During the reigns of the Trisong Detsen in the 8th century, Buddhism had a presence in Tibet, however, there were no formal priests or rituals. Moreover, stiff resistance from the followers of Bon religion made it really difficult for Buddhism to flourish. Hence, Trisong Detsen sent out an invitation to two of the most resepcted Buddhist figureheads of India, Padmasambhava and Santarakshita, to aid the growth of Buddhism in Tibet and join in the construction of a monastery. This was the Samye Monastery.

The site for the monastery (in Dranang in Shanna prefecture) was selected by Padmasambhava while the design was prepared by Santarakshita. The monastery reflects an amalgamation of the Chinese, Tibet and Indian style and its layout is representative of the ideal universe discussed in the Buddhist scriptures. The name of the monastery derives from the legend as per which when Tritsong Detsen solicited suggestion from Padmasambhava for the construction of the monastery, the latter, with the help pf his magical prowess, showed him an image of a monastery on his palm. This completely unimaginable act gives the monastery its name, Samye, meaning unimaginable.


Once the monastery was completed , Buddhism was declared the official religion of Tibet and erudite monks from China and India were called upon to translate Buddhist sutras into Tibetan. Trisong Detsen picked up seven nobles to be the first monks of the first formal monastery of Tibet. The monastery also established the 'triratna', a reference to Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.


Inside
As mentioned earlier, the layout of the Samye monastery adheres to the ideal universe described in the Buddhist scriptures. Utse or the Great Hall is the largest structure in the monastery and represents Sumeru in perfect Buddhist universe. Surrounding Utse are the Sun and the Moon chapel along with with four stupas at each corner of the room. The stupas are of different style and colour - red, white, black and green - are symbolic of the four Heavenly Kings. Additionally, there are four large and eight small halls surroundihng the Utse that are representative of the oceans of the universe. The monastery is seperated from the rest of the world by a circular wall on which a number of Buddhas can be seen. As per the Buddhist ideal universe, this wall is symbolic of the mountains near the border of the universe.

Utse, itself is a three storeyed structure with the ground floor comprising a turning wheel cloister glowing with beautiful murals. Also, there are different chapels dedicated to various deities. Prime amongst these chapels is the one with a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. This statue is special because it has been sculpted out of a single piece of rock of Mt Hepori. Housed in the the Chinese Sutra Hall on second floor of the Utse are the 472 Chinese stone Buddha statues. The apartment of the Dalai Lama is located in the southeastern corner.

Before you enter Utse, you will come across a stone 'stele' which was contructed as a mark of respect for king Trisong Detsen's vow for piety to Buddhism.


Shannan
Shannan prefecture in Tibet is located at an average altitude of 3700m and is bordered by Lhasa, Shigatse prefecture and Nyingchi prefecture along with India and Bhutan. The prefecture is blessed with abundant natural beauty. Also, sufficient rainfall ensures a good growth of crops like barley and buckwheat. Tsedang is the administrative seat of the Shanan prefecture and has quiet a few accommodation options open for incoming tourists. Infact, the Samye Monastery itself has a guesthouse, which though not luxurious, is comfortable enough to stay overnight. Food in Shannan is typically Tibetan like Tsamba, yak butter tea and chang.


Other Attractions

• Tandruk Monastery :Five km south of Tsedang, Tandruk Monastery is widely believed to be the first Buddhist chapel ever constrcuted in the Tibet. It was built during the reigns of Songtsen Gampo and later underwent large scale reconstruction post its conversion into Gelukpa monastery. The name Tandruk, meaning a roc conquering a dragon, reminds of the legend that is associated with the constrcution of the monastery. The legend relates that king Songtsen Gampo had to take the appearance of a roc in order to defeat the dragon who was obstructing the construction work. It was only after this that the monastery was completed.
  
  The main strcuture of the monastery, Tshomchen, has an image of Padamasambhava as its presiding deity. One of the chapel of the monastery has a beautiful thangka of Chenrezi in rest. The thangka is ornated with around 30,000 pearls along with a number of other gems like diamond, sapphire, turquoise, ruby and amber.
  
  
• Yumbul Lakhang : This palace is located around 9 km south of the Tsedang city ahead of the Tandruk Monastery, and is believed to be the first palace of the Tibetan history. The palace was supposedly built by the Bon follower for the first Tibetan king, Nyatri Tsenpo, and was later renovated during the times of Songtsen Gampo. The palace became a chapel post Songtsen Gampo's move to Lhasa and a Gelukpa monastery during the times of the fifth Dalai Lama. The attractions of the monastery include images of Tibetan kings and minister who are enshrined in a small chapel, images of Sakyamuni and Chanrezi is a chanting hall upstairs and a mural gallery.