Key Information

Photographer

Hugh E. Richardson

Collection

Hugh Richardson

Date of Photo

1939, 1949

Region

East Kyichu Valley Region > Uru Katshal

Accession number

BMR.6.8.200

Image Dimensions

60 x 90 mm

The ancient temple of Uru Katshal (dbu ru ka tshal) near the mouth of wide valley where the tributary stream of the Malgro machu (mal gro ma chu), seen in the foreground, joins the Kyichu river. There is a reliquary monument (mchod rten) on the left of the temple. There are numerous other buildings spreading over the hillside possibly belonging to Kathsal monastery.

Further Information

Photographic Process

Transparency Colour

Expedition

Richardson's 1948 tour of the East Kyichu Valley

Other Information

Technical Information - The camera used to take this collection of colour slides (Dufay colour) were a Zeiss Super Ikonta and a Reflex Korelle. [KC 09/10/2006]

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Typewritten handlist entitled 'Hugh Richardson Collection, The British Museum. Photographs taken between 1936-50. Cameras: Zeiss Super Ikonta, Reflex Korelle. 300 colour slides (Dufay colour); copies made Jan. 1995.
[no.] 200. Katshal Gompa and chapel at Medro Gongkar, northeast of Lhasa. This remarkable chapel was founded in the 7th century. Its heavy buttresses at the altar end are unusual in Tibetan architecture. There is a small altar with a tiny ambulatory corridor around it. The monastery (Katshal Gompa) on the right was founded by Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) in the 8th century.'[KC 11/10/2006]

Other Information - Location: Richardson mentions this site in High Peaks, Pure Earth , London, Serindia Publications, 1998, p. 306, " ... near the mouth of a wide valley stands Dbu-ru Ka-tshal (1948-9), a temple in miniature founded by Srong-brtsan Sgam-po as one of those intended to suppress the demoness threatening Tibet. Some eight miles up the 'On valley is the ancient temple of Ke-ru (1949). It has a small assembly hall and at the back of it a red-painted door in roughly carved pillars opens onto the ancient chapel in which is a superb Sakyamuni Buddha, perhaps the most beautiful in Tibet. ... There is also a chapel of Atisa with a mchod-rten in the Indian style." [KC 5/6/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Temple and monastery of Uru Katshal " 05 Dec. 2006. The British Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_BMR.6.8.200.html>.

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Temple and monastery of Uru Katshal