Punakha Dzong

Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the founder of the Bhutanese state, built the Punakha Dzong and later died there in 1651. It was named Pungthang Dechen Phodrang Dzong, which means the Palace of Great Bliss. Located on a stretch of land where two rivers, the Phochu and Mochu, coverage, the Dzong appears as great anchored ship.

History

At Punakha Dzong, Ugyen Wangchuk, Bhutan’s first king, was crowned in 1907. Punakha was the first capital of Bhutan and the Dzong served as the centre of the Government. The first session of the National Assembly was also held there in 1953. The site where the Dzong stands has always been a holy place. Even before the Zhabdrung;s visit to Bhutan a small temple already existed there, which had been built in the 14th century. It is situated outside the Dzong and is called the Dzongchung.

To fulfill the prophecies as laid down by Guru Rinpoche in the 18th month of the fire Ox Year in 1637. Guru Rinpoche prophesied that a young man named Namgyal would come to a mountain with appearance of a sleeping elephant and build a Dzong upon the elephant’s trunk. A carpenter named Zow Balep was commissioned to construct the Dzong. He was instructed to sleep in the Dzongchung, before the Buddha’s image. One night Balep fell asleep at Zhabdrung’s feet and dreamt about the future Dzong. Upon waking he described the impressive complex he had dreamt of. According to a legend, the construction of the Dzong was aided by the many deities in the area. The protecting deity of Nobgang, together with a female deity, Dorichum, the lady of the stones, supplied the stones needed for the structure. The timber provided by the protecting deity of Tsachaphu village was floated down the Phochu River.

In 1639, the Dzong was attacked by the Tibetans supported by five groups of Lamas. The next attack came in 1644, lunched by the 5th Dalai Lama. The Tibetans lost the battle, and the Tibetan commanders had to publicly submit to the Zhabdrung. To commemorate the victory over the Tibetans, the Gonkhang was built in 1645 and named Yu Gyal Gonkhang Chen Mo, ‘the great shrine of the protective and victorious lord’. The captured weapons and armour were placed in the temple. A New Year festival was also introduced to celebrate the victory. The victorious soldiers, known as the Pazaps, recnact the war during the festival.

As the second Dzong to have been built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, it served as the seat of government until the region of second king, Jigme Wangchuk. 600 monks were brought from Cheri Gonpa, the northern Thimphu valley; and under the order of the Zhabdrung, the Central Monastic Body was founded there. The Central Monastic Body still reside at Punakha Dzong during the winter.

Having been ravaged by fire, earthquakes and floods many times, Punakha Dzong had been rebuilt several times and always to the original specifications, overseen either by the Desi or the Je Khenpo. According to common folklore, Zhabdrung had taken a dislike to the Dzong; therefore, in 1835 he summoned a flood upon the area which damaged it. It was repaired in 1849. Another fire in 1986 caused considerable damage to the south-west corner of the Dzong, which was the home of the Je Khenpo. It was renovated under the command of the fourth king, Jigme Singye Wang

Structure

When approaching the Dzong, one must cross the Mochu River via a suspension bridge which is to be replaced by a traditional cantilever bridge. The bridge leads to three steep wooden staircases, above which is the immense front door of the Dzong. The staircases were strategically design; in times of war they could be removed, making the Dzong in effect impenetrable. The front door leads to the first courtyard, which is occupied by the district administration. A six storied central tower with temples on every floor stands at the end of the courtyard. The Runjung Kharsapani (a self-created image of the Bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokitestvara or Chenrezi), Bhutan’s most sacred relic, is kept in one of the temples.

The embalmed body of Jampel Dorje, Zhabdrung’s son, is within another temple inside the utse. Beyond the utse, surrounded by prayer halls, cloisters, and several temples, is the second courtyard, designated for the monks. Among them is the Dechog Lhakhang. The third courtyard is at the southern end of the Dzong and boasts its architectural masterpiece: the enormous Kunery, or assembly hall of the monks. Situated at the centre of the hall is a towering statue of the Buddha, accompanied by image of Zhabdrung and Guru Rinpoche. Also in the third courtyard are the Je Khenpo’s (head Abbot’s) living quarters and personal temple.

At the end of the Dzong is a Machen Zimchu, a temple where the embalmed body of the Zhabdrung is kept in a sealed casket inside spectacularly gilded Chorten. For fear that news of his death would create chaos within his newly founded nation, in 1651 the people were simply told that the Zhabdrung had gone into meditation and would not be making any public appearances. The ruse was successfully kept by Zhabdrung’s heirs for the security of the nation. With the exception of two senior attendant monks, only the king and the Je Khenpo are allowed inside the Zhabdrung’s shrine. All the kings and the Je Khenpos of the Bhutan begin their reigns by offering prayers at this shrine. The embalmed body of the saint, Pame Ling, resides within the same temple; but some believed it to be the embalmed body of Pema Ling’s son.

Festival

Punakha Domchoe, which takes place in the first month of Bhutanese year, is a glorious event and a superb demonstration of Bhutanese culture, combining powerful rites with a dazzling of horsemanship and swordplay.

According to a legend, the Indian saint Lam Ngagi Rinchen, or Vanaratna, came to Bhutan in the 14th century, searching for the spirit of his deceased mother. He first reached Paro, but because he did not speak the language he made only minute progress. In order to make a living, he worked as a cow-herder. Sometime later, Ngagi Rinchen moved to Punakha and lived in a village north of the present Dzong. During the day he worked as a cow-herder, while his nights were spent meditating in a cave. One morning, much to his surprise, he noticed a large stone in front of the cave. The stone, in the form of a frog, contained the spirit of his mother. To free her spirit, he broke the stone. In commemoration of this event he built the Dzongchung and placed inside it a Buddha’s image. Though the Dzongchung has been damaged by floods several times and rebuilt, thealter where the Buddha’s image is placed has miraculously remained unscathed. This tranquil and seemingly indestructible Buddha is an object of great devotion