One of the most famous temple or monastery of Lhasa, the Jokhang stands on the Barkhor Square. Buddhist tourists make it a point to pay a visit to this monastery during their visit to Tibet. In the year 2000, it was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The temple was constructed during the reign of Tubo king Songtsen Gampo to instal the Buddha statue his Chinese and Nepalese wife had brought along after their marriage. Later, additions were made to it by the Yuan dynasty, Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty and hence the temple complex expanded to reach its present size.


As per a legend, a number of attempts were made to construct the Jokhang temple, however, every time the attempt failed miserably. At this point of time, the Chinese wife of Songtsen Gampo, Wen Cheng, revealed that since the geography of Tibet resembled a hag with the lake (site of the temple) at the heart, it was extremely important to destroy the hag first before constructing the temple. For this, she suggested the levelling of lake with soil from a mountain located far off using 1000 sheep. The advise was heeded and finally, when the temple was constructed, it was called Ra-Sa-Vphrul-Snang to mark the tremendous effort put in by the sheep. The authenticity of the legend is not confirmed yet it is for sure that the temple played a great role in enhancing the influence of Buddhism in Tibet on the whole.

Tourists visiting the temple must know that it is open between 9 in the morning to 6 in the evening and a minimum of two hours is needed to enjoy a visit here.


Inside
The four storey timber Jokhang Temple reflects the amalgamation of the Tang, Tibetan and Nepalese

architectural style. From the square of the temple, tourists can have a wonderful view of the entire complex.

On the square itself, there are two slabs, one of which records the friendship between the king of Tibet and the Tang dynasty while the other preserves the teaching of the Tibetan people to prevent and treat smallpox.

To reach the main hall of the temple, tourists need to follow the path illuminated by votive lights in the eastern section. This main hall is the oldest structure in the complex. The portion above the main entrance is occupied by the Dharma Wheel (chakra) with two deers on its side which represents te oneness of all thing or Shakyamuni himself. In the passageway, there are paintings presenting the buiding of the temple on walls on both sides. Right in the middle of the main hall, the beautifully jewel decorated statue of Sakyamuni Buddha at the age of 12 is installed. The statue is extremely precious since it is believed to be one of those three statues that was designed and sculpted during the lifetime of Shakyamuni himself. So in a sense, the statue is closest to what Shakymuni actually looked like during his lifetime.

The second floor of the temple houses the statues of King Songtsem Gampo, Princess Wen Cheng and Princess Bhrikuti. The top floor has four gilded bronze tops crafted typically in Tang style.


Festival
The Jokhang temple is the venue for the annual Great Prayer Festival which is celebrated from the 8th to the 15th day of the first month of Tibetan Calendar. The festival has been celebrated since 500 years now and is the time when Buddhist learners from all over the world come over to debate on Buddhist scriptures and take religious examinations. Devotees also make a visit during this time to worship Buddha.


Lhasa
Lhasa, meaning the holy land or the Buddha land, is a perfecture level city of Tibet comprising one district and seven counties. Legends say that Lhasa was made the capital city during the reigns of Songtsen Gampo itself, however, records reveal that the Tibetan empire was ruled over from a moving capital. Lhasa rose into prominence during Je Tsongkhapa and the 5th Dalai Lama when a number of Buddhist structures were erected and expanded.

Today, Lhasa is one of the prime destination for Buddhist tourists throughout the world. A visit to this city is extremely rewarding.


Other Attractions

• Barkhor Street : The Barkhor Street is a circular which includes the Jokhang Temple. The street is thronged by a number of devotees every day who not only walk but also move ahead in a prostrated manner. In this manner they pay their respect to the Buddha installed in the Jokhang Temple. The houses in the street are built in the Tibetan style and the one which face the street have been converted into shops. These shops have both religious as well as non religious items on sale like Thangka, prayer wheels, prayer flags, butter, barley wine, meat, Tibetan shoes, Tibetan knives etc. It is said that anyone desirious of seeing and experiencing Tibet, her people and culture should visit the Barkhor Street for it is here that Tibet is seen in its microcosm.
  
  
• Potala Palace : Potala Palace, located majestically on the top of Marpo Ri Hill, is one of the major drawer of crowds in Tibet. Standing at an altitude of 3,700 m above sea level, it is considered the highest ancient palace in the world. The construction of the palace was commenced by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century and later reconstructed and added upon by the 5th and the 13th Dalai Lama. By the middle of the 17th century, the palace became the chief residence of the Dalai Lama and remained so till the time the 14th Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India because of Chinese invasion. The attractions of the palace include Buddhist pagodas, statues, nearly ten thousand thangkas, precious ancient books and records of Buddhist sutras. Additionally, there are many relics belonging by the Ming and Qing governments kept safe at Potala, like the Imperial Mandate, the Imperial Golden Seal as well as jade seals, golden and silver articles, porcelain and jade articles and the like.
  
  
  
• Ramoche Monastery : Ramoche Monastery, located quiet close to the Jokhang Temple, on the northern side of the Barkhor Street was constructed by the workers from the Tang dynasty of China. Because of this, the temple's architecture is that of the Tang dynasty. The facing of the temple, towards the eastern direction, is indicative of the misery felt by Princess Wen Cheng at being away from her birth place and parents. The monastery comprises three floors with the beautiful golden hall at the third floor. Tourists can also have a glimpse of statues of Sakyamuni and Maitreya in this Monastery.
  
  
• Klukang Monastery : This monastery is located in the north Lhasa city and was constructed somewhere in the middle of the 7th century. Down the centuries, the monastery was damaged and reconstructed many times. Highlights here include murals, statues of Sakyamuni, Maitreya and others.