- Desi Jigme Namgyel was the first modern hero of our country and he was also forefather of the Wangchuck Dynasty . He lived at a time when the nation was devided and people were constantly fighting with one another. He served as 48th Druk Desi (Deb Nakpo) of Bhutan.
Parental Background
- Desi Jigme Namgyel was born in 1825 in Khethangbi Naktshang in Lhuentse. His father, Pila Gonpo Wangyel, was the twelfth descendant of Terton Pema Lingpa (1450-1521) from the Dungkar Choje family. Jigme Namgyels mother was Sonam Pelzom, the daughter of one of the Pilas subjects at Jangsa in Lhuentse. Desi was having at least six names. When he was born, his parents called him as Samdrup. As he grew up, he was called Jigme Namgyel. In history, He is popularly known as Deb Nagpo. The British refferred to him as Black Regent, because he had dark complexion, he wore black gho and rode black hores. In record in Chungey Gonpa, he is referred to as Kusho Nagpo Gongsar Jigme Namgyel. His choeming (religious name) was Drime Sherab.
Early Career
- Around 1843, he joined the Trongsa administration that governed Eastern Bhutan, which consisted then of Assam Duars. He rose rapidly through the ranks to become the Trongsa Penlop in 1853.
While he was high official of Trongsa, Jigme Namgyel married Ashi Pema Choki, the daughter of the 8th Trongsa penlop (Tamzing Choji family),
Dasho Ugyen Phuntsho, by his wife, Aum Rinchen Pelmo (a daughter of Sonam Drugyel, 31st druk Desi). His marriage to Sonam Choki further enhanced Jigme Namgyels noble lieage. The ancestry of Jigme Namgyels wife also went back to Pema Lingpa as she was the daughter of Tamzhing Choji.
Death
- In 1881, Desi Jigme Namgyel died, aged 55-56, at Semtokha Dzong in the Thimphu valley (first built in 1629) from a fall from a yak. His 21-year-old son, then the Paro Penlop, Ugyen Wangchuck (1862-1926), conducted the grandest funeral bhutan had ever seen fir his father
~One of the earliest driver to drive a car in Bhutan.
During the time when our country was busy engaged in the construction of first national highway from Phuntsholing-Thimphu (1960s), most of our grandparents served in this project with sweat and tears. There were limited use of morden equipments that time. Agay Tshering Tenzi, from Sephu, Wangdue was mongst those who contributed selflessly in such nation building project. He mostly works between Ganglakha-Jumja.
Here, he confirms that the first driver to drive a motor car from the country was Haap Nobu who used to drive a Tata truck that time. Sadly he passed away last year.
**if you have more informations to share about agay Haap Tshering, you can write it in the comment box.
The Shazam (ཤ་རྫམ་) or Stag dance is one of the well known dances in Bhutan which fall within the category of sachag (ས་བཅགས་) or dance of establishment of founding. The dance symbolizes the exorcism of negative forces and the purification and consecration of the venue for spiritual practice. The dance includes four dancers wearing masks of deer and holding swords. It is often performed as the first piece of dance in the day during a festival although this dance is now being adapted and performed for commercial purposes outside the traditional venues and events.
The culture of stag dance is common in many other parts of the Himalayas. In Tibet, the dance is often performed by a single dancer, who wears a large stag mask and heavy silk robe, and performs the ritual of ‘liberation’ (སྒྲོལ་བ་). While the Shazam dance in Bhutan also carries the same symbolism of tantric practice of ‘liberation’ of demonic forces and consecration of the space, it has only four dancers, who do not openly carry out the act of ‘liberation’ or ‘ritual killing’. The ritual of ‘liberation’ is one of the most esoteric and powerful practices of Vajrayāna Buddhism, which combines the altruism of Mahāyāna Buddhism to rescue all sentient beings from suffering and negative states of the mind and the exceptional expedient methods of secret tantras to do so. It even advocates using violent and terrifying methods out of ruthless compassion in order to tame unruly beings. Thus, in a ritual of ‘liberation’, the tantric master takes up a terrifying form externally to subjugate demonic forces and transform the negative energy into a positive one. Through the ritual, the consciousness of the target is said to be miraculously liberated while its ordinary personality is destroyed.
