Tibet: Densatil Chronology

Densatil Chronology | Densatil Sculpture | Stupa Main Page

Densatil Monastery built the eight Tashi Gomang Stupas between the 1270s and the 1430s. That is a one hundred and sixty year (160) spread of time. Drigung Monastery was founded in 1179 and completed its first stupa in 1208. If both monasteries continued to commission works in a similar style and consistency as the Tashi Gomang stupas of Drigung and Densatil then it is not unreasonable to believe that sculpture for stupas, shrines, chapels and branch monasteries was being created for an approximate three hundred year period ending around 1500.

Chronology:

1158-1171 - Densatil Monastery Founded.

1171 - Pagmodrupa Dorje Gyalpo remains interred in a Tashi Obar Stupa at Densatil Monastery.

1179 - Drigung Monastery founded by Jigten Gonpo (1143-1217).

1198 - Beginning of construction of Tashi Gomang Stupa at Drigung Monastery.

1208 - Tashi Gomang Stupa at Drigung completed.

1266 - Neudongtse Fortress at Tsedong founded.

1270s - 1st Tashi Gomang Stupa constructed at Densatil.

1280s - 2nd Tashi Gomang Stupa constructed at Densatil.

1352 - Tsedong Monastery founded.

1360s - 3rd Tashi Gomang Stupa constructed at Densatil.

1370s - 4th Tashi Gomang Stupa constructed at Densatil.

1380s - 5th Tashi Gomang Stupa constructed at Densatil.

1410s - 6th Tashi Gomang Stupa constructed at Densatil.

1432 - 7th Tashi Gomang Stupa constructed at Densatil.

1430s - 8th and last Tashi Gomang Stupa constructed at Densatil.

Jeff Watt 4-2014

Website: Research Project on the Sculptural Art of Densatil. (See the article by Olaf Czaja, The Sculptural Art of Densatil, Oriental Art, Vol.50. No.4. 2006).

Exhibition: Golden Visions of Densatil, A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, Asia Society, New York City.

Publications: Golden Visions of Densatil, A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, edited by Olaf Czaja and Adriana Proser.