This 17th-century Bhutanese monastery is ensconced in Buddhist legend.
Gangteng Gompa.
Gangteng Gompa is a historic monastery in the Black Mountain region of Bhutan. Built in the early 17th century, the monastery was established by Gyalse Rigdzin Pema Thinley, the grandson of the canonized Bhutanese “treasure revealer,” Pema Lingpa. Today, Gangteng Gompa is the largest Nyingmapa monastery in Western Bhutan.
Buddhist mythology recalls the narrative of an ancient guru who hid terma (sacred treasures of Buddhist wisdom) for select terton (treasure finders) to reveal in the future when the time was right. The terma were hidden for their protection so that the terton could transmit Buddha’s teachings through the generations should his knowledge ever be lost or destroyed.
Pema Lingpa, the grandfather of the monastery’s founder, was understood as an incarnation of that ancient guru. Following a series of revelations, he astoundingly unearthed over 100 terma across Bhutan in the mid-1470s. Rendered “King Terton,” Pema Lingpa made a pilgrimage to the imposing Black Mountain range, where he envisaged one of his descendants would build a monastery.
Gangteng Gompa was established in 1613 by Pema Lingpa’s grandson on a spur in the Black Mountains called the Gangteng Sang Nga Chöling, which translates to “summit for the teaching of the dharma.” Local timber was used for the temple’s beams, doors, pillars, and windows. Delep, a guardian deity, supposedly created a landslide in the mountains for better access to stones. A team of community artisans embellished the space with exquisite technicolor detail.
The monastery was restored between 2002 and 2008. Conservators worked to preserve the temple’s original detail with the addition of over 100 new pillars. Upon the temple’s completion, it was re-presented as Gangteng Sangngak Chöling, and consecrated by the ninth Gangtey Trulku, who is considered the current incarnation of Pema Lingpa.
Know Before You Go
On November 12 of each year, Gangteng Gompa hosts a Crane Festival to mark the annual arrival of black-necked cranes from the Tibetan plateau. Hundreds of cranes, which are sacred in the region, return to the monastery to roost, thought to bless the space by circling it three times.
When Land of the Thunder Dragon calls, you answer. Bhutan is definitely on any travelbug's wishlist. Indians are lucky for no visa is required to visit Bhutan and all we need to carry with us is either a passport or a Voter Identity Card. Those who are entering by land are required an Entry Permit which one can get from the border town of Phuentsholing. This Entry permit is valid only for Thimphu, Paro and Phuentsholing. Visitors who wish to explore further can get a Route Permit from the Royal Govt. of Bhutan Immigration Office at Thimpu. DO NOT think of travelling on Saturdays, Sundays and any Govt. holidays because Phuentsholing Immigration Office will remain closed. Phuentsholing is a 4-hour drive from Bagdogra Airport and 3 hour 45 minutes from Siliguri. You can even take a direct bus from Kolkata, run by the Royal Bhutanese Government (daily 7:30am and 1:30pm), to Phuentsholing. Once you reach the border town, there are plenty of local buses that will take you to Thimphu.
Why Visit Bhutan
Why not? Bhutan is popular for its monasteries, beautiful landscapes, culture, traditions and food. A visit to Bhutan is incomplete without a visit to Taktsang monastery, also known as Tiger's Nest.
The much-awaited launch of Six Senses Bhutan offers a new circuit for wellness lovers
Six Senses Hotel in Punakha, Bhutan.
Bhutan has a new pilgrimage of sorts in the circuit of five lodges that Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas is set to launch between January and May 2019. The mountain kingdom’s pristine scenery will be matched by the hotel chain’s wellness offerings in Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang.
Chorten Ningpo at Six Senses Hotel in Punakha, Bhutan
Six Senses Thimphu, located within apple orchards and pine groves, is the largest with 20 lodge suites and four villas; doors open by January 1, 2019. Six Senses Punakha—nicknamed the flying farmhouse for its setting amid rice fields—and Six Senses Paro, at the site of 12th-century ruins in a valley, will open by February 15, 2019. The Gangteyproperty, in the winter home of the elegant black-necked cranes, and theBumthang outpost in a pine forest, are the most intimate with eight lodge suites and a villa each, and are slated to launch in May 2019.
Lodge Suite bathroom at Paro, Bhutan.
Each lodge will have a spa and wellness centre and immersive local experiences. The Thimphu lodge has a hot stone bath and its Prayer Pavilion overlooks the valley and the 52m-high Buddha Dordenma statue. Guests at Six Senses Punakha can bicycle down to the revered Punakha Dzong, picnic riverside and dine on paddy terraces. The Gangtey resort has a glassed-in area to observe black-necked cranes swoop into the valley. The Paro property is next-door to a 15th-century monastery, and also has a 17-acre sustainable village adjacent where guests can learn about traditional agriculture practices and pick ingredients for a cooking class. Beekeeping and strawberry picking await at the Bumthang resort. Six Senses Bhutan offers a 14-night journey between all its five properties with visits to palaces, monasteries and breweries.
