Monastery of Tara and the Grand Buddha Statue in Nyetang

Driving from Gonggar Aiport to Lhasa, one reaches an area of flat land in Nyetang, approximately 20 km away from the holy city. North of the highway is a small monastery which houses the statue of Zhomalhakang Tara. In 1046, Adixa was invited to Nyetang by his disciple Zhongdunba and others. Adixa stayed in Nyetang from this time onwards, and when he died in 1054, his disciples built the monastery to hold the statue of the speaking Tara which Adixa had worshipped. Near the monastery was a dagoba which serves as the tomb for some of Adixa's bones. Over the centuries, the monastery has attracted an endless flow of worshippers, including those from Adixa's former home, Bangladesh. To the east and not far from the monastery is a carved rock statue of the Nyetang Buddha, another favorite site with visitors to the Lhasa are.