Drak Yerpa-Historical Site OF Tibet.

Yerpa is said to be the ” life tree” or “spiritual axis,of Lhasa itself. with more than eighty meditation caves, it was a village of several hundred hermeits, Monks and Nuns who lived on a site sanctified by Songtsen Gampo, Padmasambhava,Yeshe Tsogyal, Padampa Sangye and Atisha. Since the seventh century it has been considered one of the most sacred sites in central Tibet.. Giuseppe Tucci, the Italian scholar and traveler recorded his first impression of Yerpa in 1949. For those with an interest in Tibetan Buddhism, Drak Yerpa hermitage about 30 KM northeast of central Lhasa and is one of the holiest cave retreats in U. Among the many ascetics who have sojourned here are Guru Rinpoche and Atisha( Jowo-Je),the Bengali Buddhist who spent 12 years proselytizing in Tibet.The King Songtsen Gampo aslo meditated in the cave after his Tibetan wife established the first of Yerpa’s chapels. The peaceful site offers lovely views and is a great day trip from Lhasa.Yerpa became one of the three most important centres of meditation and retreat in Central Tibet. Several of Guru Rinpoche’s disciples are also said to have meditated here. The famous legendary hero Gesar of Ling  is said to have visited the valley. The holes his arrows left in the cliffs are believed to be evidence of his presence. Drak Yerpa is still retains the extraordinary natural beauty and dignity  of its setting.