Sekhar Gutog monastery, (towards) Lhodrag/Garbo, Xizang, CN

Raw data

“Saika Gutuo Monastery is also named Sangka Gutuo Monastery. It is located in Luozha County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, about 600 meters from west of the site of government. It is at the altitude of 3700 meters. At first, the Saika Gutuo Monastery was the monastery of Kagyu Monastery. Later, it changed to the monastery of Gelug Sect. […]
The Saika Gutuo Monastery is located on western side [of the village] and faces with eastern side. The whole monastery is in the shape of square. It is surrounded by walls. The whole monastery is 98 meters long from east to west and 48 meters wide from south to north. The main hall of Saika Gutuo Monastery is the great hall which is named Garwa Jiuni. In the center of Saika Gutuo Monastery, there is a 28 meters high watchtower. [… with a] golden roof. In addition, there are monk's dormitory and other buildings in Saika Guoto Monastery.
The watchtower of Saika Gutuo Monastery is with nine floors. The first floor and second floor are basement and storage room. The third floor, fourth floor, fifth floor, sixth floor and seventh floor are its original building. The eighth floor and ninth floor were rebuilt in 1985. Except the fist [sic] floor and second floor, there are Buddha statues in each floor. […] In the scripture hall, there are frescos on the four walls. […]
About in 1080, Marba [= Marpa Lotsawa (1012–1097 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marpa_Lotsawa) - tmciolek] who is famous master of Buddhism in Tibet provided funds and asked Mila Riba who is his disciple to build watchtower. With countless hardships, Mila Riba [=Jetsun Milarepa, (c. 1052—c. 1135 CE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milarepa) ] built Seka Gutuo (means "princess castle with nine floors) and Garwa Jiuni Hall (means "hall with twelve pillars") under the watchtower.
Until the first half of 16th century, Bawa Zulachenwa who is great scholar of Kagyu Sect ever repaired and enlarged the Saika Gutuo Monastery in large scale and formed present scale. It is said that frescos in the Dukhang Great Hall were painted by Zhulachenwa. […] In 1944, the Living Buddha in Sangzhu Monastery directed the last time repair. After this repair, the Saika Gutuo Monastery started to hold the religious activities which focus on doctrine of Gelug Sect.”
http://www.tibettour.com/tibet-attraction/saika-gutuo-monastery.html

“Milarepa was asked to build one final nine-storey tower by Marpa [in Sekhar Gutok] at Lhodrag: this 11th century tower still stands” - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milarepa

“Lhodrag Dzong, Chinees: Lhozhag Xian is een arrondissement in het noordwesten van de prefectuur Lhokha (Shannan) in de Tibetaanse Autonome Regio, China. […] Lat 28.396111, Long 91.130556” - http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lhodrag

“Sekhar Gutog monastery in Lhodrag near Bhutan. […] Sekhar Gutog (sras mkhar dgu thog) monastery in Lhodrag near the Bhutan border founded by Milarepa in the 11th century. The famous nine-storeyed tower can clearly be seen on the left. Harvested crops may be seen in the field in the foreground. […] Sras-mkhar dgu thog monastery, attributed to 11th century, founded by Mi-la ras-pa, enlarged in 1539. 28.10.N. 90.47 E. [= Lat 28.1667, Long 90.7833- tmciolek, 28 Jan 2013]' - http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_2001.59.4.50.1.html
Input by: tmciolek, Jan 28, 2013

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 28 Jan 2013

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Sekhar Gutog monastery, CN.

General location of the Sekhar Gutog monastery, CN.
Lat 28.18533 Long 90.82146
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2013.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=28.18533+90.82146+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Sekhar%20Gutog%20monastery,%20CN)&ll=28.18533,90.82146&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en

Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • China:Xizang Zizhiqu

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx. Lat 28.18533 Long 90.82146 - based on visual identification of the site in maps/satellite imagery and Panoramio photographs, maps.google.com - tmciolek, 28 Jan 2013.

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries

  • [missing data]

6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village

7. The settlement's alternative/historical names

8. The settlement's coordinates

9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • Vajrayana

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

11. Date-early

  • MBM chrono-tag 1067-99c - tmciolek 28 Jan 2013
  • 1067-99c 1100-32c 1133-66c 1167-99c 1200=> dated-el

12. Date-intermediate

13. Date-late

  • MBM chrono-tag 1200=> - tmciolek 28 Jan 2013

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • [missing data]

16. Additional notes

  • [missing data] (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)

17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by

  • [missing data]

18. Available Printed Literature

  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 1]
  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 2]
  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 3]

end of page

1067-99c1100-32c1133-66c1167-99c1200=>200mchinadated-elmuralsplacessect.kagyusouth-asiatibettrad.vajrayanaven.marpalotsawaven.milarepawestern-china
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