Bumthang Distric
Bumthang district is the sacred heart of the Kingdom of Bhutan and home to some of the Kingdom’s most ancient and Buddhist sites. This fascinating valley is considered the holiest valley in Bhutan and home to some of the oldest Buddhist temples and monasteries in the country. Many religious masters have meditated in this valley and even for Bhutanese the valley is one of the pilgrimage places in Bhutan. Bumthang Dzongkhag consists of four main valleys Ura, Chumey, Tang and Choekhor. Choekhor is the largest of the four mountain valleys and is widely considered as ‘Bumthang Valley’. The valleys are broad and gentle carved by the ancient glaciers. The wide and scenic valleys draws a large number of tourists each year. The name Bumthang has two probable origins; the first is that it is named after a Bumpa, a vessel for holy water which the valley resembles in shape.
The second origin implies that it is the Valley of Beautiful Girls as Bum translates to ‘Girl’ and Thang means ‘flat piece of land’. These fertile valleys are covered in fields of buckwheat, rice and potatoes. Apple orchards and dairy farms are also common sights here. This serene region is one of the most peaceful places in the kingdom. This dzongkhag is one of the most richly endowed districts in terms of historical and spiritual legacy. Some of Bhutan’s oldest and most venerated temples are found in Bumthang, including Jambey Lhakhang. According to legend this ancient temple was built by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in 659 A.D. as part of a chain of 108 simultaneously constructed temples in order to subdue an evil demoness that lay over the Himalayan region.
It is the oldest lhakhang in Bhutan. There are numerous other temples and shrines worth visiting in Bumthang and many of them are linked to Guru Rinpoche’s visit in 746 A.D. It is about two hours drive from Trongsa to Bumthang. It is located at an altitude of 2600m – 4000m above sea level. The valley is also famous for its production of bucket noodles, honey, cheese, apples and the Yatra- woolen materials, which has multiple uses.
Major Tourist Attractions in Bumthang Valley
Kunzang Drak temple is located on the face of a cliff. It was founded by Terton Pema Lingpa, the treasure revealer, in 15th century. It consists of 3 temples. The oldest was founded Terton Pema Lingpa and the other two was his consort and son.
Konchosum Lhakhang was built in the 7th century but later restored by Terton Pema Lingpa in the 15th Century. The three sacred Buddha statues which grace the lhakhang’s main shrine are said to have miraculously flown there from Khini in Kurote, a region further east.
Nimalung Lhakhang is located at 1 kilometer uphill walk from Prakar or we can go my car till the temple. This temple is a nice opportunity for sightseeing that can be combined with the visit to Prakar.
Tertoen Doji Lingpa built Decenphodrang temple over the ruins of the ancient Chakar Lhakhang, what was once colossal nine-storied castle built with many layers of metal.
Mebar Tsho or burning lake deep blue and alluring lake is one of the most sacred sites in the region and relates to the famous treasure revealer, Terton Pema Lingpa.
Lhodrak Kharchu Dratshang was built by Lama Namkhai Nyingpo and is located on a forested slope overlooking the Chamkhar town. The original monastery is in Lhodrak in Tibet, close to the border in Lhuntse.
Tamshing Lhakhang was founded by one of the foremost of those Treasure Revelers, Tertoen Pema Lingpa, the year 1501AD. Later, the temple became the seat of the successive Sungtruls or Speech Reincarnations of Tertoen Pema Lingpa.
Kurjey Lhakhang is one of an important place of pilgrimage for most devout Bhutanese people. It was built around a rock on which Guru Rinpoche left an imprint of his body while mediating there in the 8th Century.
Jambay Lhakhang is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, built in 659 AD by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in one day to pin down the left knee of a giant ogress whose body lay across the Himalayas.
Lam Ngagi Wangchuk laid the foundation of a monastery on a ridge in the lower Chokhor valley in Bumthang and started its constructions.A white bird flew away from this site and settled where the Jakar Dzong stands today.