The Sakya Monastery

The Sakya Monastery is the principal monastery of the Sakyapa Sect ofTibetan Buddhism and located in Sakya County southwest of Shigatse,.

Originally, it comprised both the Northern and Southern Monasteries. But the Northern Monastery today is visible only as a ruin. It  built by the founder of Sakyapa Sect , Khon Konchog Gyalpo, in 1073. The locals named the white palace 'Sakya' on a grey clay hill near the northern bank of the Chun Qu River. 

The Southern Monastery began in 1268 and was led by Benqen Sagya Sangbo under the commission of Choygal Phakpa, the fifth descendent of Sakyapa Sect. The walls here were painted in red, white and grey which indicate Manjusri Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara and Vajradhara.

Sakya Monastery due to its colossal collection of numerous Tibetan Buddhist scripturesis , murals and Thangkas famed as the 'Second Dunhuang'. 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.