The temple was founded in the seventh century under King Songtsen Gampo and his Chinese and Nepalese queens, and it has been enlarged and rebuilt many times since. It holds the Jowo Shakyamuni, a gilt bronze image of the Buddha at twelve years of age, traditionally said to have been brought from Tang China, and it is the most revered object in Tibetan Buddhism.
The building
The Jokhang is a mixture of Tibetan, Tang Chinese and Nepalese architecture, four storeys high, with a gilded roof, golden dharma wheels and deer, and a facade in white and ochre. The entrance faces west, and the courtyard in front of it fills each morning with pilgrims making full-length prostrations on wooden boards worn smooth by use.
Inside
The route leads through a series of chapels around the central shrine, past statues of kings and queens, bodhisattvas and protector deities, and paintings and murals covering every surface. The line moves slowly, and the passage narrows around the central chapel where the Jowo image is kept. Yak butter lamps burn throughout, and the smell of rancid butter is part of the experience.
Visiting notes
The temple is on Barkhor Square in the old town. Mornings are reserved for pilgrims and are the most atmospheric time to watch from outside; visitors are normally admitted after a certain hour, so confirm with your guide. Photography is prohibited inside the main halls. Walk clockwise around the temple and the circuit outside, dress conservatively, and remove hats inside. Allow about an hour. The temple is not air-conditioned and is crowded; keep your time short if you are still adjusting to altitude.
