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Dungkar Choeje Lhakhang:
Rolling from Lhuentse towards the extreme corner to the North, after 45km drive on unpaved road is Dungkar, a village of pure Kurtoep. It is well known in its history significance throughout the nation.
The history discloses that the name of the place was originated from the physical shape of the land. The place bears the exact shape of a conch shell.
Dungkhar is located at North-East which is about three hours drive from the Dzongkhag Headquarter (altitude 2020 m above sea level). Dungkhar is Ancestral home town of our beloved monarchs.
Dungkar Choeje Lhakhang is believed to be stand on the tip of the Dungkar like shape of the land. Dungkar village is the ancestral home town of our beloved monarch whereby Dungkar Choeje Lhakhang is the birth place of our “ Wangchuck Dynasty”. Today Lhakhang is owned by Choeje Tobgay descendant of Dungkar Choeje and Choeje Tobgay and his family reside in the 2nd floor of the Lhakhang. Lhakhang houses many sacred relics and “Terma” discovered by great Terton such Terton Pema Lingpa and great Saint Desi Tenzin Rabgay. With the fund support from Government, yearly owner of the Lhakhang coordinates Gurdra on 28th & 29th of 2nd month of the Bhutanese calendar, Gemjatshar starting from 30th day of 10th month till 4th day of 11th month of the Bhutanese calendar and Dungkar Tshechu (Terchham) from 8th to 11th day of 11th month of Bhutanese calendar for the well being and long life of our beloved kings and all the sentient beings.
Origin of Dungkar Choeje. From six thuksey (sons) of Rigzin Pema Lingpa, Thuksey Kheadup Kuenga Wangpo (4th Son) visited the Khochung Goenpa as prophesied by his father Rigzin lingpa and married Nye Duzang Wangmo from Choewang Dungjoe. From two child, the younger son Choje Ngawang got married to Lukchu Choeje’s daughter Karma Lekzon. (Gangla Khoema, Khoma)
Choeje Ngawang’s four Sons:
- Khecho : visited Tashigang, Bidung
- Sanga : visited Dungsam, Khari
- Kuenga Gyeltshen: visited Kuenkhen longchen Rabjam‘s densa, Kurtoe kuenzangling.
When Dungsay Kuenga Gyeltshen was in meditation in Kuenzangling , his Sangyum gave birth to five sons. In third year, his three sons known as Phola Phuen Sum. Thereafter, his three sons Pho La Puen Sum visited Dungkar and resided there. Thereafter Dungkar was known as Dungkar Norbu Choling.
Tenzin Gyeltshen’s daughter Tashi Pelbar resided at Mangdi, Benbi Choeje and his son Tenpai Nima. From four sons and daughters of Tenpai Nima, his second son Choeje Dradak Sam Rinchen went to Tibet to study and came back to Bhutan.
Sam Rinchen’s two sons:
- Younger son Rigzin :went to Tibet to study
- Elder son Tubshong
- Tubshong’s son Pema Regay married Khalong Lama’s daughter Namkha Dema
Pema Regay’s son Rabgay Gaysam Tshewang
Rabgay Sam Tshewang’s Choeje Pema married Dungsam Bangtsho Choeje’s daughter Galey Wangzom.
Choeje Pema’s five sons and daughter:
- Pila Goenpo Wangyel
- Namdrol
- Pala Gyeltshen
- Thinley Jatsho
- Penden Norbu
A. Pila Goenpo Wangyel was born in 1782. Later he went to Dungkar and married Jangsa Sonam Pelzom and gave birth to five children.
- Dorji
- Gyeltshen
- Jigme Namgyel
- Ashi Tshering Dolma
- Yuden
Dorji resided at Zhidrang and his son and a daughter Rinchen Zangmo (Jasabe) and son Paro Penlop Dawa Penjor.
Gyeltshen: Choetshe Darpoen and Zhemgang Dzongpon.
Sonam Zangpo and Jamyang Khentse
Ashi Tshering Dolma: Dechen Phodrang
Yuden: stayed with parents at Kurtoe.
Jigme Namgyel married Penlop Ugyen Phuntsho’s daughter Ashi Pema Choki
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Guru Nangsey Zileon Statue at Takila: The Statue is located on the hill top of the Takila Overlooking site of Tangmachu village in Menbi Gewog which is 14 km drive to the place from main road towards Lhuntse Dzong.
