Gonggar Dzong
Encyclopedia
The Gonggar Dzong also known as Gongkar Dzong, in the Shannan Prefecture
with its capital city Tsedang in Gonggar County
in Tibet
, is close to the Gongkar town, the Gonggar Choide Monastery
and the Gonggar Airport
, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the town. The Dzong is also known by names such as Kung-k’o, Chi-hsiung, K'ung-ka-tsung, Konka Dzong, K’ung-ka-tsung, Gongkar, Kung-k'o, Kung-ka, Gongkar Dzong, Kong-ka-dsong, Kongka Dzong and Gonggar.
The Dzong, which was built on the pattern of the Potala Palace
in Lhasa
, is mostly in ruins. It is on the road to Chusul, near to Sundruling Monastery.
and Kyichu Rivers. Located at an elevation of 13372 feet (4,075.8 m), the Dzong is known by several names such as Kung-k’o, Chi-hsiung, K'ung-ka-tsung, Konka Dzong, K’ung-ka-tsung, Gongkar, Kung-k'o, Kung-ka, Gongkar Dzong, Kong-ka-dsong, Kongka Dzong and Gonggar.
The Gongkar Dzong on the Chidesho (skyid do shod) hill has settlement at the foothill where there is a tall prayer flag pole in the foreground. There are a large number of buildings in the settlement.
From the Gampa La pass (4794 metres (15,728.3 ft)), the road leads to the Yamdrop Yutso Lake (the spiritual or divine lake) and descends to the Chushul Zamchen bridge. The Dzong is approached from the southern end of this bridge. The Dzong is26 kilometres (16.2 mi) away from the bridge. Located on the hilltop, it provides panoramic view of the Gongkar region.
defeated the Ponchen (Administrator of the Sakyapa sect) of Gonggar and secured his power in Tibet.
When the Dzong was under the stewardship of Dorje-denpa Kun-ga Namgyal, who was a well-known Guru he had received training in the Sutra
, Tantra
and Tantric rituals
from masters of all traditions. He was the holder of the Dzongpa tradition of the Sakyapa school. Sitting on the roof of his house in the Gongkar Dzong, when he was reciting the religious scripture, the Vajradhatu
, a leaf of the scripture was flown away by wind and it fell at a location where the present Gonggar Choede Monastery is located. The unusual event was further accentuated by the fact that the leaf fell at the location where Atisha
(982–1054), had made a Mandala
sign with pebbles when he had first visited the place and identified it as the place for a future monastery.
Shannan Prefecture
The Shannan Prefecture also known as the Lhoka Prefecture is a prefecture in the southeastern area of the Tibet Autonomous Region...
with its capital city Tsedang in Gonggar County
Gonggar County
Gonggar County, is a county of the Shannan Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region, one of the 12 counties of the prefecture...
in Tibet
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
, is close to the Gongkar town, the Gonggar Choide Monastery
Gonggar Choide Monastery
The Gonggar Choide Monastery, also known as Gonkar Monastery, or Gonkar Dorjeden, in the Gonggar County of the Shannan Prefecture, in Tibet, is close to the Gonggar Dzong and the Gonggar Airport....
and the Gonggar Airport
Lhasa Gonggar Airport
Lhasa Gonggar Airport is the airport serving Lhasa, the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is located about southwest of the city in Gonggar County of Shannan Prefecture. The airport is close to the road to Tsetang, the capital of Shannan Prefecture.At an elevation of ,...
, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the town. The Dzong is also known by names such as Kung-k’o, Chi-hsiung, K'ung-ka-tsung, Konka Dzong, K’ung-ka-tsung, Gongkar, Kung-k'o, Kung-ka, Gongkar Dzong, Kong-ka-dsong, Kongka Dzong and Gonggar.
The Dzong, which was built on the pattern of the Potala Palace
Potala Palace
The Potala Palace is located in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It was named after Mount Potala, the abode of Chenresig or Avalokitesvara...
in Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
, is mostly in ruins. It is on the road to Chusul, near to Sundruling Monastery.
Geography
The fortress of Gonggar Dzong (gong dkar rdzong) is near the confluence of the TsangpoTsangpo
Tsangpo is the suffix attached to names of rivers originating or sometimes flowing through the Tsang province of Tibet. Some of the rivers are:* The Yarlung Tsangpo – in its lower reaches it is known as the Brahmaputra River...
and Kyichu Rivers. Located at an elevation of 13372 feet (4,075.8 m), the Dzong is known by several names such as Kung-k’o, Chi-hsiung, K'ung-ka-tsung, Konka Dzong, K’ung-ka-tsung, Gongkar, Kung-k'o, Kung-ka, Gongkar Dzong, Kong-ka-dsong, Kongka Dzong and Gonggar.
The Gongkar Dzong on the Chidesho (skyid do shod) hill has settlement at the foothill where there is a tall prayer flag pole in the foreground. There are a large number of buildings in the settlement.
From the Gampa La pass (4794 metres (15,728.3 ft)), the road leads to the Yamdrop Yutso Lake (the spiritual or divine lake) and descends to the Chushul Zamchen bridge. The Dzong is approached from the southern end of this bridge. The Dzong is26 kilometres (16.2 mi) away from the bridge. Located on the hilltop, it provides panoramic view of the Gongkar region.
History
The headquarters of the governor of Gongkar (or Gonggar) was at Gonggar Dzong. The Dzongpon (Administrator operating from this Dzong had control over the agricultural land that stretched on the south bank of the Tsongpo River from Chowo Ri to Rawame. It was, during the 13th and 14th centuries, the seat of Sakya power, in the Tsongpo valley. Built on a hilltop to the west of the Gongkar valley, the Gonggar Dzong or the fortress was destroyed. Until the late 15th century, this area remained an important centre of Sakyapa Order till Situ PadmodrupaPhagmodrupa dynasty
The Phagmodrupa dynasty or Pagmodru of Tibet was established by Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen at the end of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. Tai Situ came from the monastic fief Phagmodru , which was originally founded as a hermitage in 1158 by the famous Kagyu scholar Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo...
defeated the Ponchen (Administrator of the Sakyapa sect) of Gonggar and secured his power in Tibet.
When the Dzong was under the stewardship of Dorje-denpa Kun-ga Namgyal, who was a well-known Guru he had received training in the Sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
, Tantra
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
and Tantric rituals
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
from masters of all traditions. He was the holder of the Dzongpa tradition of the Sakyapa school. Sitting on the roof of his house in the Gongkar Dzong, when he was reciting the religious scripture, the Vajradhatu
Vajradhatu
Vajradhatu was the name of the umbrella organization of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, one of the first Tibetan Buddhist lamas to visit and teach in the West. It served as the vehicle for the promulgation of his Buddhist teachings, and was also the name by which his community was known from 1973 until...
, a leaf of the scripture was flown away by wind and it fell at a location where the present Gonggar Choede Monastery is located. The unusual event was further accentuated by the fact that the leaf fell at the location where Atisha
Atisha
Atiśa Dipankara Shrijnana was a Buddhist teacher from the Pala Empire who, along with Konchog Gyalpo and Marpa, was one of the major figures in the establishment of the Sarma lineages in Tibet after the repression of Buddhism by King Langdarma .- Birth :Atisha is most commonly said to have been...
(982–1054), had made a Mandala
Mandala
Maṇḍala is a Sanskrit word that means "circle". In the Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions their sacred art often takes a mandala form. The basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point...
sign with pebbles when he had first visited the place and identified it as the place for a future monastery.