Category : Trongsa District

The 23 km. drive from Trongsa to Kunga Rabten Palace takes about an hour and passes through open countryside high above a river gorge.  The land slopes quite gently in this region, and farming is well developed, so there is much of interest to observe in the fields and in the villages as one speed along.

As one approaches Kunga Rabten, the Palace is clearly visible just below the road on the right.  It was the winter palace of the second king and is now looked after by the National Commission for Cultural Affairs.  This pleasant afternoon excursion from Trongsa offers further insights into the early days of Bhutan’s monarchy. The palace is an impressive building with superb wood work and decorations.

Every one is welcome and those who visit Trongsa and if you don’t visit this palace – I would say it is incomplete one. Therefore who ever visit Trongsa district must make your time to visit this palace – Kunga Rabten Palace.

Authentic Bhutan Tours cordially welcome one and all to visit this palace and enrich the strong history of this country and spread word of mouth to all your family, friends and other your communities of yours. Once again welcome to you all.

Taa Dzong was once a watchtower which guarded the Trongsa Dzong from the internal rebellion. It was built in 1652by the 1st Governor of Trongsa, Chogyal Minjur Tenpa. This magnificent watchtower sits on a spur overlooking the Trongsa dzong and it has four surveillance points resembling the Dragon, The Garuda, the Tiger and the Lion. The Ta Dzong has now been converted into a state-of-art Art Museum (National Museum) with technical and financial support provided by Austria. As of date the Tas Dzong of Trongsa is the most fascinating museum of the nation. It comprises of eleven galleries including the one on top. All these galleries showcase different artifacts of the past.

The first gallery showcases Gyelchhen Zhi (the guardians of the four directions), that protects the entrances to monasteries and temples and ward off evil influences from all four directions.

The second gallery houses a statue of Zhabdrung’s grandfather, Ngagi Wangchuk (1517-1554) who founded the Trongsa Dzong in 1543, his jacket and robe, diamond scepter and bell, statues of the Zhabdrung’s father, Tenpai Nima (1567-1619), Zhabdrung Rinpoche and Choegyel Minjur Tenpa, the first Trongsa Penlop and the third Druk Desi. All these icons are responsible in the history of Bhutan, especially in bringing order to the country’s endless civil wars. The establishment of the Trongsa Dzong greatly helped in this endeavor.

The Raven Crown, designed by Lam Jangchub Tsendrue is featured in the third gallery. It was worn by the 1^st King of Bhutan, Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck. It also houses the images of Jigme Namgyel’s protective deity, Tadin (Hayagriva) and Palkhorlo Dompa (Chakrasamvara), a statue of LamJangchub Tsendrue and Nyep Garab Wangchuk (local deity), ceremonial silk textile that belonged to the first King and four chests of Jigme Wangchuck, the 2^nd King of Bhutan that were used in the Wangdue Choling palace in Bumthang to store personal belongings of the royal family and the King.

The fourth gallery has the scroll of 3.5 meter oath of allegiance that was signed by the representatives of the clergy during the coronation of second King in 1926. It also showcases Jigme Wangchuck’s prayer book and silver box, the 3^rd King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck’s amulet, ivory flask, container for betel, areca and lime, and a zenith radio besides the silk kira and tego of the first Queen Ashi Choden, a sword, gho, scarf and traditional boots belonging to His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, a self created Pema Lingpa bronze statue and a wooden phurba (dragger).

The fifth gallery showcases the meaning of the sacred dances including the wheel of life, masks and costumes while the sixth gallery is about Buddhism and rituals with the images of Buddha Shachamuni, Maitreya Buddha (Gyaltsab Jampa, also known as the future Buddha), Dorji Phurpa (Vajrakila) and a magic dragger.

A Khesar Ling lhakhang is on the seventh gallery and the statues of Guru Rinpoche, His eight manifestations in the eighth and Maitreya Buddha lhakhang in ninth gallery.

The five Tathagata Buddhas (Gyalwa Rignga) sit in the tenth gallery. Each of the Buddhas represent one of the five transcendental insights, which are antidotes to the five mental poisons; anger and hatred, pride, desire and greed, envy and jealously, delusion and ignorance.

The top gallery showcases the body, the speech and the mind of the Adibuddha. It also houses a sacred image of Sung Joenma Dorji Chang, self-spoken Vajradharna.

In 1541, Lam Ngagi Wangchuck, came to Bhutan and moved to Trongsa from Thimphu.He mediated in a place above where the Trongsa Dzong now stands, he saw at night a butter lamp burning on a ridge where the Gonkhang (temple of protective deity) stands today. He took this to be the sacred place as prophesied and began mediating. He had a vision of Palden Lhamo here. In 1543, Lam Ngagi Wangchuk established a small temple and name it Mondrupde. Later, many people from the area become his disples and built small huts for themselves around the temple. The place began to look like a village and people called it Drongsar (new village). Later on, the pronunciation changed to Trongsa.

Zhabdrung Ngwang Namgyel was not able to fulfill his desire to visit this place, which had been built by his ancestor a hundred years before. Instead in 1647 he ordered the building of a Gonkhang which stands on the same spot where Ngagi Wangchuck built his temple in 1543. Zhabrung also appointed Minjur Tenps as the first Peonlop of Tzrongsa. He gradually began to expand the dzong and built the Ta Dzong (watch tower) in 1652. The whole eastern region was brought under the Drukpa rule and was governed from Trongsa Dzong.

Trongsa Dzong had been the seats of the Trongsa Poenlops who have governed the eastern region for over three hundred years. It was Trongsa Poenlop Jigme Namgyel who finally emerged as the most powerful national leader in the country. In 1907, his son Ugyen Wangchuck, was elected as the first hereditary King from his post of Trongsa Peonlop. For this reason, the heir to the throne of Bhutan is installed as Trongsa Poenlop before he is enthroned as King of Bhutan.

Trongsa Dzong is now the headquaterter of the Trongsa Dzongkha and home of the Trongsa Rabdey.