 The
Bumthang valley lies at an altitude of 2600 metres. This valley
is the religious heartland of Bhutan
and home to some of the oldest Buddhist temples. Tales of
Guru Padmasambhava and his reincarnates Known as Lingpas,
still linger around Bumthang.
Legend has it that when the Lamas assembled to decide on a
site for Jakar Dzong, a big white bird rose suddenly in the
air and settled on a spur of the hill and it was here that
`Castle of the white bird` was built. The building itself
is surrounded with an impressive wall approximately one mile
in circumference, in its centre a tower soars nearly 150 feet
into the air.
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| Jambey Lhakhang :
This monastery was built in the 7th century by the Tibetan
king, Songtsen Gampo. It is one of 108 monasteries which he
built to subdue evil spirits in the Himalayan region. Its
present architectural appearance dates from the early 20th
century.
Kurje Lhakhang : Located further along the valley,
Kurje Lhakhang comprises three temples. The one on the right
was built in 1652 against the rock face where Guru Padmasambhava
meditated in the 8th century. The middle temple is built on
the site of a cave containing a rock with the imprint of the
Guru’s body, and is therefore considered to be the most
holy. The temple on the left was built in the 1990s by H.M.
Ashi Kesang, the Queen Mother. These three temples are surrounded
by 108 chorten walls.
Tamshing Lhakhang : Located across the river from Kurje
Lhakhang, this temple was founded in 1501 by Terton Pema Lingpa,
a re-incarnation of Guru Padmasambhava. There are very old
religious paintings around the inner walls of the temple,
which was restored at the end of the 19th century.
Jakar Dzong : Constructed in 1549 by the great grandfather
of the first Shabdrung, the dzong was initially built as a
monastery. It was upgraded in 1646, after the Shabdrung had
firmly established his power.
Jakar Dzong is now used as the administrative center for Bumthang
valley, and also houses the regional monk body. |
