomb of the 5th Dalai Lama had been made using 3,500 kgs of gold. The Palace has a rich collection of cultural relics, many of which are considered to be of State class. They include statues of Buddha, paintings, frescoes, Buddhist scriptures and sacrificial articles. The unique style of the Palace makes it the symbol of Tibet towering over the city of Lhasa from a mountain top. Since it is the official residence of Dalai Lamas, the palace was representative of the region's former theocracy. But today it has become an art museum and a treasure house of historical documents. |
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