Sunday, June 10, 2012

Ugyenling Monastery: Birth Place of the 6th Dalai Lama

The Ugyenling monastery was built around 1487 by Ugyen Zangpo, the youngest brother of Terton Pemalinga, the great treasure revealer. In addition to Ugyenling, he is credited with founding two other Nyingmapa temples – Sangyeling and Tsogyeling, in its vicinity, about two centuries later, i.e. in the year 1683. Tsanyang Ghatso, the sixth Dalai Lama, was born here to Tashi Tenzin, a direct descendant of Ugyen Zangpo and Tsewang Lhamo of the royal family of Berkhar.

Ugyenling Temple - Birth place of the 6th Dalai Lama
This temple is situated about 5 kilometers from Tawang and close to Tawang’s war memorial. The place is neglected by the locals, but it still has a charm about it even in its small temple compound.

Ugyenling Temple - Description stone
I am sure it was a grand place prior to 1706 when Lajang khan and his forces invaded Tawang on their fight against Bhutan. During this fight, they destroyed the temple to obliterate the memory of the sixth Dalai Lama.

5 comments:

  1. The temple looks pretty.. more like a house than a temple!! 

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  2. Looks like an interesting place to visit. I hope to have the chance to go there some day. 

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  3. That is how most of the Buddhist temples looks like except for the big ones which are ornate and decked up.

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  4. Must be a house of the Lama which after his demise might be used as temple...

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