According to the Bhutanese dance scholars, the Shazam dance represents Padmasambhava’s taming of the king of western wind gods (ནུབ་ཕྱོགས་རླུང་ལྷའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་) who were in conflict with the gods of the north and causing a great turmoil and misery in the world. Padmasambhava is said to have tamed the god king and taken over his vehicle, which is a deer. However, nothing more is known about this story, and stag dance is also known in the Bon religion in Tibet. Thus, nothing definite can be said about origin of the stag dance, which is performed in a group in Bhutan. The use of the mask of stag in a dance which depicts the ritual of ‘liberation’ is almost certainly based on the idea of the stag-headed deity in the Buddhist tantras. The priest takes on the form of this deity through visualization and prayers and symbolically subdues the malevolent forces in a festive ritual. While the general origin of the stag dance is unclear, the introduction of the stag dance to Bhutan might have taken place from Lhodrak Karchu monatery in southern Tibet. The first Namkhai Nyingpo reincarnation, who was the lama of this monastery close to the Bhutanese border to the north, is said to have retrieved a hidden treasure of a mask of a stag and started a tradition of a white stag dance in his monastery.
The Shazam dancers wear the dorji gong (རྡོ་རྗེ་གོང་) adamantine shoulder cover and also the trab (ཀྲབ་) sash forming a cross over them for their torso. They wear a skirt of silk scarves of different colours, which are hung from a belt with the mentse designs covering the outside layer. They also wear pants with leopard stripes and skirts with tiger stripes underneath. They dance bare feet, regulated by the chief musician, who plays a pair of large boerol (བལ་རོལ་) cymbals off the dance stage. They wield swords, which signify wisdom, in their right hands and have nothing in their left. The mask of stags they wear have long antlers.
The dance of skeletal figures called durdak is a common artistic performance in Bhutan and other parts of the Himalayas. The term durdak (དུར་བདག) refers to durtrö dakmo (དུར་ཁྲོད་ཀྱི་བདག་མོ་) or the overlord of the charnel grounds. It is believed that the charnel grounds are haunted places with powerful spirits, including both benevolent and malevolent ones. While there are many harmful and demonic spirits in the charnel grounds, the skeletal figures in the Durdak dance are said to represent powerful positive forces. Bhutanese scholars on cham dance claim that the dance characters are the divine protector Palden Lhamo in her manifestation as spirits of the charnel grounds. It may also be noted that one of the dharma protectors well known in Bhutan and Tibet is Zhingchong Durthrö Dakmo (ཞིང་སྐྱོང་དུར་ཁྲོད་བདག་མོ་), a female protector deity.
While the culture and choreography of the Durdak dance developed in Tibet and Bhutan, the concept of durdak overlords of charnel grounds and tradition of charnel grounds as spiritual sites started in India. Even in the early days of Buddhism, charnel grounds, with their dead and decaying bodies, were considered powerful sites to develop the awareness of impermanence, death, and foulness and fragility of the human body to overcome the attachment to one’s life and body. When Vajrayāna Buddhism developed as a result of a syncretic exchange with the non-Buddhist traditions, particularly the Śaiva tradition of kapalika or skull bearers, the charnel grounds came to be seen as power spots for spiritual liberation. This was because the charnels grounds were often the sites where the Mahāsiddhas, the maverick founders of Vajrayāna who worked on the fringes of society, dwelled and carried out their antinomian spiritual practices to undo social prejudices and hierarchies.
