Zhabdrung Ngawang
Namgyel built Drukgyel Dzong in the year 1649. Unlike other dzongs that was
mainly built to serve as administrative and religious functions, Drukgyel Dzong
was built for a special purpose as country’s defensive fortress to counter
against the external threat from the boarder.
The Dzong had lodged
the best armory in the country at the time and battled many wars from there.
Later to venerate Bhutanese
victory over the combined forces of Tibetan and Mongolian army, which attempted
several invasions to the country, the Dzong was named Drukgyel Dzong (Druk means
Bhutan, while Gyel means victory).
The Dzong consists
of Utse, the central tower building, which housed a shrine of guardian deities,
and Shabkhor, rectangular buildings surrounding the courtyards.
It was built adjusting
to the geographical condition of the hill and formed a distinct design. The
high and massive stone masonry walls of Shabkhor buildings stood on the steep
slope of the hill entirely enclosing the inner space of the Dzong, making
approach to Dzong possible only from the single entrance, which is heavily
guarded by several ta-dzongs (watching forts) cylindrical in shape situated
between the entrance and foot of the hill.
Secret tunnels
providing protected passages to fetch water from the river below the hill as
well as to send troops during the time of war were built.
Drukgyel Dzong had
been served as an important base for defense in the region until 1951 when it
was destroyed by fire. The wind blew hard that night and toppled one of the
butter-lamps in the utse. The fire soon spread, fanned by the breath of the
night wind.
To make matters worse,
it is believed that a bat’s wings caught fire too. As the bat flew madly about
in panic, it lit fire wherever the wings touched. Soon, the dzong was an
inferno of blaze.
It was one o’clock
at night. By the time Gup Cheten saw the fire, it had engulfed the whole dzong
and reached the roof. Precious little could be saved. Everything was gone and
only ruins remained.
While the site was
preserved no attempt was made to re-build the Dzong and it remained in ruins
till 5th February 2016.
In 2016, to
celebrate the birth of His Royal Highness The Gyalsey, as well as to
commemorate two other significant events, namely, the arrival of Zhabdrung
Ngawang Namgyel to Bhutan in 1616 AD and the birth year of Guru Rinpoche, His
Majesty the King commanded the reconstruction of the dzong. The dzong is coming
up faster than expected.
Drukgyel Dzong is
an important monument for Bhutan that will truly link people of Bhutan with the
great events that contributed in maintaining the sovereignty of the country.
Black and white photo courtesy: John Claude
