Kyichu Lhakhang

Kyichu Lhakhang is held by tradition to be one of the 108 temples built in a single night by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century to pin down a demoness lying across the Himalaya, with this one placed on her left foot. Whatever the dating, it is among the oldest religious buildings in the country and remains an active place of worship rather than a monument: pilgrims circle it turning the wheels in the outer gallery, and the inner sanctum holds a seventh-century Jowo Sakyamuni figure. A second temple was added in 1968 in matching style. In the courtyard are two orange trees said to fruit year round. The atmosphere is quiet and working, and the visit is short.

History

The Jowo temple is held to have been built in the 7th century by the Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo as one of his 108 border-taming temples, and in the 8th century Padmasambhava is believed to have visited and hidden spiritual treasures here. In the 12th century the Lhapa Kagyu looked after it and in the 13th it passed to a descendant of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo's son Nyima; Pema Lingpa, 1450-1521, is recorded as uncovering and restoring the lost temple, in 1644 Ngawang Namgyal took it over, and from 1836 to 1838 the 25th Je Khenpo, Sherab Gyaltshen, restored and reconsecrated it (Wikipedia, Kyichu Lhakhang).

What to look for

• The old temple - the seventh-century foundation and its sanctum.
• Prayer wheel gallery - pilgrims circumambulating the building.
• The Jowo figure - the ancient statue in the inner shrine.
• The orange trees - the courtyard trees of local tradition.

When to go

March to May and September to November for clear weather in the valley. Mornings bring the most pilgrims and the most atmosphere. The temple is open year round.

Good to know

Photography inside is forbidden and shoes come off at the door. The building is small and the visit takes under an hour. It is an active temple, so quiet and modest dress are expected. Access is with a guide as part of the standard package.

Nearby

Paro Rinpung Dzong lies south; Drukgyel Dzong is further up the valley.

Key facts