Subsequently, the tantric Buddhists came to believe in the eight powerful charnel grounds, which are among the sacred sites blessed by Heruka, the wrathful emanation of the Buddha. According to a Buddhist story common in Bhutan, the Buddha in the wrathful Heruka form is said to have tamed the destructive evil force of Rudra, who was causing great harm to the sentient beings. The Buddha miraculously liberated Rudra’s consciousness and slaughtered, blessed and scattered his physical corpse across the Indian landscape. The areas where the pieces of Rudra’s body landed are said to have been blessed in this process as power spots for tantric practice.
Thus, charnel grounds were seen as potent sites for spiritual practices. Besides the belief in the sites as being blessed by the Heruka, the sites were also convenient places to live fully liberated and free lives outside the society and its conventions. It was conducive for the tantric ethos of breaking free of the social taboos, hierarchies and structures. The charnel grounds are also viewed as haunted places and thus a terrifying space to test one’s sense of attachment to oneself and spiritual courage to face death and causes of fear and death. Even today, many serious practitioners in Bhutan seek cremation grounds for their practice with the belief that they are haunted by spirits who can test one’s sense of spiritual ease.
The Durdak dance represents the powerful spirits of the charnel grounds, particularly the positive ones, who aid a practitioner in overcoming the inner obstacles on the path to enlightenment. They destroy the inner obstacles of a spiritual practitioner, such as attachment, fear, prejudice, etc. and external obstructions posed by evil spirits. They trap these obstacles, particularly the ultimate devil of the ego, and bring them to be ritually exterminated through a practice of ritual killing called ‘liberation’ (དུར་བདག་). To indicate this, the Durdak dance is often performed with four dancers carrying a triangular vessel in the middle of a black rug. The vessel is laid in front of the wrathful Buddhas to be ritually killed or liberated.
The dancers wear skeletal masks, which resemble a fleshless or skinless skull. The face has large ears and a three-piece tiara on the top. They wear a white jacket on the top and a white pair of trousers, loose white gloves and socks, all of which have red stripes showing shapes of bones. Over the jacket, the dancers wear the dorjé gong (རྡོ་རྗེ་གོང་) or the adamantine shoulder cover and the trab (ཀྲབ་) sash forming a cross over them. Over the white trousers in the lower part, silk scarves of different colours are hung from a belt with the mentse designs covering the outside layer. They have no hand implements but often enter the dance stage holding one corner of the square black rug on which the triangular vessel is placed. The dance movements are very agile, acrobatic and abrupt ones accompanied by the music of a small posing (སྤོ་སངས་) cymbal played in the background.
Like most other dances, the Durdak dance is performed by the monks and lay priests of the monasteries and villages during the festival. In main state centres, it is performed by the members of the Royal Academy of Performing Arts or by state dancers. Young men often perform this dance.
Pacham dance was introduced by Pema Lingpa after witnessing such a dance in the Copper-coloured realm of Padmasambhava which he visited. Pema Lingpa’s own biography clearly records his visionary journey to Zangdo Pelri or the Copper-coloured realm of Padmasambhava and also his experience of spiritual figures of pawo and pamo performing music constantly in the abode of Padmasambhava
Brief on Atsara Gocham Tamshing Lhendrup Chholing Tshechu by Khenpo Sonam Tashi, Principal of Pema Lingpa Central School པད་གླིང་དགེ་འདུན་སློབ་གྲྭ་ལྟེ་བ།
Joenla Ugyen Gatshel Lakhang begain with Atsara (Clown) Gocham, most common people think Atsara is widely Joker or playing in the ground, Atsara in Sanskrit called Lyopen Chhenpo, Nyeljorpa or Drubthopa.
The most significance and opening mask dance of Joenla Ugyen Gatshel Lakhang, Radhi, Tashigang Dzongkhag is Phag cham (ཕག་འཆམ) or the Boar Dance. It is said that Phag cham was composed in the 15th century by Terton Rigzin Pema Lingpa was looking for a suitable place to build a monastery. It is said that, Terton Rigdzin Pema Lingpa had a vision, where Yidam Dorji Phagmo (ཡི་དམ་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཕག་མོ) or Vajravarahi, the board headed deity performed the dance and told him that he should learn this dance and perform it during the consecration ceremony of the temple. Pema Lingpa remembered the steps of the dance even after he woke up from the visionary dream. He wrote down the steps and made his followers learn the dance. To mark this auspicious occasion, Terton Rigdzin Pema Lingpa introduced the Boar Dance as the first one in the series of mask dances performed during the consecration ceremony of the monastery.