The 157 feet Guru Nangsey Zileon statue is the one of the tallest statue in the world. Seated on a 38 feet lotus located on a hill top in Takila overlooking Tangmachu village in Menbi gewog, the construction took more than seven years. It was consecrated on 1st November 2015.
A member from Druk Odiyana Foundation, a non-profit organisation funded the construction of the statue. A member Khenpo Gyeltshen said that the total cost of the statue was Nu 700 million which devotees of the foundation from within and abroad donated.
This Guru statue is a prominent structure that is attracting many tourists, locals and serve as a pilgrimage site in Lhuetshi district. The statue, according to foundation officials, was prophesied by lord Buddha and the great Dzongchen masters to bring peace and harmony in the world. Khenpo Karpo Tenzin of the foundation said the project was motivated by the revelations of two 19th-century Dzongchen masters and Tertons, Jamyang Khentse Wangpo and Jamgon Kongtrul to the first King, Sir Ugyen Wangchuck, when he was the Trongsa Penlop.
“It was revealed that a statue of Guru Nangsey Zilnon would be the most beneficial one for stability, peace, and prosperity in the country and in the world,” he said. “Lam Sonam Zangpo, a renowned Yogi also said that the sovereignty and prosperity of the country would be reinforced by a physical edifice of a Guru Nangsey Zilnon with a minimum height of not les than five storeys either in Bumthang or Kurtey in Lhuentse,” he added
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Chorten Kora:
Chorten Kora is located in Tashi Yangtse town at altitude 1750 M above the sea level and five minutes walk from the town to the site. Chorten was belive to be built over a period of 12 century around 1740 by Lama Ngawang Loday. The chorten was modelled after Boudhanath stupa in Nepal, which the lama carved out of a radish. Differences between the Chorten Kora and Boudhanath stupas are reportedly due to distortion of the model as it shrunk on the return journey of the lama to Bhutan. The pinnacle was originally carved out of a huge stone, which Lama Shacha Gyalpo wanted to replace with a gilded cupola. No one could think of a way to bring down the pinnacle. So, the lama performed prayers during the day and the stone miraculously descended at night. It is still found beside the chorten. Local community people believe that 8 year old Dakini girl was sealed alive of her own free willing in the chorten as an offering from the Dakpa people of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh District, India. Yearly more than 200-300 Dakpas come for Kora/Circumambulation on the 15th Day of the 1st month of Bhutanese Calendar is called as Cha-Nga Kora or Dakpa Kora. Bhutanese people from Six Dzongkhag attend to celebrate their Kora on the 30th of the 1st Bhutanese month is called as Namgang Kora or Tshangla Kora.
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Gom Kora Lakhang:
Gom Kora is located to northern part of Trashigang about 21 km from Tashigang town and it's gateway to Trashiyangtse Dzongkhag. Before it was named as "Gom Kora" at present named as Gomphu Kora, Gomphu meaning ‘a sacred meditation site of Guru Rinpochhe’ and Kora meaning ‘Circumambulation’. Even today Gom Kora Tsechu/festival is not only famous for festival but also one of the meeting site for boys and girls who meet their true friend.
The story of Gomphu Kora goes back to the 8th century AD. Legend has it that an evil spirit named Myongkhapa escaped from Samye in Tibet when Guru Padmasambhava, the progenitor of the Nyingma strand of Buddhism, was spreading the Dharma in the Himalayas. Myongkhapa followed the course of the present-day Kholongchhu stream and concealed himself inside a rock where Gomphu Kora stands today. The Guru followed the evil, mediated for three days inside the rock cave and finally vanquished it.
Several prominent religious personalities have undertaken pilgrimage to Gomphu Kora and the earliest was Gongkhar Gyal, grandson of Lhasay Tsangma. He built a small shrine at Gomphu Kora around the 10th century A.D. In the 14th century, Terton Pema Lingpa, visited Gomphu Kora and enlarged the existing shrine. It was renovated and enlarged in the 15th century by Yongzin Ngagi Wangchuk, the grandfather of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. He also inscribed murals on the walls of the temple.
The biggest attraction of Gomphu Kora is the circumambulation. “Go around Gomphu Kora today for tomorrow may be too late”, advises a local song that entices devotees to visit Gomphu Kora. The place comes alive, once every year from 23rd to 25th March (check with your tour operator to confirm these dates), when people all over eastern Bhutan descend upon the narrow valley, dressed in their finery, to partake in the festivity, to worship and to reaffirm their connection with the past.
