Tibet Family Tours and Travels

02/05/2016

Commissioned by one of the early Gyantse princes in 1427, the Kumbum Stupa is the landmark of Gyantse, a town located to the southwest of Lhasa. Kumbum Stupa, capped with a gold dome, is one of the most distinctive temples in the world. It is an unusual architectural masterpiece with its nine levels rise in the manner of a step pyramid. There are two sets of four central chapels that extend to the floor above from the 1st and 3trd floors, and each of these is surrounded by smaller chapels in diminishing numbers and size as the floor ascend.

Kumbum Stupa

Its construction started in 1418 and it was completed in 1427. It is designed in classic stupa or pagoda style. This amazing structure is 35 meters in height, octagonal in shape, has a 9 storey terraced exterior, 108 chapels, and superb murals (wall paintings). It raises over four symmetrical floors plus two upper floors and is capped with a gold dome.

The four floors contain 108 chapels which the pilgrims visit from bottom to top in a clockwise fashion. This visit ends in a group of four chapels at the top of the temple. These chapels are dedicated to various Buddhist deities.

It was an important centre of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism and still considered as one of the most outstanding and sacred places of Tibet.

Approximately 70 chapels are housed in the Kumbum. These are many murals- the word “kumbum” means 10,000 images. The kumbum is a three dimensional mandala, a representation of the Buddhist universe, portrayed by a circle within a square. This enables the devotee to participate in the Buddhist perception of the universe and can show the path through it; a very powerful Buddhist symbol.

Deemed as the symbol of the monastery, the spectacular stupa consists of hundreds of chapels in layers, housing about a hundred thousand images of various icons including great adepts of different orders in Buddhist history and outstanding figures in Tibetan history. In total there are about 3,000 statues and it is called "Myriad Buddhas Stupa".

23/02/2016

Labrang Monastery is another of the great six Gelukpa sect monasteries of Tibet. It is located in Xiahe county, Gannan Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern Gansu province. This area is located in the traditional Tibetan region of Amdo. Labrang Monastery was founded in 1709 by Ngawang Tsondru. It was the last of the great six Gelukpa monasteries to be built. Labrang Monastery is located at an elevation of 2900m / 9512 feet on the far eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. The town of Xiahe sits in a valley along the Daxia River (known as the Sang Chu in Tibetan). Mountains and evergreen forests surround the monastery region. The Sanke Grasslands are found west of Labrang where nomads can be found living in traditional style tents. Herds of yaks and sheep roam the area. The town of Xiahe has a mixed population of Tibetans, Chinese and Hui (a Muslim minority group found in western China).

31/08/2015

Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, also known as Serthar Buddhist Institute, sits in the Larung Valley at an elevation of 4,000 meters, about 15 km from the town Sêrtar, in Sertar County, Garze Prefecture in the traditional Tibetan region of Kham. The academy was founded in 1980 in an entirely uninhabited valley by Jigme Phuntsok, an influential lama of the Nyingma tradition. Despite its remote location, Larung Gar grew from a handful of disciples to be one of the largest and most influential centers for the study of Tibetan Buddhism in the world. Today it is home to over 40,000 monks, nuns and lay-students.

30/07/2015

The First Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa visited Tsurphu in 1159, at the age of fifty, and laid the foundation for the establishment of a seat there by making offerings to local protectors, just before he left for Kham, eastern Tibet.

In 1189, at the age of eighty, Düsum Khyenpa returned to Tsurphu and founded his main seat, known as the "earthly abode of the sacred place of the heart (or mind)", in the valley of Tölung in central part of Tibet Just 65 Km far from Lhasa. This monastery was to grow into a place in which over one thousand monks practiced. Since this time, Tsurphu has been the main seat of the successive manifestations of the line of the Karmapas, and of the Karma Kagyu lineage.