This sacred dance later came to be known as Phagcham. The foundation of the Tamzhing lhakhang is also said to have been dug by a boar, which is why the Phala Choepa festival was named. It is said that the pig borrowed deep into the soil and unearthed for the construction of temple.
(Bardo cham) the intermediate mask dance significance
Bardo Dance is one of the most popular of the Kater Datang Cham or 'Pure Visionary Dance of Treasure Revealers'. Called the Bardo Raksha Mangcham or the 'The Group Dance of Intermediate Sate', this performance was originally revealed by Terton Karma Lingpa in the 14th century based on his treasure text known as karling zhitro. The Bardo is the state where the departed spirit exists with mental body (yid-lue) for a period of forty-nine days following death and before the next rebirth according to the Bardo Zhitro, a text written by Terma Karma Lingpa.
According to Vajrayana tradition, there are five kinds of liberation ls such as seeing the sacred dance or movement, hearing the sacred chanting, wearing the prayer cord, touching the sacred objects, amd taste of the sacred relics. this work by Karma Lingpa illustrates the first of these types of liberation. This is a very complex and intricate dance that takes more than two hours to perform. The performers sit in two rows as they dance one at a time, allowing them much needed rest. An Ox-headed dancer leads the right hand row while the stag-headed dancer leads the left.
The significance of this dance is to remind people to be mindful in their actions during day-to-day life, as each choice has karmic effects. These effects will accumulate throughout life and then determine the nature of the next rebirth. The Bardo Cham illustrates the impermanence that surrounds all beings, and the ever-present reality of death. Specifically, it illustrates what happens during the Intermediate State, and how the deceased spirit undergoes judgment as the result of actions during life.
During the course of the dance, the Lord of Death, an emanation of Avalokiteshvara/Chenrigzee, arrives, carrying a karmic mirror in his hand. He is accompanied by two other figures: a White God on the right side and a Black Demon on the left. The Lord of Death,( Shinje Choki Gyalpo) enters the ground from the dance chamber and an orchestra of long and short trumpets, drums and bells lead the procession. The White God and Black Demon represent the virtuous and non-virtuous, both mind and actions. The White God, Lha Karpo, tries to support the deceased so that they are taken to the pure land, but the Black Demon (Dre Nagpo tries to interfere, encouraging the Lord of Death to banish the evil-doer.
Twenty-eight dancers comprise the full retinue, all of whom wear masks depicting different animal faces. Except for the fearful and aggressive Black Demon and the Lord of Death, all the masks have peaceful expressions. As the deceased encounter these animal faced beings in the Bardo, the beasts attempt to disrupt their journey on to the next rebirth. This dance explains and demonstrates how the animal faced guardian deities in the Bardo State judge of the deceased's evil and virtuous deeds.
The lord of the death wears a res mask crowned with five skulls and with two long hanging bannera dangling from the ears. Black demon wears a terrifying black mask along with a black suit, with wild black hair and string of bells that cross his chest. The sounds frighten sinful persons when be moves during the fast paced and aggressive dance he performs. The white god wears a peaceful white facemask clean clothes, and carries crystal beads in his hand.
Twenty-four dancers wear knee-length yellow silks with ornate patterns and each dancer has their own different mask. The dance master wears the red Ox-headed mask and represents the emanation of Manjushri, the embodiment of wisdom. He plays a very crucial role, serving as the main mediator between the Lord of Death and other deities. He is the first dancer who enters the compound. There are three additional attendant dancers—the Monkey-headed, Snake-headed, and Hog- headed —who play an important role in the search for the sinful and virtuous man. The Monkey-headed dancer carries the scale to weigh the white and black pebbles that represent the good and evil deeds done by the deceased.