The sanctity of the three day religious festival even draws the Dakpa tribe from neighboring Arunachael Pradesh (India). They endure days of travel on foot through rugged environs with entire families in tow. Some say the Dakpas have done this for more than a millennium, beginning shortly after Guru Padmasambhava sanctified the place in the 8th century A.D.
The Guru is attributed to have said that devotees will flock to Gomphu Kora for eons to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. There couldn’t be a more accurate prophesy.
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Black-Necked Crane:
Every year, in October and November, the people who inhabit the high valleys of Bhutan scan the skies for the arrival of a special visitor from the Tibetan plateau.
The black-necked crane is revered in Bhutan as a symbol of longevity and the annual migration is a cause for great celebration, as residents mark the passing of another year against the arrival of these famously long-living birds. Blacked-necked cranes are highly territorial and some 10% of the world’s population gather every autumn in the Phobjikha Valley, where cranes have been spotted since medieval times. The birds are protected by Bhutanese law, with the threat of life imprisonment for anyone who harms a sacred crane, and legend dictates that the first cranes will circle the ancient monastery at Gangtey three times before landing on the broad marshes that line the Phobjikha Valley.
This year, the first cranes swooped into Phobjikha on 22 October and eleven birds have now been recorded in the valley, with numbers set to grow to more than 360 individuals as winter creeps across the Tibetan Plateau. Although protected from humans, the cranes face ongoing threats from habitat loss in their summer breeding grounds in Tibet, and from man-made dangers such as overhead power cables and fishing lines. Leopards have also been known to pounce on cranes who roam too close to the edge of the marshlands.
Bird-watchers brave icy temperatures for close-up views from the walking trails that skirt the edge of the crane’s winter territory, starting from the mani walls – made from stones carved with Buddhist mantras – that surround the Gangte monastery. Sightings are almost guaranteed between November and February, and Bhutan’s Royal Society for the Protection of Nature celebrates the annual migration with the Black-Necked Crane Festival on 12 November, when villagers and monks in crane costumes perform swirling dances in the courtyard of Gangte monastery.
Rangjung Woesel Choeling Monastery is located in Eastern Bhutan under Trashigang district at Rangjung. The monastery was founded by His Eminence Dungsey Garab Dorje Rinpoche in the year 1989 with few monks and nuns. The objective of monastery is to provide a conducive haven for the study of Buddha dharma as expounded in the Dudjom New Treasure Lineage and carry out dharma activities for the benefit of the Buddhist community in and abroad the country. It has a flourishing community with branches monasteries and retreat centers.
Rangjung Woesel Choeling Monastery traces its roots to the Gelong Gonpa which was established by Rinpoche and H.H. Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche. Gelong Gompa is situated in a mountainous region which takes a day to reach it either on foot or on horseback. It has always been the aspiration of the Bhutanese to have Dudjom's family lead the dharma practice.
After H.H. Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche departed from Bhutan, the Bhutanese fervently requested Rinpoche to remain and turn the dharma wheel of Dudjom New Treasure Lineage in the monastery. Rinpoche, realizing the deep faith and genuine devotion of the Bhutanese, accepted the heavy responsibility to continue the dharma activities and welfare services for the Buddhist fraternity living in and around the monastery.
During the time of the establishment of Rangjung Woesel Choeling Monastery, Rinpoche was still pursuing his studies in H.H. Penor Rinpoche's and Mindroling Monasteries in India. For four years, rinpoche spent all his winter holidays working incessantly, carrying out dharma activities for the monastery. At that time, there were only a handful of ordained monks and nuns in the monastery. Owing to the limited access to transportation in the monastery, a piece of strategic land was offered to Rinpoche. Nevertheless, due to financial constraints encountered at the initial stage, only bamboo huts were built and the monks and nuns survived on alms.
A few years later in 1993, the number of nuns increased to the extent that a separate nunnery had to be established in Radhi, Pakaling which is a few kilometers away from the monk's monastery. Thereafter, Rinpoche has been exploring for sponsors from abroad. With the blessings of the Buddha and the kind assistance and contribution from donors and supporters, Rinpoche successfully constructed a larger monastery to cater to the needs of the monks and nuns.
The neighborhood of the monastery is poor yet religious. Many wish to send their children for monastic education in India and Nepal but they cannot afford to do so. Due to poverty and lack of support from the family, they often request enrollment for their sons at the monastery. However, with the exponential growth of the number of monks and nuns, rinpoche has started to control the admission of monks and nuns. This is due to the inadequacy of hostels, classrooms, teachers and the ever increasing expenditure.
