Potala Palace, Lhasa is a well known tourist attraction in Lhasa. Nestled amidst the the Hongshan Mountains, the palace lies at an elevation of 3700 meters above the sea level. The picture of the palace on the top of the hill serves as the emblem of the country. The temple measures 117 meters in height and 40 meters in width. There are many lofty structures in the which have golden roofs and a group of huge castle palaces. Potala Palace, Lhasa is a glorious specimen of the architectural skills of the Tibetans.
Originally Potala Palace, Lhasa was constructed by the King Songtsan Gambo of the Tubo Dynasty and has 999 rooms. The palace covers an area of 410,000 sq meters with a floor space of 130, 000 meters. The place which has its site on the Red mountains has been described as the world heritage site. This original structure was destroyed by the ravages of wars and by lightning strikes. It was rebuilt by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1645 and since then it has the served as the seat of the lamas.
The complex of Potala Palace, Lhasa at present houses two sections, the Red palace which is the original palace and the White Palace. The Red palace is used for the religious purposes while the white one is the official residence of the Dalai Lamas and also the center of political activity in Lhasa. The red palace comprises Hall of the Buddha, the Scripture Hall and the Memorial Hall and each hall consists of 12 - 20 rooms.
The Hall of the Buddha contain the pictures of Sakyamuni and late Dalai Lamas. At the Scripture Hall you will find several copies of Buddhist sutras and in the Memorial Hall stupas of the 13 late Dalai Lamas. At the White Palace, there are the offices, dormitories, an official seminary for the Buddhist as well as a printing house.
Potala Palace, Lhasa rests on columns and beams which bear beautiful carvings and colorful murals. You will also find articles made of timber and fine showcases of pottery at the palace.
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