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Sera Tekchen “New House”
(se ra theg chen khang gsar)

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Reference and Affiliation:

  • THL Reference Number: s007
  • College Affiliation: Mé (smad)
  • Regional House Affiliation: none

Description:

Literally, the “new house” (khang gsar) of se ra theg chen gling (“Sera Mahāyāna Monastery,” the official name of Sera). The large central building is said to have been built by Desi Sanggyé Gyatso (sde srid sang rgyas rgya mtsho, d. 1705) as his personal residence at Sera. It was later used to house the Dalai Lama’s parents when they visited the monastery. The compound is in disrepair, although the main building is standing. According to informants, after the Cultural Revolution there was only one floor left standing, and the other two floors were added in 1984 at the insistence of the Chinese authorities, who considered the building to be of historical significance. Tradition has it that despite its name (“new house”) this may have been the site of one of the earliest – or perhaps the earliest – building at Sera. The compound is not related to any regional house, but is affiliated with Mé College (grwa tshang smad).