261 
1895.] L. A. Waddell —Description of Lhasa Cathedral. 
with the exception of Mr. RockhilFs notes 1 which I am sorry to say had 
escaped my notice. The attached illustration from a native drawing 
gives some idea of its appearance. 2 The chapels and other buildings 3 
which compose the temple do not appear to form a pile of grand 
architectural proportions, but rather a cluster of squat buildings, 
resplendent in green and gold with glittering gilded roofs. 4 They cover 
a very large area of ground, about a quarter of a square mile it is 
said, and the surrounding circular road is at all times daily circumambu¬ 
lated by hundreds of pilgrims and residents, many of whom do this 
devotional duty in penitential fashion, by measuring their lengths on 
the ground, as shown in the attached picture. 
The frescoes and images seem to be more of mythological than 
artistic interest, and the decorations appear to be almost barbaric in their 
splendour, with their wealth of gold and precious stones and rich silk 
embroidery and brocades, the votive offerings which have been lavished 
on this central shrine by pious kings and other devotees for over twelve 
centuries. 
The most intrinsically precious imnges, those made of solid gold, of 
which there are many hundreds, and those containing the most precious 
stones, are safeguarded in a strong chapel the doors and windows of 
which are protected by heavy iron gratings (‘ Chag-ta ’ 5 ) through 
which the ordinary pilgrims and visitors can only peer, except on a 
certain annual festival, when the building is thrown open to the 
public. 
The name Lha-sa 6 or ‘the place of the gods,’ is the vulgar name 
for the temple, and is properly restricted to denote the temple itself, 
and not the city so-called. The original book-name of the temple seems 
to have been Ra-sa, 7 or ‘ the enclosed or fenced spot,’ which name is 
1 loc. cit ., containing important precise information, culled by Mr. Rockhill, from 
trustworthy Chinese sources. 
2 It may be compared with that illustration from Chinese sources given by 
Mr. Rockhill, in his article referred to (p. 70). Several Lamas and others to whom 
I have shown both illustrations state that my picture gives the better representation 
of the building 
3 Part of it is also used as a state-treasury. Mr. Rockhill writing from 
Chinese sources of information says, c the annual revenue in money amounting to 
probably 127,000 ounces of silver, all the produce and monies received as taxes are 
stored away in the treasury in the Jo-k’ang (the Lhasa Cathedral) and are under 
the care of three Sha-dso-pa ( i.e ., Treasurers), loc. cit., p. 8. 
4 The Chinese account translated by Rockhill (loc. cit., p. 263), says “around 
the central court-yard there have been erected brick pavilions several stories high 
and pillared halls, the tiled roofs of which are ornamented with gold.” 
6 '3*1 I ZC’ags-k’ra. 6 | 7 J 
