Zhabjithang Lhakhang

Lhakhang with Choekhortoe School
 in the background. 
Zhabjethang Lhakhang is located about 21 kilometres away from Chamkhar town towards the north of Bumthang. It is connected by farm road from Gewog office near Kurjey Lhakhang. The two storied lhakhang is nestled among the houses of Zhabjethang village under Choekhortoe Chiwog which is under Choekhor Gewog, and is just few meters from the road.
Zhabje of Guru Rinpoche (right)
 and Khandro (left)
There is no detailed written history about the lhakhang but the place and the temple is accorded with rich oral history which can be authenticated by any layperson by visiting the lhakhang. According to the elders of the village and the caretaker, Guru Rinpoche visited the place and blessed it. Although no exact date and year can be confirmed, one can relate this to the visit of Guru Rinpoche between 7th and 8th century.
The FIVE kings Tertons
As it suggests, the Lhakhang got its name from the main relic, the clear footprints of Guru Rinpoche and Khandro inside the Lhakhang. Zhabje is honorific term for footprint and thang means plain or ground, thus the name Zhabjethang. The ground floor also houses the majestic statues of the Terton Poen Nga (The great Five kings of the Tertons, the treasure Revelers). The statues were installed in 2017 when the lhakhang was given a face lift renovation. On the first floor, the main statue is the Guru.
The foot prints of the
 khandroms who made offering
 of dances and songs.
One can also seek the blessing of the Do dungkar (The rock conch) and the hand-print of Guru Rinpoche. There is also a set of Kunjur housed in a separate room.
According to the legend, Guru Rinpoche meditated in the cave, which is about 30 minutes walk above the lhakhang, to subdue the local demon who transformed himself into a yak. While Guru was
meditating, a hundred thousand dakinis (Khandroms) are said to have made offering of songs and dances from the present lhakhang and one can still see the footprints of the dakinis on the rock just outside the lhakhang.
The elders of the village, claim that, the location of the lhakhang and the places surrounding it, is said to house 108 prints of various forms but only few are discovered. It is believed to be discovered by tertons (treasure revelers) when the right time comes. some of the prints one can see are:
1. Zhabji of Guru and Khandrom inside the temple.
2. Footprint of the yak (demon)
The yak head
3. Print where Guru and Khandro are said to have experienced worldly pleasures
4. The yak head
5. Guru's foot print near the entrance
6. The print of Guru's arrow
7. Place where Guru cooked the demon's soul
8. The yak skin
9. The terdom (the treasure box)
10. Paksham Joenshing (the wish-fulfilling tree)
11. Guru's zhugthri

The most of the above are just around the lhakhang and one can easily see them.

The place, people believe is blessed unlike other places. The lhakhang has hosted the oral transmission given by HH the Penor Rinpoche, HH the 16th Karmapa, HH Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche, HH Terchen Namkhai Drimed Rinpoche, HE Gantey Trulku Rinpoche, HH Gongshar Gyaltshab Rinpoche, HE Lam Serpo and many other masters.
HH Terchen Namkhai Drimed Rinpoche
The rock where the yak skin was dried
, during the visit,  expressed his joy for being able to visit such a religious place related to Guru Rinpoche and advised people to recite Mani and always keep Guru Rinpoche in our heart.
There is no formal monastic learners in the Lhakhang and is looked after by the community. Though unknown to many Bhutanese, quite a good number of people from India and other countries visit the lhakhang every year.
The rock conch 
During the visit to the lhakhang, one can also have a visual treat of the beautiful Choekhortoe Primary School which is famously known as Zhabjethang Primary School, thanks to the lhakhang. One cannot complete the visit without experiencing the scenic beauty of the Wangchuk Centennial National park head office and the Gross National Happiness Center which are just few minutes to the north. If you wish to halt night there, the village also offers few affordable home stays where you can experience the beautiful life of Bumthabs. Apart from tasting the village life, one can visit Lam Drolo's Goenpa (about 10 minutes drive from the lhakhang), Thrabsayphay Lhakhang aka Dorong Lhakhang, about 10 minutes drive south and Nga Lhakhang, about 10 minutes drive from the lhakhang. If time permits, you can visit the Zangling Lhkahng (the maternal house of HE Jigme Yoezer Thinley, the first Democratically elected prime minister of Bhutan) and the ruins of Dapham Dzong which had a great political and spiritual influence during those times.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Drinking, a to-do-away culture

It would have been an embarrassing for the Bhutanese team lead by the Health minister attending the 68th session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee meeting in Timor- Leste’s capital, Dili or the Bhutanese citizens should be. It may have been the wise though of the reporter but the kuensel read “ Tobacco use is culturally accepted in Timor Leste, just as alcohol is in Bhutan” . They are comparing our nation’s culture to what tobacco has done to theirs. So is it not time for us to learn? Bhutan, a small country, cannot afford to learn from repeated mistakes but be swift to discover from others’. Drinking may have been culture but the time has come for us to rethink our culture. During those days, drinking was culture, yet people rarely got sick form alcohol. The amount of drink was subsidized by the manual work they had to do. They had to work in the field, defend the crops against the animals, walk, carry and fetch. In short, everything was physical and ma...
Read more

Luck and the Kharam Shing

Image
 Luck is what we think we deserve to have every time but it is otherwise. People seek interference of seen and unseen forces in hope to have the tinniest fraction of luck. Luck, in laymen term can be defined as absence of bad things happening. according to Chophel (2018),  Kharam means ‘together,’ reflective of the event’s communal nature. It is believed to have evolved from a Bön ritual, and includes a particular wooden structure marked by a phallus. The lucky phallus (Image:Google) In Bhutan, there is a special way to drive away evil and bring luck; having a kharam shing around. It is a phallus craved from wood. The size and the wrathfulness can vary from place to place. Sometimes it is painted on the walls of the homes. The idea may be taboo for the west but it serves a purpose here. According to Kinga. (2005, p.157), kharam shing offsets evil influences and empowers people. It is a common sight to see traditional houses decorated with the kharam . The culture is more e...
Read more

Pemi Tshewang Tashi’s obedience in the context of Hierarchal and social Fabric of the Bhutanese Society.

Pemi Tshewang Tashi’s obedience in the context of Hierarchical and social Fabric of the Bhutanese Society. During the medieval era in Bhutan, different regions were ruled by lords called Penlops and zongpons. The three penlops were of Tongsa, Daga and Paro and the three Zongpons were of Thimphu, Wangdi and Punakha. They were roughly equal in ranks yet all yearned to become the Tongsa penlop for it was very coveted unlike other lords. Jakar Zongpon Choje Pem Tenzin bargained with Tongsa penlop Choje Dunkar Gyeltshen and central government to upgrade his rank from Zongpon to Penlop. The Tongsa Penlop sought the help of Wangdi Zongpon Andruk Nim who sent his chamberlain Pemi Tshewang Tashi and troop to Tongsa. Although he died, he gave birth to one of the best ballads in our country.The birth of the ballad is reflected in The ballad of Pemi Tshewang Tashi; A wind Borne Feather. Dasho Karma Ura’s The Ballad of Pemi Tshewang Tashi: The Wind Borne Feather is one of the fi...
Read more