The Snake-headed dancer carries a mirror to reflect the karma of deceased, and the Hog-headed dancer carries a counting board to keep the tally that will determine the dead person's fate. There are also two human characters. One is a sinful man wearing black clothes and a black mask, while the other, the virtuous man, has a white mask and white costume. The sinful man is called Nyelbum and virtuous man Khimdag Pelkid. It is said that Nyelbum belongs to a low level family, having an evil mind and many children in his lifetime, whereas Khimdag Pelkid is pious man that comes from a noble family.
The afterlife is presented much like a court proceeding, beginning from the opening of the case to the final verdict. Viewers watch the process of judgment played out before the Lord of Death. First, the sinful man
is brought forth to be judged. During this procedure, the Ox-headed dancer reports to the Lord of Death about the sinful man and his deeds during life.
Following a thorough examination, he is sent to the lower realm represented by a strip of black cloth. Before he is sent to the lower realm, the Lord of Death reminds him that it is because of his own negative karma that he is being sent to the lower realm, where his negative karma can be purified after suffering as retribution for his acts. Much like a criminal he is free after his term is over. As the virtuous man is judged and found to have undertaken acts of positive karma, following his judgment, he is sent to the pure land with goddesses, carrying a white strip of cloth.
In this dance scene, twenty-four different animal-headed masks are employed: the Ox- headed (Raksha lango), hog, garuda, lion, Raven, bear, hind, hound, elephant, lake ox, domestic ox, yeti, gorila, goat, sheep, deer, hoopoe, dragon, crocodile, bat, red garuda, monkey, snake, and stag. They are arranged as in the photo.
Jaga Tarshi, widely known as Jaga Darshi (Flagpole) because of his height (7 Feet 2 inches) is known for being the fastest and most famous messenger in Bhutan. He was capable of covering a distance of over 200 km in a single day with just a pair of ‘tebtem’ or cowhide sandals in those days.
Hailing from Wang Debsi, nine kilometers from Thimphu, Jaga Tarshi was a descendent of Pila Goenpa Wangyel of the brothers, Pala and Pila fame. Pala and Pila were “nyagoe” or strongmen known for their size, strength and bravery. They served various Zhabdrung reincarnates and Penlops as warriors and bodyguards in the late 18th and early 19th century.
At the age of 20, Jagar Tarshi was taken to Bumthang to serve the Second King, His Majesty Jigme Wangchuk by Gongzim Sonam Tobgay Dorji. He served as a Zhinghap and among his many duties he was an attendant and personal bodyguard to the Second King.
His other important job was to deliver the Kings personal message from Bumthang to Thimphu and Paro in a single day. His journey would start at the crack of dawn when he would be handed the confidential Kasho. He would take various shortcuts such as crossing over the Hele La pass to Thimphu from Wangdue. He would reach Tashichhodzong just before the main gates of the Dzong were shut for the night.
Jagar Darshi continued his service in the Third King's court and in 1950 was taken to serve as the Dzongsap for Thimphu. He, however begged out of his duty since he had very limited reading and writing ability. He was then sent to Phuentsholing as a ‘Lapon’ or supervisor on the first vehicle road being built from India to Bhutan. Infact, the man who wielded the first hoe into the ground at the Phuentsholing gate to start the Thimphu-Phuentsholing highway was Jagar Tarshi.
An anecdote Jagar Darshi recounted in his later years about his favorite duties was to accompany the King on his many horseback journeys. The King loved horses and had them brought in from places as far away as Kham in eastern Tibet. Dashi’s job was to boost or lower the King from horseback and walk alongside the riding King at all times. While navigating narrow trails on steep cliff sides he held the King and guided the horse through the tough terrain, a job his height and strength allowed him to do with ease.
