M3 Itineraries

We start the day early for the drive to Haa via Chele-la pass.  After driving 4 km. to Bondey village, we take a side road and begin the steep climb up the hillside to Chele-la (3,810m/12,573ft), reaching the pass after a 45 km. drive upwards through blue pine & rhododendron forest.  On a clear day there is a superb view of Mts. Chomolhari and Jichu Drake from this point, so if the weather is favorable we will stop here briefly to stroll around and enjoy the lovely mountain scenery.  Then continue on to Haa (2670m/8,811ft), descending all the way for another 22 km., finally reaching Haa after about an hour’s drive.

After lunch, we visit two famous monasteries, Lhakhang Karpo (White Temple) and Lhakhang Nagpo (Black Temple).  The central shrine in Lhakhang Nagpo is said to be almost identical to that of the Jowo temple in Lhasa.  Legend has it that local deities assisted in the construction of Lhakhang Karpo.  As a result, the place came to be locally known as ‘Hay’ (meaning ‘surprise’) which later became ‘Haa’ due to varying interpretations and pronunciations over time.

The three giant hills looming over the fringes of Haa valley were called ‘Me Rig Puen Sum’ especially after the event of the Lhakhang Karpo construction.  Today the three hills are popularly known as ‘RigSum Goenpa’ signifying three deities, Jambayang, Chana Dorji and Chenrezig (known in Sanskrit as Manjushri, Varjapani and Avalokiteshvara, respectively).  These are the three principal bodhisattvas (Buddhas to be) among the thousand future Buddhas to come, and representations of them are to be found in every lhakhang (temple) and household shrine room.

Later, other Buddhist saints like Guru Rinpoche and ‘Machi Labdorn’ came to this place, Jungney Drag, in Haa and blessed the locality. After Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal unified the country under the Drukpa Kagyupa sect of Mahayana Buddhism in the early 17th century, the chief guardian deity of Haa became Ap Chundu. In the evening return back to Paro. (Overnight in Paro)