Created in the 17th year (1419) of the Yongle reign, the Sera Monastery was one of the famous six Gelugpa monasteries. In the seventh year (1409) of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Jamchen Chojey, a disciple of Tsongkhapa went to the capital on behalf of Tsongkhapa, and later he was conferred to the title of Sakya Yeshe. After he went back to Tibet, he built this monastery in order to offer sacrifice to the figure of Buddha and sutra. Later the monastery was increased and expanded several times. The Sera Monastery was constructed grandly and nobly, with fine sculptures and beautiful frescos.

There are three colleges(the sutra school)in the temple. Ngagpa College was established in 1559. The smallest of the three colleges, it houses its founder Jamchen Chojey's statue in its chanting hall. The set of sandalwood Arhats granted to the monastery is housed in this college. For the sake of perfect preservation, they are encased in the bellies of a set of clay Arhats that have been authenticated as the original ones. There are a lot of fine figures of Buddha, frescos, sutras, thangkas and sutra pillars, and a tapestry portrait of Jamchen Chojey. Other valuable cultural relics conferred by the court of the Ming Dynasty include sutras, figures of Buddha and magical instruments. Capable of accommodating eight thousand abbes, the monastery is collectively called with Ganden Temple and Drepung Temple as the Big Three Temples.
 

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.