hApPyGaLaX's pAgE

The stupa Pema Lingpa, the true son of Bumthang and one of the great five kings of the Tertons (Tresaure Revealers) was born in the year 1450 to Yab Dendup Zangpo and Yhum Pema Dolma. He was born on the fifteenth day of the second month of the male iron-horse year. His birth was marked with many auspicious signs, and thus, the great Terton was born. Terton Pema Lingpa, during his early days, spent his time with his grandfather, who was a blacksmith. He thus picked up the skill and mastered it. According to records, Pema Lingpa experienced an unusual dream twice. The first dream was experienced when he was just twenty-five years. The prophetic dream was experienced two years later, on the tenth day of the second month of the Monkey year, while he was asleep near Mani Goenpa. A voice from a shabbily dressed monk awakened him and handed him a scroll. Without the slightest knowledge, Pema Lingpa was urged to read it as a key to decode the predestined Terma (Treasure). Wish-fulfilling chort...

Bhutan is a mysterious country filled with mystery and stories that are beyond our imagination, yet we Mount Jhomolhari seen from Singyethang believe and have faith in them. One such mysterious place is Singyethang. Singye in Dzongkha means lion, and thang can be translated as plain. Thus, Singyethang can be literarily translated as the plain where the lion resides or simply as the lion plain . Singyethang is located at about 3300 meters above sea level. Taking the faint trails among the woods, one has to walk about an hour from Taphag (Taphay) Goenpa in Trongsa. During the dry season, one can drive to Taphag Goenpa, from where you need to be guided by a seasoned local or a monk. The trail is so faint that one should not take the risk of visiting the place without someone who knows the place well. There are stories of pilgrims who lost their way back. The beautiful villages Walking through the woods for about one hour, one is suddenly out into a great pastureland. In the middle of th...

 The great Lopen Pema Juney visited Bhutan twice and is believed to have blessed every inch of the land. He is also believed to have hidden many treasures to be discovered later by prophesied Tertons (Treasure revelers). Guru's body print at the meditation cave . To visit one such place, walk uphill from Taphag (Taphay) Goenpa for about 45 minutes, and you will reach the open cave where Guru Rinpoche is believed to have meditated. The cave lies at an altitude of about 3150 meters above sea level. The cave has the body imprints of Guru Rinpoche. Just beside Guru’s cave, one can also see a similar cave where Khando was believed to have meditated. Without any written documents to authenticate the information, no exact time can be determined of Guru’s visit to the place, neither can pinpoint the khando. View of Trongsa from the cave. One can enjoy the scenic beauty of Trongsa town and majestic Chhoetse Rabtse Dzong, which stands like a sleeping white dog. The cave lies about five feet ...

  Away from the bustling of the developments, overlooking the majestic Choetse dzong, is the Taphag goenpa. The name of the goenpa was derived from the rocky cliffs located above the goenpa. One of the cliffs is believed to be the head of Tandrim (Hayagriva). The cliff is believed to be in the shape of a horse's head. One can also see footprints of the horse. The other cliff, which is about 100 meters away from the Taphag Goenpa as seen from Tandrim Nye Tandrim Nye is believed to be the blessed site of Khando Dorji Phagmo (emanation of Vajravarahi). Dorji Phagmo can be distinguished by the head of a female boar head (Varahi), which is visible above her right ear. Ta in Dzongkha refers to a horse, while phag is a pig. Thus, Taphag is the name of the goenpa. No formal records could be found about the goenpa, but oral history believes that the goenpa was blessed by Druthob Ngawang Samten. Later, His Majesty the first Druk Gyalpo built a lhakhang with nangtens (inner relics). His Majes...