13/07/2015

The Mahabodhi Mahavihara Bodhgaya Temple is located in Gaya district of Bihar state. Mahabodhi Temple is world famous Buddhist temple where the Buddha have attained enlightenment. The Mahabodhi Temple Complex also has a holy Bodhi tree and the Bodhimanda Vihara monastery.

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is the first temple built by Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century B.C., and the present temple dates from the 5th–6th centuries. It is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick, still standing, from the late Gupta period and it is considered to have had significant influence in the development of brick architecture over the centuries.

The present Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya comprises the 50 m high grand Temple, the Vajrasana, sacred Bodhi Tree and other six sacred sites of Buddha’s enlightenment, surrounded by numerous ancient Votive stupas, well maintained and protected by inner, middle and outer circular boundaries.

07/07/2015

Tashi Delek!

10/05/2015

We Tibet Family Tours & Travels. would like to express its heartfelt condolences to the thousands of Nepalese who have lost their lives and thousands of more who have suffered injuries and loss of properties in the recent devastating earthquake that shook the entire nation on 25th April 2015. This is indeed a national tragedy and as such we are all saddened by this unimaginable loss.
Things are slowly getting back to normal and the Nepalese are trying hard, more than ever, to get back to their feet. As such, We Tibet Family team also resumed our services from the 7th of May 2015. We look forward to providing you quality services and customer satisfaction. -- Tibet Family Team --

15/04/2015

There are many things which make Mustang an astonishing place to visit. Luri Gompa in Upper Mustang is one. Set high on a cliff face the main temple building has been carved out of the hillside to create a cave-temple. Lining the walls are a series of 14th century paintings which depict Indian Mahasiddhas. They are saints of the early Mahayana tradition who achieved siddhi, or extraordinary powers by meditation. Some were real individuals and others mythical. This is painting depicts Savaripa: a hunter who gave up killing animals after an encounter with Avaolkiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion.

The paintings of Luri are very different from the walled gompas of Lo Manthang or other nearby villages. No written record exists for the construction of Luri, It is considered that Luri is built in 13th or early 14th Cenrury. The style of paintings suggests they were done by Nepalese artists from Nepal working for Tibetan patrons. The freshness of composition and free depiction of the figures makes Luri unique.

08/04/2015

Key Gompa - one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Indian Himalaya. It is located in the valley of Spiti in the heart of the Indian Himalayas. To get here is not easy, because the monastery is built at an altitude of 4166 meters above sea level. Here, starting from the 11th century, trained lamas, today in this training center is home to about 300 people.

According to one version, the monastery was built after the nearby village Rangrik destroyed monastery. It is believed that the monastery was founded Dromton, a student of a famous teacher Atisha, in the 11th century.

24/03/2015

Located at the foot of Benbo Mountain in Sakya County southwest of Shigatse Prefecture, the Sakya Monastery is the principal monastery of the Sakyapa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

It was built in the 6th year (1073) of the Xining reign of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) by Khon Konchog Gyalpo, the founder of Sakyapa sect of Lamaism. Sakya, meaning “Grey Soil” in Tibetan since the soil surrounding it is gray. It is the central monastery of Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Originally, the Sakya Kloster comprised both the Northern and Southern Monasteries. The Chun Qu River runs through the temple and divides it into the southern temple and the northern temple. The northern temple has been mostly deserted and the southern temple still remains, built like a fortress and was surrounded by a moat. Its walls were painted in red, white and grey strips, which indicate Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani respectively. Therefore, the Sakya Monastery is also called Colored Temple and Sakyapa sect is also called Colored School. The Main Chanting Hall, also called Lakhang Chenmo in Tibetan, is a must-see for all visitors. Covering an area of about 5,800 square meters (1.4 acres), Lakhang Chenmo can hold about ten thousand monks chanting sutras together. In the hall are enshrined three Buddhas - Dipamkarara, Sakyamuni and Maitreya, and five Sakyapa ancestors. There are forty huge vermilion pillars supporting the ceiling, four of which are about one meter (three feet) in diameter. Each of the four pillars has its own story. Gyina Seqen Garna was bestowed by Kublai Khan. Chongbo Garwa, Dabo Garwa and Nabo Chaza Garwa were carried to the monastery by a wild yak, a tiger and the God of the Sea. In addition, on the second floor of the hall are 63 murals of mandalas, the best preserved in the monastery.

