Thursday, October 26, 2017

DREPUNG MONASTERY & TIDRUM NUNNERY





Drepung Monastery perched high on the mountainside above the small town and farmland in central Tibet. The golden roofed temples serve as the main college and worshiping sites. One of the most important Buddhist centers in Tibet 


At one point 10,000 Buddhist monks lived in the complex. A great place to wander around, not knowing who or what you might bump into. Lots of new construction and workers


The Ganden Palace and location of protector statues. Pilgrims streamed to this entrance and its colorful murals of the Dalai Lama and tapestries. It was great sitting here and watching the procession of pilgrims and monks 


Rebuilt after the Chinese destroyed it in the 50's this is the grand courtyard and doors to the main assembly hall. 


George and I sat up on the main stairs and drew the Tibetans and the immense landscape . Seems we picked up a guest artist. A young monk thought he would join and we gave him some quick people drawing lessons. You can see him on the left scribbling away.


My drawing in a sketchbook of the deep valley under a curtain of moving rain squalls. A monk had started the incense burner as crows perched on the wall watching the action. Plein air 12X5" pencil drawing



George keeping the crowd in awe as he did little character sketches of the spectators as they gathered for prayers. Our guide assured us that they hadn't ever seen sketching in person or even known it was possible to put a persons face on paper.



One of my favorite photos during the trip. Women pilgrims, their faces lit up by bounce light off the stairs, watching us sketch real landscapes and portraits.


Pencil scribbles of two workmen breaking up granite blocks and cementing them into place. This was a great ice-breaker and every subject loved seeing their likenesses.


The abbots chapel and ornately painted door and balcony. There was lots of activities going on but there never seemed to be a central event or ceremony


The main doors open for afternoon prayers. The priests and monks assembled at their long desks and chanted rhythmically as they turns pages in prayer books and chant while there was ringing of bells and rhythmic soft drum beats.


a rough trail around the back of the grand hall that lead up to the residences and various chapels and halls. There was no marked trail and you needed good walking skills to not slip down the slopes


Showing the terrain the palace is perch on and imagine all the hand built work went into this little piece of construction


A family of pilgrims engaged in a small kora around a small chapel above the palace. Being interested in the goofy westerner they invited me along on the trek




The hallways were dark and dusty in the chapel but it made the walk mysterious though it had a nice feel to it with all the women giggling in the dark passages 



Sisters and their mother posing during the kora. They were a joyous bunch and seemed to enjoy having the overzealous photographer constantly snapping photos


The  view up to the priests residences dug into the mountainside. This shot was taken on the railing in the background of the drawing below


A pencil drawing of the Drepung Temple Palace and shows whats really keeping it up underneath the railing. Just a bunch of bending raw tree trunks resting on a pile of boulders


Entering the main assembly hall through the upper doors of the palace. One must leave their shoes off to be able to walk in. That's our 5 person crew on the steps


Worshippers shoes placed outside the temple.


Wall alter filled with sacred stones, money donations (see that little picture of Mao on the dollar bills?)  small shrine in the corner, rice bundles and barley offerings.

George worked up character portrait drawings very fast and was certainly a crowd pleaser. People almost waited in line to get their faces scribbled on paper


An old pilgrim with a prayer wheel. We sat with him for a piece of time and we "talked" at each other as pilgrims came and went 





Stoneworkers breaking stones for construction of walls, temples and staircases. A lot of the monastery had been destroyed in the late 1950's. Everything was broken and shaped with hammer and chisel. I sketched some of their portraits on their "breaks"


Quick sketches of the women and men stone carriers, workers and monks that were involved in the construction of the monastery. They really enjoyed watching the drawing process and would lean over constantly to see the "magic". 


After going to Drepung Monastery we traveled via high roads and passes to the Tidrum Nunnery placed in a steep gorge where 2 rivers come together. The valley is completely covered in prayer flags with a beautiful hot springs hidden underneath


A little pen sketch of George floating in the cut stone "male" hot springs with wall altars, scarves and prayer flags. Nuns would peak in to watch us strange foreigners with pale skin bathe. The guide mentioned they don't see a lot of western men so they like to do "comparisons" with the local Tibetans

Tibetan bar maid at a small rather rundown little watering hole. She was very tired and seemed to enjoy just getting it all her work done...whatever it was.

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