Six Senses Hotel in Thimpu, Bhutan.Doubles from $1,010/Rs72,870 per night across properties.
Wildlife affects rice production in Bhutan’s Rhadi
TRASHIGANG, Bhutan (Kuensel/ANN) – It’s harvest season in Radhi county, Trashigang, and the rice bowl of the east has turned golden. Group of farmers are seen threshing paddy on blue-orange tarpaulins spread along the terraces.
Dechen from Tongling village is busy storing the grains into sacks and transporting it to her house some 300 metres from the field.
For the 50-year old, this would be the final harvest for the year.
She scans her one-acre field before settling down for a quick break. “This is it. I was expecting the harvest to be the same as last year but it was a difficult year with wild animals including monkeys and porcupines constantly attacking the field.”
She said she harvested some 600 chagdhi (a measuring container) of paddy, which is about 1,200kg of rice last year. “We had a good harvest then. I was expecting a similar produce this year,” she said.
Farmersarmers in Radhi, Trashigang, harvest paddy. – KUENSEL/ANN
However, without a proper irrigation system and the increasing incidences of human-wildlife conflict, the harvest is likely to decrease.
She said farmers have to mostly depend on monsoon during transplantation since most irrigation canals are washed away or have become defunct.
The biggest problem faced by the farmers in the gewog is wild animals.
Another farmer, Sherab Zangmo, said that all their hard work is destroyed by the wild animals at night. “You lose the zeal to work when such things happen,” she said. “But since this is our only means of survival, we don’t have any option but to redo it all over again.”
The 55-year-old farmer said that many villagers have received solar fencing through government support. “The fencing has proven effective. We hope the gewog would provide us too.”
The county agriculture extension supervisor, Pema Wangchen, said human-wildlife conflict in the gewog is increasing.
About 13km of solar fencing works was provided to the gewog this year. “We expect the crop production to further improve next year with the fencing works completed,” he said.
He, however, said the paddy production of the gewog is expected to increase this year. “If not, it should remain the same as last year.”
Pema Wangchen reasoned that because of timely monsoon during the transplanting season, they didn’t face any delay in the transplantation.
According to statistics with the district agriculture sector, Radhi produced 2,553.59MT of rice in 2017-2018 from 1,236.16 acres of wetland. The yield per acre of land was recorded at 2,065.75kg.
Apart from producing one of the largest quantities of rice in the east, Radhi is also known for its different varieties of rice. The county produces some nine varieties of rich of which Sorbang and Sung-sung are popular varieties in the country today.
The Sorbang, meaning lemongrass look-alike rice, also known as Radhi rice, fetches about Nu 65 per kilogramme while the red Sung-Sung rice fetches Nu 70 to 75 per kilogramme.
“Even when it gets cold, the rice is still soft. This is why people, mostly in the west prefer Sorbang rice,” said another farmer. “We receive orders for large quantities but most of the time, we are only self-sufficient.”
Meanwhile, Sherub Zangmo said these are new varieties grown recently in the county.
“The rice native to Radhi was called Aassu and was grown since my great-grandfather’s time,” she said. “Now that rice is no more grown because we have better varieties that grow well. Sorbang and Sung-Sung are the new native rice of Radhi.”
On the 12th anniversary of the coronation of His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the people of Bhutan are celebrating and looking back on the start of his “golden reign”.
The King’s coronation had three distinct stages. The first saw His Majesty The Druk Gyalpo receive the same Dar Na-Nga that has been presented to all monarchs of the Wangchuck dynasty from the sacred Machen of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in Punakha Dzong. The second was the official crowning with the “Raven Crown”, and the third was a celebration which lasted three days at Changlingmithang where the people of Bhutan paid homage to their new monarch.
On 7 November 2006, His Majesty made a coronation speech which outlined the plans and foundations on which his reign would grow. He said:
“Throughout my reign I will never rule you as a King. I will protect you as a parent, care for you as a brother and serve you as a son. I shall give you everything and keep nothing; I shall live such a life as a good human being that you may find it worthy to serve as an example for your children; I have no personal goals other than to fulfil your hopes and aspirations. I shall always serve you, day and night, in the spirit of kindness, justice and equality.”
Known as ‘The People’s King’, His Majesty The Druk Gyalpo is known for the special bond he shares with his people and is seen as an inspiration, a leader and a man of selfless service.
In an article in Kuensel – Bhutan’s daily newspaper – reporting on the Coronation Day celebrations made clear the admiration the people of Bhutan have for their king, saying: “During the past decade, His Majesty steered the nation with steadfast attention and brilliance as the democratisation process began to unfold unprecedented experiences in the country with changes in the polity, economy and Bhutanese behaviour. With a smooth transition to democratic constitutional monarchy form of government and the three successful general elections, democracy is deepening and the future looks more promising.”