Sakya Kloster is famed as the 'Second Dunhuang' due to its colossal collection of numerous Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, murals and Thangkas. According to statistics, about 40,000 volumes of scriptures are housed there. A wooden bookshelf which is about 57 meters (187 feet) long, 11 meters high (36 feet) and one meter wide (3 feet) has 464 grids. More than ten thousand scriptures are housed on the shelf. Among them, the most precious is Burde Gyaimalung, which records Tibetan religion, history, philosophy, literature, agriculture and animal husbandry. It is 1.8 meters (6 feet) long, 1.3 meters (4 feet) wide and 0.67 meter (2 feet) thick and boasts the biggest scriptures in the world. Additionally, it also houses 21 volumes of Buddhist scriptures written on Pattra leaves in Sanskrit. Each consists of one hundred to two hundred pages and four-color illustrations. They are the most precious sutras in the world.
Travel Tips:

Entrance Fee: RMB 40 (USD 6) per person
Opening Hours: 09:00 -- 18:00
Recommended Time for a Visit: Two hours

------Tibet Family Tours & Travels------

07/02/2015

Gendun Drubpa, the first Dalai Lama and a most outstanding disciple of Tsong Khapa founded Tashilhunpo Monastery in 1477. In 1600, the Fourth Panchen Lama started a large-scale expansion and his successors carried on. In 1713, the Chinese emperor finally ascertained the Fifth Panchen Lama’s title and status. The monastery became the seat of Panchen Lama. At its climax, there are 3,000 rooms with more than 5,000 lamas, above 50 underling temples and over 30 manors.

From the Fourth Panchen Lama, all the successors take it as seat. The monastery now has a building space of 300 thousand square meters (3,229,279 sq. ft.). The main structures found in the Tashilhunpo Monastery are The Maitreya Chapel, The Panchen Lama's Palace and The Kelsang Temple. Tashilhunpo is the seat of the Panchen Lama since the Fourth Panchen Lama took charge in the monastery, and there are now nearly 800 lamas.

12/01/2015

Guru Padmasambhava, popularly known as Guru Rinpoche visited and sanctified Bhutan in the 8th century when evil spirits abounded and harmed people.

Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche flew to this site on a tigress’ back to subdue a local demon. Thereafter, he meditated here for three months.

Taktshang Goemba or Tiger’s Nest Monastery was blessed and sanctified as one of Bhutan’s most sacred religious sites. It hangs on a cliff and stands above a beautiful forest of blue pine and rhododendrons.

- Tourists can enter the monastery as per these timings as long as your guide has arranged the standard permit in advance:
- 8 AM to 1 PM and 2-5 PM daily, October – March
- Until 6 PM, April – September.
- You have to register with the security at the entrance and deposit your bags and cameras.
- Camera and Photography is not allowed inside the monastery.

09/01/2015

Pemayangtse Monastery is on a hilltop overlooking the Rebdentse ruins. It is built on the highest hill in the surrounding areas; it stood out like a castle. Like most monasteries, it is surrounded by natural beauty.

The main monastery is open for visitors. Wooden steps leads up to the rooms where antique items are exhibited. Photography is strictly prohibited. The first floor of the monastery exhibits ancient Buddhist antique idols, some old paintings, scriptures and other antique items. But the most remarkable artwork is exhibited on the top floor known as ‘Heavenly Palace’ or the Sanghthokpalri. It was carved out of a single wood by Dungzin Rimpoche and took five years to complete.