Another interesting story was that, along with a few friends he initiated and built the first school in Thimphu at Desyphakha where the present day Banquet Hall is located. His son Rinchen Tshering, was enrolled there amongst the first batch of students. The students were taught in Hindi and some English and later, after grade 4, they were sent to India to continue their studies.
Most of the Chhazhumis including Jagar Dashi who have exchanged their swords for prayer beads were not only the last of their generation but the end of an era.
Perfect TMX TMT pays tribute to such outstanding figures in history who have contributed indelibly and uniquely to the noble cause of nation building.
**For more information please feel free to visit Bhutan Postal Museum.
Nyala Duem legend- Bhutanese version of ‘Maleficent’ losing its allure
Not very long ago, the day in a Bhutanese home would usually end with children gathered around a fire listening to stories from the elderly. But this tradition is already disappearing along with folklore that kept children interested and occupied. One such lore is the legend of the maleficent demoness, the Nyala Duem, that lived along the Wangdue-Trongsa highway.
As dusk settles, people would rush home fearing the Nyala Duem in the past. It is believed that the demoness lived in the concave mountain, among the dark forest, opposite the Chendibji River taking lives and bringing sickness to the locals and travellers alike.
According to verbal narratives passed down from generations, the demoness would sometimes transform herself into a monk, other times into an attractive woman and occasionally into a man wearing a conical hat.
Among many accounts of the Duem, the most popular is how Garp Lunghi Khorlo lost his soul to her. Elders say that the fastest messenger in the olden days, known as Garp Lunghi Khorlo or the ‘wheels of the wind’ wished the Duem to take his life while crossing the Nyalaluem as he was very tired. He later saw a beautiful woman washing the entrails of an ox in a stream. Ox was his birth sign.
Eighty-three-year-old Rigyem from Nyala Drangla Goenpa says the stories about the demoness was very much alive during her childhood days.
“There wasn’t any paved road here when I was a child. And due to fear of the Nyala Deum, no travellers from Wangdue to Trongsa would dare to halt a night besides designated places like Nubding, Chendibji and Tangsibji. They would not stay anywhere between these places,” she said.
The maleficent demoness was believed to be subdued by Drubthob Druzhida in the 17th century when she tried to harm the saint. It is said that the demoness turned herself into a huge serpent and entered the Nyala Lhakhang. However, the saint prevailed and turned her into one of the protecting local deities. The Phub or dagger used in subduing her is still preserved in the Lhakhang.
“When Drubzhida was subduing the Nyla Duem, the Deum confessed to the saint that she was pregnant with a son. She requested the saint to raise her son. The son was named Norlha Peza Drugay, and until today, he is worshipped as our main local deity here,” said Angay Rigyem.
Some elders in the village also say they would be reminded of the demoness right upon sighting the Jarong Khashor Choeten at Chendebji in Tangsibji Gewog during their childhood days but not anymore. They say developmental works along the sites are eventually impacting the folklore to disappear.
“Moreover, there is no one to narrate the story. And then there are no listeners as well. So this is how the folklore is vanishing,” said Padey, from Tshangkha in Trongsa.
“We just heard a little from here and there. We don’t exactly know the details, and that’s one of the reasons why it is not popular among the youth now,” added Gyembo Dorji, from Tangsibji Gewog.
They fear there won’t be anyone to narrate these rich folklores in the future.
However, they can put to rest this fear, since some ten monks undergoing Buddhist studies in Nyala Lhakhang are conducting research to document and write a book on it.
“The one or two who knows about the story does not have a concrete base. So it’s high time we research and preserve the story,” said Chimmi Nidup, from the Nyala Ugyen Dargay Choeling Lobdra in Tangsibji Gewog.
The legend of Nyala Duem will live thanks to this undertaking by the monks but there are many folklores that are slowly losing their place in Bhutanese history.
MARCHANG (An important offering in every occasion)
Marchang, an alcohol offering, combines chang with mar (alcohol with butter). Typically, this offering moarks the beginning of an auspicious event, signifies a significant occasion, or welcomes an esteemed guest.
