The birth of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the most powerful sect of Tibetan Buddhism was predicted by Sakyamuni approximately 2000 years before. Tsongkhapa was aghast at the prevailing ill discipline - intellectual, religious and monastic - of contemporary orders. Hence, he laid the foundation of a strict new order, the Gelug sect, to reinstate the austerity of monastic life and stressed the importance of philosophical study within it. The Ganden Monastery, founded in 1409, became the first and the main Gelug Monastery. The name Ganden is also hugely significanr. In Tibet, Ganden is the name for the paradise for Future Buddha. In this sense, the Ganden Monastery is viewed as the route through which the Future Buddha will put an end to suffering and this world will achieve salvation.

The very first abbot of the Ganden Monastery was the great Tsongkhapa himself. He was also the head of the Gelug sect. Following the tradition, till date, the abbot of the Ganden Monastery is the head of the Gelug sect instead of the Dalai Lama. The succession of the Ganden Tripa, the head of the monastery, is very different from that of the Dalai Lama. Rather than following the principle of reincarnation, there is an elective system for the selection of the next Ganden Tripa.


For Buddhist tourists today, Ganden Monastery is a highly recommended destination. It is located in the Tagtse County, 47 kilometers (29 miles) from Lhasa City, atop the Wangbur Mountain at an altitude of 3800m. Tourists visiting the monastery need to keep a complete day in hand, not because the monastery itself takes so long to be explored completely, but because of the distance from the Lhasa city. The monastery is open for visit from 9 in the morning to 4 in evening.


Inside
The layout of the monastery is drawn from the principles of dharma, since the Gelug sect regards it as extremely important. There are 50 structures in total including the Main Assembly Hall (or Coqen Hall), Zhacangs, Khangtsens, and Myicuns.

The Main Assembly Hall or the Coqen Hall stands in the northern part of the complex and faces south. It is segregated into three levels. The Sutra hall is in the middle of the first floor and is huge enough to accommodate around 3000 lamas at once. Three Buddha Halls branch out from it and house the statues of the Maitreya Buddha and the master Tsong Khapa, the establisher of Gelugpa.

Standing west of the Coqen hall is another Main Hall which comprises the of the Buddhist Guardian Hall, Mandala Hall, and other complexes. A huge stone at the back of this hall is believed to have flown all the way from India.

Tri Thok Khang is amongst the earlier structures of the monastery and was added upon in 1720. The hall served as the bedchamber of the Tsong Khapa and other heads of the monastery. Within the hall, the highlights are the statues of the Sitatapatra and Manjushri Bodhisattva as well as the clothings of Tsongkhapa and other Tripas. Because the hall preserves clothes, it is also known as the 'Clothing-Preserving Hall'.

A must see in the Ganden Monastery is the Holy Stupa Hall, Serdhung. It was made use of by Tsongkhapa and post his death, a silver pagoda was constructed inside to honour him. Initially, 900 taels of silver surrounded the body of Tsongkhapa. Later on, the 13th Dalai Lama covered it with gold. From this time onwards a siver pagoda was erected every time the tripa of the monastery died. 95 pagodas were erected in the hall till the time of Tibet's liberation.

The Holy Stupa Hall is indeed worthvisiting, but the monastery also has some other attractions within. These include the jewel studded armour of Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), beautiful tapestries from Jiangsu Province, sutra written in gold and a set of thangka painted with sixteen arhats and the four Heavenly Kings.

There are two tantric colleges or Zhacang in the Ganden Monastery - Xaze and Jamze. These colleges spread over an area of 1000 sqm and can accommodate 1500 lamas at a time. There are also 23 Khangtsens and 20 Myicuns that function as monks' living area. 9 debating courtyard are the place where the monks conduct debates on sutras and perform summons ceremonies.


Festival
The Buddha Painting Unfolding Festival is organised every year with much enthusiasm in this monastery. Thousands of tourists throng the monastery during this time to witness the grandeur that marks the celebration of the festival.


Lhasa
With a stunning location and a cultural heritage of over 1000 years, Lhasa is one of the most visited place in Asia today. It is believed to have become the capital of Lhasa during the reigns of Songtsen Gampo. It was during his time that the Potala Palace, the Jokhang temple and the Ramoche Monastery came up. Later, in the 15th century, Tsongkhapa laid the foundation of the three Gelukpa Monastery - Ganden, Sera and Drepung - thereby enhancing the importance of the Lhasa, as Buddhist destination tremendously.

Today, Lhasa, the holy or Buddha Land, is a must visit for Buddhist tourists. The best time to pay a visit is between October to March.


Other Attractions

• Potala Palace : The palace was originally built by king Songtsen Gampo for the use of his Chinese wife, Princess Wen Cheng. Later, the 13th Dalai Lama expanded the palace. The Potala Palace has two distinctive parts, the Red Palace and the White Palace. Treasures inside the palace include relics like delicate murals, holy sculptures, thangkas, rare sutras and valuable vessels
  
  
  
• Jokhang Temple : The Jokhang Temple was constructed in the 7th century by king Songtsen Gampo and is one of the 'not missed Buddhist destinations' in Tibet. The highlight of the monastery is the statue of Sakyamnui which was sculpted during his lifetime itself. Apart from this statue, other worth appreciating attractions in the temple include two thangkas showing Yamantaka and Chakrasamvara from the Ming dynasty as well as a golden vase upon which the reincarnations of Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama are decided. The temple is open from 9 in the morning to 4 in the evening.