Thirteen monks passed the annual dharma debating exam and were accredited as Geshe Lharampas — the highest academic degree of Tibetan Buddhism — on Sunday at Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region.

According to tradition, after a grand religious ceremony the monk candidates sat patiently as they waited to defend their understanding of the Five Great Volumes of Tibetan Buddhism, against challenges from a handful of top scholars.

The examiners, a board of master scholars, stood in the middle of the courtyard ready to challenge one of the candidates, who sat on raised podiums.

The monk candidates were from some of the region's key monasteries, including Gandan, Sera, Drepung, Radren, Tashi Lhunpo, Dakpo Shadrubling and Champaling, as well as Dondrubling monastery in Yunnan province.

Following fierce competition, all 13 monks were awarded the degree of Geshe Lharampa after the debate on Sunday. Tsultrim Gyaltsan, a 50-year-old monk from the Sera monastery in Lhasa won first place on Monday.

Since 2004, 177 Tibetan Buddhist monks have been awarded the degree of Geshe Lharampa.

By Daqiong and Palden Nyima in Lhasa