The alcohol, mixed with fermented grains, is placed in a traditional vessel called thro and served with a wooden ladle. Adorned with three butter decorations or their equivalents, the container is used for collective prayer during the offering.
The prayer, composed by Drukpa Kagyu master Pema Karpo, initiates with chanting, transforming ordinary alcohol into transcendental nectar through the powerful syllables of ཨོྃ་ཨཱ་ཧཱུྃ (Om, Ah, Hung).
During the marchang ceremony, the five spiritual nectars are initially offered to root and lineage gurus or teachers.
Subsequently, these nectars are presented to deities across the four tantric systems: kriya, charya, yoga, and anuttarayoga.
Following this, offerings extend to influential male and female spiritual partners, dharma protectors, and guardian deities led by Mahakala.
The culmination involves offering to all sentient beings, including those residing in the specific house or area, symbolizing the representation of spiritual nectars in the form of marchang alcohol.
Om Ah Hum! O All excellent, noble, sublime, root and lineage gurus, who are supreme ones [entitled] to the first portion, the lords of all the [Buddha] families, the principal of all mandalas and the embodiment of the non-dual wisdom of body, speech, and mind of the Buddhas of three times! Please enjoy the offering of the five nectars.
O All assemblies of yidam deities of mandalas which are associated with action tantra, conduct tantra, yoga tantra and unsurpassable yoga tantra! Please enjoy the offering of the five nectars.
O All heroes and dakinis of three power spots and the cardinal and territorial gaurdian-dakinis in the eight great charnel grounds! Please enjoy the offering of the five nectars.
O Glorious Mahakala, the king of blood-drinkers, the dralha god of the yogis, the healer of the three poisons, the great guardian of holy institutions and mandalas, the one renowned as Raven, your retinue, subjects, and all other guardians of sacred dharma! Please enjoy the offering of the five nectars.
Further, O Eight classes of gods and spirits including those who reside in this land and all the sentient beings included in the six realms and four modes of birth! Please enjoy the offering of the five nectars.
The ruin of Zhongar Dzong is a familiar sight on the Thimphu-Trashigang highway between Lingmithang and Thidangbi village in Mongar. The ruin of this magnificent monument opposite the highway still imposes its presence even a few centuries after it was abandoned. In the absence of any written record, a story about the dzong and history surrounding it can be reconstructed only through oral sources which are also scanty. The local people believe that Gyalpo Karpodhung invited its chief architect Bala from Paro. Evidence of his journey to Zhongar can be found in several places between Ura and Zhongar.
On reaching Saleng, Bala made a visual survey of the place. He reportedly saw a white stone bowl on a small hill and decided to build a new dzong on it. He named it Zhongkar (gzhong dkar), meaning white bowl (gzhong=bowl, dkar=white). But down the centuries, the place came to be known as Zhongar. Another source claims that when Bala neared Lingmithang, he had a vision of a hill marked by a natural rock similar to a gzhong, a wooden bowl used as an eating utensil. The Utse of the Dzong is still intact
Fearing that the new dzong might intrude into his territory; the tsen of Golongdrak sent two junior tsen to kill Bala before reaching the place. The two tsen hid in the jungle and waited for Bala. But Bala never came. They instead saw a 'wooden-cross' moving along the road. It was later found out that the 'wooden-cross' was Bala's lopen (carpenter's measuring scale). Even today it is believed that a carpenter should always carry his lopen to avoid any harm.
