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The Lhakhang was established by  or  Nyangrel Nyima Wozer  (1124/1136 - 1192/1204) in the 12th century. It is said that the lama shot an arrow from Tibet (During those days, most of the Buddhist masters were from Tibet as Buddhism was yet to set its root in Bhutan) to seek his destiny to establish a Lhakhang. Following the direction of his arrow, the lama reached the place. The lama pulled out his arrow only to see holy water gushing out. Thus the place came to be known as CHUMED. "Chu" meaning water and "MED" meaning lower land. The Lhakhang is located at the end of Chumey gewog and the settlements. Today the gewog is better spelled as Chumey. This holy water is located about 40 meters from the lhakhang. According to the locals, the water can cure various illness. There are stories how the holy water has cured warts of many people. The holy water is preserved with a wooden box and the water looks fresh and clean. According to Karma Tenzin, a local from Nan...

 There is a small one-storied lhakhang about 200 meters from the Thangbi Lhakhang. The author could not authenticate the name of the lhakhang but the locals call it as Taag Lhakhang. It is not known whether Taag refers to the horse or the tiger (In Dzognkha). The lhakhang was built by Lam Ngopa, a great Tibetan master in 14th century. When Lam Ngogpa reached the top of the hill above the village, he threw a dumpling-shaped rock to check his prophecy. Descending down to the valley, Lam Ngogpa found the rock at the present location. Taking it as a good omen, Lam Ngogpa built the small temple.  Lam Ngogpa is said to have established a lhakhang in Dhur, about 9kms from Kujey and Lamlung, another Lhakhang in Tang. Both the temples are in Bumthang. Lam Ngogpa was one of the closest disciple of Lam Marpa. Lam Ngogpa is also reflected in Milarepa's namthar as the latter's friend who studied under the same master.  Lam Ngogpa's Kudung chorten The lhakhang houses the Buddhas of Thr...

The Thangbi Lhakhang was built in 15 th century by the Fourth Zhamar Rimpoche Choekyi Drakpa (an important  Lama of Karma Kagyud sect), which corresponds to iron rat year of the lunar calendar (1480). Elders in the locality say that Terton Pema Lingpa also had his hand in the construction of the lhakhang. The presence of the iron chain at the entrance and the time (1480) supports the claim. Some sources denies the claim. The source, however believes that the lhakhang was later taken over by Pema Lingpa, thus becoming a Nyingma lhakhang.   No written or oral history clarifies why the lhakhang was built at the location. However, records has another name for the lhakhang, Lhendrup Choeling. The lhakhang got the name in 1730 when the first floor was added to the ground floor. The project was initiated by the 8 th Zhamar Choekyi Dendrup and blessed by 12 th Karmapa Jangchub Dorji. However, the locality name has overtaken it and thus known as Thangbi Lhakhang. During the time...

 One prominent structure, as you enter the Paro town, is a Lhakhang. The Lhakhang serves as an entry point to ever fast-growing Paro town. Despite the close proximity to the town, not many visit it. I could visit the Lhakhang only after five years in Paro. The renovated Lhakhang. According to the caretaker, the Lhakhang 496 years old which correspondence 1525 (16 th century). This, he says, is according to the research done by some experts. However, he also believes that the Lhakhang is much older than what is was found out, maybe double the years that they have pointed. According to records, Gyalchog, a decedent of Pha Dampa (Dampa was the son of lam Phajo Drugom Zhingpo) used the place as a meditation center. However, the Lhakhang, according to the caretaker, was founded by Lam Ngawang Chogyal (brother of Lam Drukpa Kuenley). Wangchuk (2020) also believes the place to be used as meditation center by Gyalchog, the brother of Gyalzom, who later invited Lam Nagawang Chogyal. ...

 Buddhism is never short of gods and goddesses of different forms. There are Dakinis and deities who are known to have unparalleled unseen force. These abstract forms are jewels of religion and an integral part of everyday life. The five sisters (Tashi Tsheringma in the center) PC: Dr. Dorji Wangchuk One such example is the five sisters of longevity ( ཚེ་རིང་མཆེད་ལྔ ). As the name suggests, they are five sisters who possess the power to gift us with different blessings. A ccording to the caretaker of Dzongdrakha (Paro), the sisters were demons who were subdued by Milarepa and made them the protectors of the dharma. It is also said that the sisters became the main disciples of Jetsuen Milarepa and also his secret religious consorts. However, Five sisters of long life (2008), claims the sisters to have taken the first oath from Dakini Seng gdong ma (the lion-faced). To add on, Wangchuk (personal communication, April 6, 2022), believes that the five sisters had been ferocious, as G...

Pema Lingpa, the true son of Bumthang and one of the great five kings of the Tertons (Tresaure The stupa 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 shabbily dressed monk awakened him and handed him a scroll. Without a slightest knowledge, Pema Lingpa was urged to read as a key to decode the predestined Terma (Treasure).  Wish-fulfilling ...

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 the 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 till 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 risk of visiting the place without someone who knows the place well. There are stories when pilgrims 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...

 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 Rimpoche is believed to have meditated. The cave lies at an altitude of about 3150 meters above the sea level. The cave has the body imprints of Guru Rimpoche. 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 caves lies about ...

  Yidam Tamdrim. 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 cliff is believed to be the head of Tandrim, (Hayagriva). The cliff is believed to be the shape of a horse 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 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 horse while phag is the pig. Thus, Taphag 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...

  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 last 20 years in various post and place. 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 night and struggled 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 up as expected. Few months into their new home, Wangdi was transferred to another dzongk...

 Kyetse is one of Chador Wangmo’s mind-boggling novels. She is one of the few fulltime 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 root is 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 taken far away ...

Guru Rimpoche was invited to Bumthang to cure the local king, Sindha Raja from his death bed, in the 7th century. Guru Rimpoche, the "Precious Teacher" entered the country from the south and 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 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 a...