Khewang Lhakhang

Khewang Lhakhang is a sacred and historically significant temple located on the plains of Phobjikha Valley, Wangdue Phodrang. Situated on the valley floor, approximately 15 minutes by car from Gangteng Monastery, the lhakhang is one of the important religious sites in the Phobjikha region. It is also a community-owned lhakhang. 

Khewang Lhakhang

Khewang Lhakhang is traditionally associated with Kuenkhen Longchen Rabjam (Longchenpa) and his disciples. Longchen Rabjam is said to have had countless disciples, among whom were three principal disciples. One of these was Trulku Penjor Gyeltshen, who is traditionally regarded as the founder of Khewang Lhakhang. 

The temple is traditionally believed to have been established not only as a place of worship but also as a sacred site for subduing harmful forces and protecting the local community from misfortune, disease and other disturbances. 

The Meaning of “Khewang” The name Khewang is believed to have originated from the local dialect. In the local understanding, “Khea” refers to water, while “Wang” refers to a hole or hollow. The lhakhang is traditionally believed to have been built over a lake or water body. This belief is also reflected in descriptions of the temple as being surrounded by rivers, with a local tradition that a lake lies beneath the temple. 

The Phobjikha Valley

One of the most important features of Khewang Lhakhang is its sacred representation of the Three Buddhas of the Three Times (Dusum Sangay), The Buddha of the Past, present and the future. These statues are regarded as the principal sacred objects of the lhakhang. 

A fascinating oral tradition surrounds the statues inside the lhakhang. It is said that the statues were created by a great Buddhist master and sculptor. Before he could complete his work, the sculptor attained the rainbow body, a highly revered spiritual attainment in Vajrayana Buddhism. According to the legend, as the sculptor departed towards heaven, the statues appeared to look upwards towards him. This is said to explain why the eyes of the statues seem to be directed upward. The statues are also said to remain unpolished and incomplete because the sculptor departed before he could finish his work. Their unfinished appearance is therefore regarded not simply as an incompletion, but as part of the sacred story associated with the temple. 

Trulku Penjor Gyeltshen
(Photo: Religious
sites of Bhutan-2 Facebook page)

Perhaps the most famous legend associated with Khewang Lhakhang concerns the central statue of the Present Buddha, which is believed to have spoken. According to local oral tradition, many years ago, a young man named Drungshing Chupai Drung Drung, from Drangha village above the lhakhang, fell deeply in love with a beautiful young woman named Sangwa Kuengi Younten from the nearby village of Sangtana. The two promised to meet during the tshechu at Gangteng Monastery at an identified place. Today a chorten stands at the place. 

 The young man arrived before the girl. However, according to the legend, a local demoness known as Nganglay Duem transformed herself into the appearance of his beloved. She deceived the young man and eventually killed him. When Sangwa Kuengi Younten arrived and discovered that her lover had been killed, she was devastated. She carried his dead body to Khewang Lhakhang and placed it before the sacred statue. It was then, according to the oral account, that the central statue spoke to her. The statue instructed her to take the body to the Gangteng Trulku (Tenzin Lekpai Dendup), who at that time was residing at Gangteng Monastery. She was told that the Gangteng Trulku would perform the necessary religious rituals. 

The rock where the dead
 body was kept. 

 There are two versions of what happened afterwards. According to one account, the Second Gangteng Trulku, performed the necessary rituals and subdued the demon responsible for the young man's death. Another version tells a more extraordinary story. Heartbroken by the death of her beloved, Sangwa Kuengi Younten vowed to take revenge. She became a great spiritual practitioner and eventually gained the ability to subdue the demon herself. Both versions remain part of the oral traditions associated with Khewang Lhakhang. 

The legend can also be connected to a physical feature at the lhakhang. Just outside the entrance of Khewang Lhakhang is a rock traditionally believed to be the place where the dead body of the young man was laid after Sangwa Kuengi Younten brought him to the temple. For local people, the rock therefore serves as a physical reminder of the tragic love story and the sacred intervention associated with the speaking Buddha. 

Khewang Lhakhang also has its own annual tshechu, traditionally held on the third day of the ninth month of the Bhutanese calendar. The festival is traditionally associated with the ancient victory over local demons and the protection of the community.

The temple was extended in 2012, including additional space to accommodate religious activities and practitioners. The extension also included residential facilities. 

Visitors may also have the opportunity to receive blessings from the Dongkola Trulku, regarded as the reincarnation of Terton Tshering Dorji, who established Dongkola in Paro. According to local information, the Trulku presently resides at Khewang Lhakhang. 

Khewang Lhakhang

Khewang Lhakhang lies on the valley floor of Phobjikha, on the eastern side of the valley and opposite Tabiting. It is also located near Gophu village.  The lhakhang can be reached by road from the Gangteng area and is also associated with the Gangtey–Phobji Nature Trail, a roughly 4-kilometre downhill walking trail that ends at Khewang Lhakhang. 

Khewang Lhakhang is more than an old temple in the Phobjikha Valley. Its significance lies in the combination of religious history, sacred statues, local beliefs, oral traditions and community practices. Its connection with Trulku Penjor Gyeltshen and Kuenkhen Longchen Rabjam, the belief that the lhakhang stands over an ancient lake, the mysterious unfinished statues, the story of the speaking Buddha, the tragic tale of Drungshing Chupai Drung Drung and Sangwa Kuengi Younten, and the annual community tshechu all contribute to the unique identity of the temple. 

For the people of Phobjikha, Khewang Lhakhang remains a place where faith, legend, landscape and living community tradition continue to meet. 

References 

Lam Jamyang, personal communication, August 30, 2026

Padling Choeki Ga Tshal Foundation. (n.d.). Khewang Zhirim Primary Shedra, Phobjikha Gewog, Wangdue Phodrang. Padling Choeki Ga Tshal Foundation 

Wangdue Phodrang Dzongkhag Administration. (2025). Phobji Gewog profile. 

Visit Bhutan. (n.d.). Khewang Lhakhang.