After arriving in Zhongar, Bala surprisingly disappeared for seven days. Later he was found in Jangdhung where he had made a model of his new dzong from artemesia stems. Bala built the dzong based on this model. It was said that there were no rough edges in the structure and not a single rock that was out of place. The Dzong consisted of four main structures:
• Dratuel Dzong (dgra btul rdzong) to the east
• Chhudzong Tsenkhar (chu rdzong btsan khar) to the south
• Bjachung Ta Dzong (bya chung ta rdzong) to the west
• Dhumrey Sipki Dzong (ldum ras rtsig pa kyi rdzong) to the north
The Dzong's courtyard was so long that it was used as an archery range. But the king began to worry that Bala might build another dzong of greater wonder. So on the eve of Bala's journey back to Paro, the king cut off his right hand during chelchang (departure drink) arranged at Zhugthri. The legend of the Dzong In agonizing pain Bala prayed that the king must also die in pain, and that when he (Bala) was dead, he should be born as a demon (bdud) of the Dzong and surrounding lands. Local people believe that Bala was born as a giant snake which still guards the ruin of the Dzong. Later a snake started killing the king's horses. One version narrates that it was the Golongdrak tsen which killed one horse every night. The king then invited the Peseling Trulku Tenpai Gyaltshen from Bumthang to perform a religious ceremony. The trulku stopped above Saleng and started to blow his conch, the sound of which was said to have cured one of the king's dying horses.
The trulku entered into a retreat in the citadel of Golongdrak tsen with instruction that he should not be disturbed for seven days. But the king grew suspicious of the trulku's intent and lost faith. On the sixth day he sent his chamberlain (gdzimdpon) to spy on the trulku. The chamberlain saw a gigantic snake prostrating before the trulku. The trulku came out after the seventh day to inform that the tsen had not been completely subdued because of the king's distrust of him and the chamberlain's disturbance. The king offered a hundred cows and pasturelands around Yundhiridrang in repentance. Even today, Peseling Trulku owns the same pasturelands. The trulku then consecrated the Dzong and Kurizampa. Prominent dzongpons
The Dzong's nangten were offered by Lama Sherab Jungney of Khengkhar, while Lama Sangay Zangpo of Kilikhar made the altar. Though the two lamas never met, statues fitted exactly into the altar. The kanjur was copied in Fire-Male-Dog-Year of 11th rabjung (sexagenary cycle) in 1646 when Ngawang Penjor was the Dzongpon. It took 108 clerks about six months to copy it. Ngedup Penjor was the master of letters or alphabets (yigdpon), while Ngawang Pekar supervised overall work.
During the rivalry between Gyalpo Karpodhung and Gyalpo Tongden of Tongfu, the former sought Trongsa Penlop's assistance. The forces of Trongsa Penlop defeated the Tongfu Gyalpo and surprisingly took control of the Zhongar Dzong and other kingdoms. It was at that time that people of neighbouring Ngatshang and Themnagbi villages migrated, fearing the new ruler, to Pema Ked (padma bkod)- a legendary hidden land (sbas yul) in south-east Tibet. Some prominent Zhongar dzongpons after Gyalpo Karpodhung were Chaskarpa, Kologpa, Naamedla (Hap Shaw), Jampel from Dungsam, Darpoen Choki Gyeltshen, Ten Samdrup, Ngawang Penjor, Dorji Penjor, Kinzang Wangdi and Lopen Tashi. Damaged by fire and earthquake
Centuries later the Dzong was damaged by a disastrous fire. Later it was destroyed by a supernatural earthquake lasting for seven days. The number seven has been considered significant in the dzong's history. First, its builder Bala took seven days to make the dzong's model out of artemesia stems. Second, Peseling Trulku meditated for seven days to subdue the Golongdrak tsen, and finally an earthquake that destroyed it lasted for seven days.
The earthquake was a blessing in disguise since most people favoured abandoning the place which was believed to be infested with demons and malaria. the zingarp sent by Trongsa Penlop to assess the damage was bribed to report falsely that the Dzong cannot be repaired. Thereafter, it was abandoned, and its functions shifted to present Mongar. Fearing the snake, to local people the place is shrouded in fear. Stories of the presence of certain malevolent spirits and a gigantic snake guarding a treasure of gold and silver are only whispered. To most of us, the ruin is not even worth taking notice. Beyond a pile of stones and mud, it echoes past life to connect us to the future. Embedded inside is a life frozen in time, a wealth of history that can be still recounted orally by those who also heard it from their grandparents.