In 1993, the number of nuns increased to the extent that a separate nunnery had to be established in Radhi, Pakaling which is 12 kilometers away from the Rangjung monastery. Thereafter, Rinpoche has been exploring for sponsors from abroad. With the blessings of the Buddha and the kind assistance and contribution from donors and supporters, Rinpoche successfully constructed a larger monastery to cater to the needs of the monks and nuns. At present there are over 300 monks and nuns studying in the monasteries.
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| Photo of New Chador Lakhang |
Bartsham Drubdra, Bhutan
The Chador Lhakhang/Sangdha Gyepay Ling, in Bartsham, originally built in the 12th century, is one of the oldest and most sacred monasteries in eastern Bhutan. Located a top a ridge that commands a spectacular view of villages in north Trashigang, the monastery is a revered place of worship for the 700-household Bartsham Community and devotees across the country. Also called ÅgGonpa-RingbooÅh in the local dialect, the monastery is the custodian of one of Bhutan’s most highly regarded religious treasures, a thumb-size replica of Chana Dorji that, legend has it, reached Bartsham through a sacred divination. The origin of the replica, fondly called Meme Chador by the local people, goes back to the Sangdha Tumpo (the secret Treasure Teachings) revealed by the great treasure revealer Terton Pema Lingpa. The foundation for the present-day Chador Lhakhang was laid in the early 1940s by Lama Pema Wangchen (also known as Lama Nagpo) to transmit the Dudjom Tersar tradition of his master Dudjom Jigdroel Yeshey Dorje (Dudjom Rinpoche). After Lama Nagpo passed away, his disciple Lam Kunzang Wangdi (Lam Nyingku) took over the monastery
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Merag and Sakten
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Barshong lakhang
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| Sign Board of Pelri Buddha Park |
Palri Buddha Park at Mukazor:
Samten Choeling Nunnery: The nunnery Monastery was located at Mukazor at Wamrong was built by venerable Sonam Tashi who in love with Natures and with his father's loving attitudes his son Venerable Odzer Pelzang started Nature Conservation Project as PELRI BUDDHA PARK above the Samten Choeling Nunnery to load up before trekking up to Palri Buddha Park about 30 minutes.The trek to Palri Buddha ParkVenerable Odzer Palzang at workHead nun Ani Kunzang and a helper bringing water tanks up the mountainThe young prince Siddhartha showing his archery skills, Palri Buddha Park.
As I paused to catch my breath in the thin air, I felt a little embarrassed and awed as an elderly nun overtook me with a bagful of sand on her back. There is no easy way up to Palri Buddha Park. You need to trudge your way up the steep slope to Samten Choeling Nunnery, past the Milarepa shrine and the meditation cave, and navigate through the dense forests. Venerable Odzer Palzang was already hard at work when I arrived, delicately sculpting the details of Prince Siddhartha’s ornamental belt. “Need to start work early,” he said as he continued working. “It may get too foggy in the afternoon.” At more than 3,000 feet above sea level, the weather can change with the winds anytime, even if it is clear blue sky in the morning.
The only such park in Bhutan, Palri Buddha Park is located in Wamrong, Trashigang District, in eastern Dungsamkha—one of the four traditional “gateways” to the landlocked country. Because of its remoteness, young people from this part of Bhutan choose to migrate to the more developed western regions, like Thimphu and Paro, where there are more job opportunities. “Bhutan is developing rapidly,” Venerable Palzang explained. “Before, we had few roads and vehicles, and less economic activities. When I was small, I loved exploring these mountains and forests on foot with my father. He taught me always to respect nature and the environment.”
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| Photo of Guru Rimpoche |
“The mountains and forests are home not only to many animals, birds, and trees, but also to many deities, divinities, and spirits,” he continued. “In Bhutan, they are considered sacred places and are treated with utmost respect. We believe that they are protected by taboos because the guardianship of the hidden treasures [spiritual treasures hidden in the 8th century by Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal, to be revealed at an appropriate time] was entrusted to the local deities so that the doctrines of sutras and tantras of the Buddhist culture are protected for all times. That is why our forefathers warned us not to dig into the places underground where nagas [serpent spirits] dwell, for such action may harm us. If we disturb the local deities of the place and of the earth, it will give rise to earthquakes, electrical storms, or hailstorms. If we indulge in misconduct and immoral acts, we may be put in danger with disorders of the four natural elements. In recent years, there are more frequent epidemics in the region, which destroy humans, cattle, and crops. These natural calamities happened because we have disturbed the habitats of the gods, the nagas, and the local deities, and weakened the fertility and harmonious life essence of the earth.”
