Gyanak Mani Temple

Gyanak Mani Temple

The Gyanak Mani is the world’s largest field of Mani stones, approximately one square kilometer in area. It is the most sacred religious site in Yushu City. To circumambulate the field and wander through the lanes between enormous piles of carved stones and prayer flags. Some stones are intricately inscribed with entire sections from the scriptures, and others have bas-relief images of certain meditational deities.

Gyanak Mani

Gyanak Mani is constructed in the late 13th century by Gyanak Tulku who came from Chamdo on a return visit from China, although it has also been attributed to Tangtong Gyalpo. Before the construction of this site, it is said to have been visited by princess Wencheng while traveling from China to Tibet and presented three Mani stones to a local devotee and when a red rainbow light appeared, her subject was given the designation Gyanak Tsering Gyaltsen.  

gyanak mani board

 The field of stones bears witness to the faith of local Tibetan pilgrims who would travel along the trade routes from Xining to Lhasa via Jegudo and make offerings as an expression of their devotion in the early days.

The main temple in the northeast of the site contains seven images of Doringpa, Shakyamuni, Avolokiteshwara, Padmasambhava, Vajra sattva, Green Tara, and White Tara. There are also footprints and handprints of Doringpa. The Mani wheel chapel called Sengze Dungkar Chenpo is constructed in 1987.

gyanak mani

Currently, it is supervised by the Jegu monastery and the cultural department of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It is listed National Hereditary Site of China and on Genius world record as the World’s largest Mani stone field.  

Gyanak Mani field

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