Tachogang Monastery
is located along Paro-Thimphu highway, just after Isuna village and before
Chhuzom, on the base of a barren mountain across the Pa chu river. This
monastery is the only structure on that ridge that is vividly visible and is of
great beauty with olden Iron Bridge over the Pachu River below.
I along with my brothers
visited the Tachogang Lhakhang. Our first plan was to cross the bridge that was
made using the original iron chain made by Drupthop Thangtong Gyalpo.
Unfortunately the bridge door was locked, as the suspension bridge was not safe
to use. Later we learnt from Monastery caretaker that some miscreants have
stolen 5 pieces of Iron chain from the chain-link making the sacred bridge
unsafe to cross.
We used another
suspension bridge located below and enjoyed an occasional swing during our
movement over it.
Walking up for
around 5 minutes we reached near the monastery that I longed to visit long time
back but never materialized.
Wow! The
scene from that location was very beautiful and the place looks like heaven.
The
only thing that bothers you the most was the strong wind that has no sign of
calming. Two dogs barked furiously nevertheless it surely welcomed us. Well it also
conveys a message to the caretaker the arrival of visitors apart from protecting
the monastery in the night.
We met an old woman
a descendant of Tachok Chojie at the monastery. The caretaker was not there so
her son-in-law took us inside the monastery. The monastery is of three storied.
At the ground floor
the main relics is a statue of Lord Buddha Sakyamuni, Guru Rinpoche, a set of
Kanjur (the translated words of Buddha) and Tenjur (the translated commentaries
on the words of Buddha).
On the First floor
is the Gongkhang which houses Za Rahula (Planetary deities), Chadru, Ngarsum
and Mazadumsum. Nothing can be seen here as it is curtained from public
display. Only a hornbill head is seen put on top of the wooden altar.
On the second floor
we saw the statue of Chenrigzi (Avaloketesvara), Drupthop Thangtong Gyalpo, Zhabdrung
Ngawang Namgyel, Thugse Dewa Zangpo, Lam Jamphel Loday and Chana Dorji
(Vajrapani). Beside in a wood showcase we saw Drupthob Thangtong Gyalpo’s iron
chain links (around 6 pieces). Inside walking sticks of Thangtong Gyalpo and
Lam Jampel Lodey were also kept. We offered butter lamp and made prostration to
the great relics.
How did Tachogang
Lhakhang establish in such a barren and isolated area?
In the 14th century
Dupthob Thangthong Gyalpo came to Bhutan at the invitation of the deities Ap
Chundu and Jowo darkey of the Haa and Paro valleys respectively. Upon arriving
at the area where he has been summoned, Thangthong Gyalpo sought solitude and
began his meditation, for seven days.
During the course
of his meditation he experienced visions of the spiritual horse Balaha an
emanation of Avalokiteshvara, which inevitably inspired him to build a lhakhang
and bestow upon it the name of Tachogang lhakhang. Tachogang means ‘temple of
the hill of the excellent horse’.
On completion of
meditation Thangtong Gyalpo emerged to reunite with the outside world; and his
first social embrace was that of a woman who seemed to possess special signs,
as Thangthong Gyalpo simply gave her three pills and blessed the woman before
his departure. Soon after this event, the lady gave birth to a son, Dewa
Zangpo, the heart son of Thangtong Gyalpo.
Thangtong Gyalpo
never build the temple with his own hands but with a simple gesture and gift to
an extraordinary woman, he assured the temple’s construction, as Dewa Zangpo
(who would become one of the seven disciple of Thangtong Gyalpo) was indeed the
man who constructed the Tachogang Monastery.
Dewa Zangpo was not
simply an important architect he also established the linage of Tachok Chojie,
the descendants of which live close by the temple and I have met the old woman.
The Fourth
D ruk Desi Tendzin Rabgye built a new temple at Tachogang in the seventeenth
century, as the original was destroyed after it served as the main seat for the
Five Groups of Lamas, a coalition of local leaders who had opposed the
Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. Currently, the descendants of Tachok Chojie families privately
look after Tachogang Lhakhang.
Drupthop Thangtong
Gyalpo had also built an iron bridge for the people to easily reach the temple.
The flood washed the former iron bridge away in 1969.
The legend of Drupthop
Thangtong Gyalpo says that the money needed to build his iron bridges was
raised from his opera (Show) performances. The present bridge was restored
in 2005 as per the wish of His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Even the
reconstructed bridge has some of the secured chains of Tachogang itself and
four chains are brought from Doksum and Tashigang.
Daily many people do
stop and visit the iron chain bridge with few making to the monastery.
Please visit the sacred
Tachogang Lhakhang to receive blessing from the 599 years old relics of
Drupthhop Thangtong Gyalpo and his heart son Dewa Zangpo.