  Every adult’s wish  is to have a roof over their head after their retirement. Every couple plans for a decent home as their age catches up fast with them, but the question is: when is the right time for getting things ready? Wangdi (name changed) has been a civil servant for the last 20 years in various posts and places. He knows that he is left with a decade or so to offer his service to his nation. He has been thinking and planning about a decent home for many years. Thanks to the banks in the nation, he availed a loan and purchased a plot of  land in one of the dzongkhag. With another loan from another bank, he and his wife struggled to construct a simple bungalow. It took him and his small family 5 months of sleepless nights and struggle to complete the construction. When is the right time? Once completed, the family dreamt of happiness for years to come. But things did not turn out as expected. A few months into their new home, Wangdi was transferred to another dzo...

  Kyetse is one of Chador Wangmo’s mind-boggling novels. She is one of the few full-time Bhutanese writers. She was a teacher but surrendered her career to her passion- writing. Today she is a mother of two kids and runs Miza Books, a bookstore for writers and readers to come together. Chador Wangmo is from an eastern hamlet in Tashigang. Her roots are vividly curved in her novels, portraying what really sharchops are. The novel was published by Miza Books in 2016. The book takes you to the heart of Brekha, a small hamlet in Tashigang. Although the readers are taken out to Nepal, we are brought back to Bhutan and are taken to Paro to end the story. The author, a true daughter from the east, has chosen the rustic, yet humble and pure easterners.  The protagonist, Sonam Dema, is an inquisitive girl of eight years old who, as the Kyetse prophesized, was sent to become a nun with an elderly nun who was a complete stranger to her. Sonam Dema and four other girls from Bhutan are tak...

Guru Rimpoche was invited to Bumthang to cure the local king, Sindha Raja, from his deathbed, in the 7th century. Guru Rimpoche, the "Precious Teacher," entered the country from the south and is believed to have journeyed from Trongsa to Bumthang. Arriving at Bumthang, the precious teacher meditated in a cave (above the present Bumthang hospital) for three days. During the duration, it is believed that the khandrom brewed ara (Local alcohol) on a rock facing the cave across the river. The khandoms then offered the ara to Guru as an offering. The religious site directly faces the meditation cave and the Chokhor chorten, where Guru has taught Buddhism for the first time in Bumthang. The ara zang.The place today, is under the RNR research office and fenced. However, people can still access the site. The site is just above the domestic airport in Bumthang. Taking the road towards Tamshing from Chamkhar town, enter the RNR gate near the airport. Stop the car at the first turn and...

The pandemic has brought tourism across the world to an abrupt stop. No country could risk the nation’s health with tourism. Bhutan, like any other nation, isn’t immune to the pandemic.  The country’s second-highest revenue earner, tourism, came to a standstill with no predicted time to come back. The pandemic provided the most-wanted boost for local tourism to grow. Local tourism has also helped heal the ailing economy. With people wanting to be away from others, the frequently visited religious sites are seeing not many visitors. On the other hand, far flung religious sites and, more so, the lakes (Tsho) are welcoming an ever increasing visitors, some genuine while others for the sake to refresh.  While it may be religiously and culturally encouraging to make offerings in the lakes, the long-term impact can be questioned. With many people throwing coins and paper money into the lake as offerings, we are doing more harm than to please the mermaid.  The people offering mo...

Education is the right of every person on the planet, and every learner deserves the best of it. Although quality cannot be comprised at any level, the primary level merits the maximum attention. Bharti and Bhattacharya (2014) states that “Primary education is the first stage of compulsory education which is considered as the most crucial in a child’s education and social development” (para. 1). Primary education is the base for other levels. If a child is left out without quality primary education, coping up at higher levels would be an uphill journey. Michaelowa (2007) found out that: The quality of primary education is going to have direct coherence to the other levels learning. The quality provided at the primary level shall have an impact on higher levels. This implies that a country with low levels of secondary or even primary completion will have a considerably reduced pool of students available for higher education. (para.2) Having served in two levels of schools, it is evident...

Luck is what we think we deserve to have every time, but it is otherwise. People seek interference from seen and unseen forces in hope to have the tiniest fraction of luck. Luck, in layman's terms, can be defined as the 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 carved 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 ...