Located at a trekking distance from Pelling, a small road leads up to the peak at an elevation of 2085 m. The peak offers almost 180 degree view of the surrounding area. It would have made a good view point, even without the famed monastery. The monastery also has attractive quarters for monks made of unpainted woods and stones. Their rustic appearance attracts more than repels.

Pemayangtse is literally translated as ‘perfect sublime lotus’. Looking from the Rebdantse ruins, the monastery opens up to heaven like a gateway. The Buddhist considered it sacred and it is also part of the pilgrimage circuit beginning with Yuksom, the first capital of Sikkim kingdom. It was built by Lama Lhatsun Chempo in 1705 and was closely linked to the Rebdantse kingdom, especially during Chodar Namgyal. He was a religious person and took up the cause of spreading Buddhism in Sikkim.

24/12/2014

Timeline Photos

07/12/2014

A culture is natural phenomena, we all have to walk through.

03/12/2014

Enclosed within massive walls, gates and turrets built of rammed earth and stone the White and Red Palaces and ancillary buildings of the Potala Palace rise from Red Mountain in the centre of Lhasa Valley at an altitude of 3,700 metres. As the winter palace of the Dalai Lama from the 7th century CE the complex symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. The White Palace contains the main ceremonial hall with the throne of the Dalai Lama, and his private rooms and audience hall are on the uppermost level. The palace contains 698 murals, almost 10,000 painted scrolls, numerous sculptures, carpets, canopies, curtains, porcelain, jade, and fine objects of gold and silver, as well as a large collection of sutras and important historical documents. To the west and higher up the mountain the Red Palace contains the gilded burial stupas of past Dalai Lamas. Further west is the private monastery of the Dalai Lama, the Namgyel Dratshang.

12/11/2014

Tashi Delek! A Warm Greeting!

21/08/2014

Samye was Tibet's very first monastery built in 8th century and has a history that spans over 1,200 years. It is designed to represent the Buddhist universe and many of the buildings in the courtyard are cosmological symbols. The central building of Samye, its foremost feature, comprises a synthesis of architectural styles: the ground and first floors were originally Tibetan in style, the second floor was Chinese and the third floor Indian.

26/05/2014

Halji Gompa is located in the Limi valley in Humla , the most remote district in the Himalayas of Northern Nepal. Also known as Rinchenling Gompa, Halji Gompa was constructed by a Tibetan Buddhist, Rinchen Zangbo in the 10th Century AD with support from a Malla King of Sinja. It is thought to be the first Gompa within the boundaries of what is today modern Nepal. For centuries this Gompa stood as a cultural and religious centre for three villages in the Limi Valley. Previously the Gompa belonged to the Sakya sect but later changed to the Digung Kagyu sect because of its affinity with the Gyang Drag Gompa at holy Mt. Kailash. This 1000 year old Halji Gompa lies in the middle of the village of Halji at an altitude of 3660 meters. The village is set in an exotic landscape surrounded by hills with the Limi River running through the valley.

23/05/2014

Bauddha stupa also called Chyarung Khasyor was built just after the demise of Lord Buddha and is largest single Chhyorten in the world. Many Kilograms of gold were used in the decoration of the holy building. The legend of its building begins with one person:

An Apsara in a previous life, Jajima was born into a very ordinary family of the earth after the reduction of her religious merit from the heaven. She had four husbands, and gave birth to four sons from each of her husbands. Tajebu was born of a horse trader, Phajebu from a pig trader, khijebu from dog trader and Jyajebu from poultry business man. They had a most religious attitude, and decided to construct the largest chhorten (stupa). The land necessary for the stupa was made available by Majyamija, and construction was started soon after. The construction materials of soil, bricks and stones were carried on elephants, horses, donkeys etc. Majyamija died four years later, after completion of four stories of the structure, and after three more years of ceaseless efforts, the sons completed The Baudha stupa. It took almost seven years in total to complete the construction of the stupa.

