Drepung Monastery (Rice Heap monastery)

The largest in Tibet where up to 10.000 monks once resided.  Now only a few hundred remain as their numbers are strictly limited.  Drepung  was closed down by Chinese authorities on March 14th 2008 when monk-led protests against Chinese rule turned violent.  It reopened 5 months later

Nestled into the Gambo Utse mountain only a few kilometres to the West of Lhasa. Derpung was the home of the Dalai Lama's until the 5th moved with his government to the newly built Potala Palace in Lhasa 

Lamps burn to clear the mind and  as an aid to meditation.    Traditionally they burn the so called yak butter.  As yaks are male it is extremely unlikely that this is technically speaking yak butter.  Pilgrims in their hundreds bring yak butter offerings to make merit but lamps are usually attended by monks ever mindful of the risk of fire which has destroyed many monastic buildings

For an extra fee one is allowed to take photographs inside many Tibetan monasteries.  Sometimes as in the kitchen we were blessed with adequate light.   More often the interiors are dark and it is not possible to do justice to the incredibly rich decorations