Other Monasteries in Bhutan

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Bhutan

Other Monasteries in Bhutan:

Drukgyal Dzong was a fortress and Buddhist monastery, now in ruins, located in the upper part of the Paro District, Bhutan. The dzong was probably built by Tenzin Drukdra in 1649 at the behest of Ngawang Namgyal, Zhabdrung Rinpoche, to commemorate victory over an invasion from Tibet.

The Gangteng Monastery,generally known as Gangtey Gonpa or Gangtey Monastery, is an important monastery of Nyingmapa school of Buddhism, the main seat of the Pema Lingpa tradition, located in the Wangdue Phodrang District in central Bhutan. The Monastery’s history traces to the early 17th century and back to the prophecies made by the well-known Tertön Pema Lingpa in the late 15th century.

The Punakha Dzong, also known as Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong“the palace of great happiness or bliss”, is the administrative centre of Punakha District in Punakha, Bhutan. Constructed by Ngawang Namgyal, 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, in 1637–38, it is the second oldest and second largest dzong in Bhutan and one of its most majestic structures. The dzong houses the sacred relics of the southern Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, including the Rangjung Kasarpani and the sacred remains of Ngawang Namgyal and the Tertön Pema Lingpa.

Paro Taktsang, also known as the Taktsang Palphug Monastery and the Tiger’s Nest, is a prominent Himalayan Buddhist sacred site and the temple complex is located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. A temple complex was first built in 1692, around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave where Guru Padmasambhava is said to have meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours in the 8th century. Padmasambhava is credited with introducing Buddhism to Bhutan and is the tutelary deity of the country.

Thimphu formerly spelled as Thimbu or Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan’s dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The ancient capital city of Punakha was replaced by Thimphu when it was established as capital in 1955, and in 1961 Thimphu was declared as the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan by His Majesty the 3rd Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.

Wangdue Phodrang is a town and capital of Wangdue Phodrang District in central Bhutan. The town shares its name with the dzong (Wangdi Phodrang Dzong) built in 1638 that dominates the district. The name is said to have been given by Ngawang Namgyal, the Zhabdrung Rinpoche, who was searching for the best location for a dzong to prevent incursions from the south.