The palace is named after
Mount Potalaka, the mythical abode of the
bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.
The
5th Dalai Lama started its construction in 1645
after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (died 1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between
Drepung and
Sera monasteries and the old city of
Lhasa. It may overlay the remains of an earlier fortress called the White or Red Palace on the site,built by
Songtsän Gampo in 637.
The building measures 400 metres east-west and 350 metres north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3 m. thick, and 5 m. (more than 16 ft) thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes.
Thirteen stories of buildings—containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues—soar 117 metres (384 ft) on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than 300 m (about 1,000 ft) in total above the valley floor.
Source: Wikipedia
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| Potala Palace in the evening |
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| Red Palace |
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| White Palace |
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| Inside Palace |
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| Inside Palace |
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The quiet and
peaceful park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala
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Picture Source: Collected from Internet
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