Jokhang

Jokhang

Jokhang (‘House of the Lord’). Tibet's holiest temple, sometimes called the Tsuglakhang (‘the Academy’) and generally referred to by W. commentators as the ‘Cathedral of Lhasa’. It was built by the thirty-third king of Tibet, Songsten Gampo (c.609–50), to house the statue of the Buddha Akṣobhya. The statue of Akṣobhya was broken in two during the present Chinese occupation, and the upper half was transported to Beijing. In 1988 the lower portion was discovered in a Lhasa rubbish tip, and in 1989 the two halves were reunited and reconsecrated. The Jokhang's contents were more systematically destroyed in 1966, and throughout the cultural revolution it was used as the Red Guard headquarters. It was not until 1984 that it began to function as a temple and a monastery again. In 1990 it had over a hundred monks, but in common with other ‘newly functioning’ monasteries in Tibet these include a number of police, and its ruling committee consists of non-ordained political appointees.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

JOHN BOWKER. "Jokhang." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Jokhang." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Jokhang.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Jokhang." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Jokhang.html

Learn more about citation styles

Jokhang

Jokhang. An important temple in Lhasa dating from the 7th century ce, containing an image of Śākyamuni in the guise of a Bodhisattva.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Jokhang." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Jokhang." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Jokhang.html

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Jokhang." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Jokhang.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

The Lhasa Atlas. (Forgotten City Celebrated).
Magazine article from: The Architectural Review; 2/1/2002
Journey through Tibet.
Magazine article from: PSA Journal; 9/1/1995
SACRED JOURNEYS; Attending pilgrimage expands view of sacred site.(RELIGION)
Newspaper article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); 12/14/2003

Facts and information from other sites

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

See more pictures of Jokhang