"Part 1 presents Zhakabpa's detailed inventory to the great temple; Part 2 compiles historical sources illustrating its importance in Tibetan life; Part 3 draws upon early historical material to highlight the temple's geomantic origins, the inauguration of the Great Prayer Festival and the early wall painings in the Jokhang; Part 4 explores the temple's intricate Indo-Nepalese architecture; Part 5 illustrates 108 bronze images from the Jokhang repository"--Dust jacket.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 277-280) and index.

Lying at the center of an ancient network of Buddhist temples in the Great Temple of Lhasa, the Jokhang Temple is the heart of spiritual and economic life in Tibet. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the atmospheric focal point of Lhasa, from which bustling narrow lanes of commerce radiate outward in all directions.