Muru Nyingba Monastery, Buddhist monastery near Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, China.
Muru Nyingba is a Buddhist monastery next to Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, featuring a central lhakang temple positioned toward the north with monks' quarters lining three sides of a courtyard. The compound displays traditional Tibetan architectural design with richly decorated rooms for prayer and study.
The original complex was founded in the 7th century under Emperor Songtsen Gampo as part of early Buddhist expansion in Tibet. Scholar Thonmi Sambhota worked at the site developing the Tibetan writing system.
The monastery displays detailed murals of Guru Rinpoche and houses representations of five protective deities from the Nyingma school in glass cases throughout the rooms. These artworks show the spiritual importance of the place for local Buddhist worshippers.
The monastery can be reached from the north side of Barkhor Street and sits directly behind Jokhang Temple, making it easy to visit while exploring the temple complex. The site is open and accessible, offering a natural place to pause when walking the pilgrimage circuit around Jokhang.
The oldest surviving structure is the Jambhala Lhakhang, a small 7.5 by 7.2 metre hall with a low ceiling, built under King Ralpachen and later attached to Nechung. Tradition holds that Thonmi Sambhota worked here on the Tibetan alphabet, and the hall served as the Nechung monks' assembly room during the Great Prayer Festival, when up to 114 monks gathered.
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