It is believed that thousands of Buddhas and heavenly Deities incarnated as Lamas in the Baudha stupa It is said that because of Rabne, the rays of Bouddhisattwa entered in the song from heaven and the holy sound of was heard in the sky. Due to being empowered by the Bodhisatwa this stupa is viewed with a great reverence as are Sange, Thange Duibe, Chorten etc.

After the completion of the construction of Boudha stupa, Tajebu prayed very devoutly to become the king of the northern region to disseminate the religion, so he was the king Thichen Devajan of Tibet in his next life. Phajebu wished to be a scholar to disseminate the religion, and he became Bodhisattva, an enlightened teacher in Tibet in the next birth. Khijebu was incarnated as the enlightened Guru Rinpoche on Ashada Dashain (on the tenth day of lunar calendar of first half of Ashada) in Kashamir, at Orgen Yul, in the southwest area, at Dana Kukhya in the milk pond at the flower of lotus. He suppressed the Demons who were barriers to the religion and conserved and protected the religion from the Demonic attacks. Jajebu prayed to be a minister for the protection of religion in the north and as an answer to his prayer he was born at Tibet and became the minister Bhamitisi.

All of these person prayed for themselves but they did not pray for the animals, who transported bricks, soil, and stone. So these animals became angry and the elephant prayed to be the Demon in the next life to eliminate the religion. So he became the king of Tibet in the form of Langdharm in the next life, where Tajebu had disseminated the holiest religion. In the same way, the Donkey prayed to become a minister in the next life to destroy the religion and he too became a minister 'Duilon Masyal Thoumbe" in Tibet.

A crow listened the prayers of these animals who prayed for the destruction of the holiest religion, and he (the crow) prayed to the Bauddha Stupa to be a minister to protect and preserve the holy religion by killing the demonic king Lang Dharma in the next life. He was born as Lha Lung Pay Kyi Dorje in the next life, and assassinated Lang Dharma with a bow and arrow.

The cowherds and shepherds, who prayed for the protection of religion and suppression of demons (who were attempting to eliminate the holy religion), were born as Choyolen Gohi Pema Chen in Tibet to conserve the religion. In the same way, Chodpurchan and Sarse, two Brahmins who prayed to the stupa to be born in the holy country and to write the holy literature were reborn in the next life as Kavapalcheka and Luigalchen; these two translated thousands of holy teachings of Lord Buddha and also wrote the holy Kangyur.

20/05/2014

Gyatse Dzong - The orriginal fortress, known as Gyel-Khar-Tse was attributed to Pelkhor-Tsen son of the anti- Buddhist king Langdharma, who probably reigned from 838 to 841 CE. The present walls were supposedly built in 1268, after the rise in power of the Shakyapa sect.

19/05/2014

Tibet Family Tours and Travels's cover photo

14/05/2014

om mani padme hum

May Buddha Bless To All Living Beings. Happy Buddha Purnima

mantra

30/03/2014

Tourist enjoying eastern Tibet tour. China Tibet Tour.

16/03/2014

Tourist Enjoying Holi Festival at The heart of Thamel. Happy Holi to All Our Facebook Fans. Life is colorful.

09/02/2014

Kailash View from Tibet Airlines Window!

17/12/2013

Buddhist Chants & Peace Music - Hanshan Temple

Today is 15 day of 10th Tibetan Lunar Month, The day of Amitabha Buddha, Meditation, Recitation of Sutras and taking Eight Mahayana Precepts. We request to give 10 Minutes and practice the this Buddhist chant for mind control and peace of mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcYLO8haYas

Album: Buddhist Chants & Peace Music. Track 1: "Hanshan Temple" (23:38 mis); Track 2: Bow To Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (50:07 mins). --- Hanshan Temple deta...

13/11/2013

The most isolated place in the world "Tibet & Himalaya"!!!

11/11/2013

Tibetan hierarchy from Eastern Tibet Sichuan Region.

03/11/2013

Happy Depawali to you all !!!

28/10/2013

The Himalayan Culture.

22/10/2013

Guess where it is?