MAHASIDDHA WALL PAINTINGS AT GYANTSE

The small, picturesque town of Gyantse in southern Tibet, once the capital of a local kingdom, is the location of the dPal ’khor chos sde monastic complex, constructed in the 15th century. A high wall separates it from the nearby residential area of Gyantse. The expansive site originally included sixteen monasteries, most of which were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Four of the monasteries belonged to the Sa skya tradition, three to the Bu lugs tradition, and nine to the dGe lugs tradition. The main architectural structures to have survived are the dPal ’khor gTsug lag khang and the nearby sKu ’bum (“great stupa”). The foundation of the large and massive structure of the dPal ’khor gTsug lag khang was laid in 1418 by Rab brtan kun bzang ’phags (1389–1442), the third prince of Gyantse; construction was finished in 1425. Two years later, in 1427, the dPal ’khor mchod rten was consecrated, and the decoration finished in 1439. The temples contain numerous painted clay statues, and the walls are extensively decorated with murals.