Ganden Monastery
Today we visited the most spectacular (so far) monastery of all the beautiful ones we’ve seen - Ganden monastery, resurrected from the ashes of the cultural revolution and now again one of the most important monasteries in Tibet.
Ganden monastery is 42 km outside of Lhasa, and true to the image of a Buddhist monastery: On top of the mountain. It nestles into the mountainside, ca. 1000 m over Lhasa and only accessible via a muddy switchback road. Three buses seemed stuck halfway - not encouraging - but our bus made it all the way to the top. Breathtaking view of the Lhasa river valley and a valley on the other side.
The remote location and the altitude lend an air of superiority to this maze of a monastery, which overlooks the Lhasa river (really a braid made up of smaller rivulets) and the mountains bulging from the “plains” (already 3 km high). A view as one from a plane.
Ganden monastery is 42 km outside of Lhasa, and true to the image of a Buddhist monastery: On top of the mountain. It nestles into the mountainside, ca. 1000 m over Lhasa and only accessible via a muddy switchback road. Three buses seemed stuck halfway - not encouraging - but our bus made it all the way to the top. Breathtaking view of the Lhasa river valley and a valley on the other side. The remote location and the altitude lend an air of superiority to this maze of a monastery, which overlooks the Lhasa river (really a braid made up of smaller rivulets) and the mountains bulging from the “plains” (already 3 km high). A view as one from a plane.This time we had a guide, but his explanations were rather long and confusing. The most interesting aspect of the monastery was the main assembly hall, where we were allowed to sit on the back row and watch the chanting monks. At one point some of the monks (the rookies?) ran off to fetch and distribute butter tea. Without interrupting their prayers, the others pull wrapped cups from inside their robes and let the tea-fetchers serve them. As the chanting continues, two monks wrapped in opulent yellow robes walk to the front and prostrate themselves. The monks are old judging from their slow, shuffling gait, but young judging from their wrinkle-free arms. 
As they adjust their robes, we see that they wear yellow scarves and new yellow hats over their shoulders. Our guide Dawa tells us that these are the two top graduates of the recent “debating exam”. They will travel to debate with other monks at their monasteries. This is their “good bye and good luck” ceremony.
As they adjust their robes, we see that they wear yellow scarves and new yellow hats over their shoulders. Our guide Dawa tells us that these are the two top graduates of the recent “debating exam”. They will travel to debate with other monks at their monasteries. This is their “good bye and good luck” ceremony. We topped off the visit with a walk on the kora - quite physically challenging at 4400 meters. The views - it was basically around the top of a mountain - were beyond anything we had yet seen, and that while we already have had quite some views!