Conscious of the adverse effects that development is having on the natural environment, Venerable Palzang, together with the nuns from Samten Choeling Nunnery, succeeded in convincing the local authorities to grant them a permit to build Palri Buddha Park as a conservation project, in order to protect the region. By so doing, they hope to prevent companies seeking to profit from the natural resources here from moving in. When completed, the park will also be a local attraction. Unlike popular destinations such as Paro, Punakha, Thimphu, and Bumthang, Wamrong has few holy sites where the local people can go to pay homage or to perform meritorious deeds. Within the park will be life-size statues depicting the Twelve Deeds of the Buddha,* each finely crafted and detailed by Venerable Palzang. He hopes that visitors will be inspired not only by the Buddha’s teachings but also by the beauty of the natural surroundings, and therefore realize the need to preserve the area for future generations. It will also be a refuge from the busyness of our modern lives, a place to retreat to where we can bring our minds home, back to peace and stillness.
A master architect of Buddhist stupas and temples, skilled in sculpture and Buddhist iconographical paintings, Venerable Palzang was the main architect for many temples and stupas in Ladakh and the only statue of Guru Rinpoche in Sikkim. His father Lopen Sonam Tashi, a renowned teacher and practitioner in the Wamrong region, was the founder of Samten Choeling Nunnery, which is halfway down the hill from Palri Buddha Park. When his father passed away in 2013, Venerable Palzang returned from his monastery in Sikkim to manage the nunnery and guide the 20 resident nuns.
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| Venerable Odzer Pelzang |
With limited financial resources, support for the park has come mainly from the local villagers, who contribute what they can to show their appreciation for the project. Despite their meager earnings, some have donated from 100 (approximately US$1.50) to 500 ngultrum, while others have offered labor, food, and drink. But without the efforts and determination of the nuns from Samten Choeling Nunnery, the project would not have got under way. With no access road for vehicles, all materials must be hand-carried up the rugged terrain to the site. The nuns (including Venerable Palzang’s 80-year-old mother), led by Ani Kunzang, take everything from cement bags to water tanks up to the park. Guided by Venerable Palzang, they have cleared the land, erected tents as protection from the rain, and helped lay the foundations. Through their tireless dedication, 70 per cent of the work has now been completed.
Their motivation is rooted in a shared belief that the sanctity of life, compassion for others, and respect for nature and social harmony take precedence over material wealth and comfort. Based on their Buddhist values, the Bhutanese mindset is to regard nature as a living system of which we are a part rather than as a resource to be exploited for material gain. They traditionally live in harmony with the mountains, rivers, and forests, with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for their environment, practicing conservation long before modern ideas of environmental protection came into being. Even today economic growth is regarded not as an end in itself, but as a means to improve the people’s well-being and welfare. Entwined with traditional values, development in Bhutan aims to achieve a balance between the spiritual and material aspects of life. This is reflected in the Gross National Happiness Index, initiated in the 1970s by His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, which supports the concept that sustainable development should take a holistic approach towards ideas of progress and give equal importance to non-economic aspects of well-being.
The Buddhist principles of harmlessness, karma, rebirth, and the interconnectedness of all things have taught the Bhutanese that the Earth does not belong to humankind alone but is shared by an infinite spectrum of beings, both visible and invisible, to whom we should extend our compassion and kindness. The destruction of the natural environment disrupts not only those beings we can see, but also the peace and harmony of many unseen beings, such as the local deities living in the lakes, cliffs, and every nook and cranny in the mountains.
On the drive back to Thimphu, I noted the truckloads of granite and rocks on the road and the exposed faces of blasted mountain sides. Despite the government’s effort to protect Bhutan’s distinct culture and environment in their carefully charted path of development, there will inevitably be challenges. I am reminded of Venerable Palzang’s caution: “If we are not careful, Bhutan could be overwhelmed by the forces of change and modernization. We must be ever-conscious of this danger, and make a deliberate effort to keep alive our traditional attitudes and values. Otherwise we will destroy not only the natural environment, but also ourselves.”
*The Twelve Deeds of the Buddha are: the descent from Tushita, entering the mother’s womb, taking birth, becoming skilled in various arts, delighting in the company of royal consorts, developing renunciation and becoming ordained, practicing austerities for six years, proceeding to the foot of the Bodhi tree, overcoming Mara’s hosts, becoming fully enlightened, turning the wheel of Dharma, and passing into mahaparinirvana.
