Drolma Lhakhang (also known as Nyethang Temple or Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang Temple) located in Qushui County, near the Tibet Lhasa airport, it played quite important role for spreading the Buddhism although the temple itself is small.
The Drolma Lhakhang is about 20 kilometers from the city of Lhasa. If you are taking Gonggar airport shuttle bus to Lhasa, there is a plain and neat temple lies north of the road, and that’s Drolma Lhakhang.
In the eleventh century, the spread of Buddhism was facing great challenges. With the arrival from Bangladesh in 1046 of the great teacher Atisa, a reform movement was initiated, and within a century, the major sects of Tibetan Buddhism had emerged.
The holy monk Atisa came to China in the 11th Century and lived in Tibet for 9 years, he put huge efforts into the spreading and teaching of Buddhism, made great contributions to the friendship between the two peoples.
He died in Tibet in 1054, his Disciple Chung Dunbar built Atisha pagoda, dedicated to Atisha enshrined in the speech Tara statue, near the pagoda burial part Atisha's bones. The existing Tara hall in 1930s by the Reting Rinpoche presided over the restoration of the. Temple sit East West, two layer.
The temple kept the stuff Atisha used to have like the conch, begging bowl and his life inseparable wooden tower made from Sandalwood incense. Drolma Lhakhang, the temple founded in 1274 AD was approved by the State Council for the list of the fifth national key cultural relic protection units.
People may curious, why Atisha is so famous and even after thousand years, still a lot of people memorize him and paying visit to the temple his disciples built for him. It is said that he was a prince of a small country near Bangladesh, he was very clear, started learning Buddhism from very little age in India. He was invited to Tibet by Guge King at Nagri area, although he was told his life would be shorten by 20 years if he goes to Tibet, he chose to help people still.
He took the route India-Nepal-Nagri-Shigatse-Samye Monastery. Then invited to Drolma Lhakhang, he was told this is a place has lots flowers blossom even in winter. The spreading of Buddhism and the founding of Kadam section begins from the Drolma Lhakhang by the Lhasa river. Hundreds of followers came to Drolma Lhakhang to study from him. One of his big contribution was translated lots of classic Buddhism works into Tibetan language, he even good at medicine, helping and curing people mentally and physically.
By that time, the wars between the tribes continued and people are living in poor and hunger. The arrival of Atisha changed the situation when different tribes accept the same opinion，the Buddhism. When the people believe in the same thing, they stop fighting and killing each other.
Drolma Lhakhang established nearly a thousand years, the ruins of incense, pilgrims from which there are in a continuous line, some believers are from Atisha’s hometown Bangladesh.
As the time goes on, we will never forget him, and his name already written in Tibetan history and the in the hearts of Tibetans.
