Chencho Dema THIMPHU.

The listing of the Phajoding Monastery in the World Monuments Fund has come at an opportune moment, as the pace of development in Thimphu and adjoining areas is fast becoming a threat to the temple complex that was founded in the 13th cen­tury.

Phajoding stands out as a place of solace for the bus­tling Thimphu valley. The site majestically exemplifies the spiritual tradition of seeking salvation through meditation. Therefore, the key opportunities presented by this heritage site are of the following:

- A comprehensive survey and documentation of the site would provide further insight into the unique spiritual tra­dition associated with this site and the country, which would be enlightening not just for the visitors but also the local people.

- The simplicity with which the traditional structures blend with the natural land­scape would generate appre­ciation towards the use of local materials and construc­tion techniques.

Phajoding, even today, is revered as one of the most sa­cred sites established through the ages by numerous spiri­tual figures who played an important role in shaping the history of Bhutan.

The complex is located on a high, green mountain, at an altitude of about 3640 m and is around three hours walk from Sangaygang (BBS tower).

Phajoding comprises of 10 lhakhangs (temples) and several drubkhangs (meditation houses), which are all located at some distances from one another. The Thujidra (temple with meditation houses) is located on the uppermost cliff and is an hour walk from Jampa lhakhang, the lowest temple housing the monastic school.

Most of the temples have ancillary buildings, which are either attached to the main temple or built nearby. These ancillary buildings are used as residences for the monks.

The name Phajoding has originated from the name of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo, a Kagyud saint who propagated Kagyud Buddhism in Bhutan. He established the first meditation site at Phajoding in the 13th century.

As per the prophecy of Guru Rimpoche, Phajo (1208- 1275) established 12 meditation centres (comprising of four Dzongs or fortress, four Dra, sacred cliffs and four phugs or caves in the Drukpa Kagyud lineage of Bhutan.

While meditating at Puemo Drakar, Phajo envisioned a figure of Chenrizig (Avalok­itesvara – locally known as Thuji Chenbo) and accord­ingly, renamed this meditation site as Thujidra and is the most important religious building on this mountain.

Consequently, to credit this sacred meditation site, the following temples were built by several saints in the later years:

Name of the Lhakhangs	Built by	Year
Puemo lhakhang	Ngawang Chogyal	16th century
Khanza, Jampa, Sangay Menlha, Khachhoe Drabi, Chador, Jamyang and Thongwa Zhimchung Lhakhang	9th Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot of Bhutan) Sakya Rinchen	1744-55
Jangchub Nyingpi lhakhang	13th Je Khenpo Youten Thaye	-
Wogmin lhakhang	16th Je Khenpo Sherab Singye	1784-91

 

The13th Desi Chogyal Sherab Wangchuk and 19th Desi Druk Tenzin (1789-92) also built tem­ples at Phajoding. Over the years, smaller buildings were constructed around these temples as residences for the caretaker monks and retreat centre for the latter as well as for layman keen on undertaking meditation at this sacred site.

Though this does not guarantee automatic funding, there are chances that some immediate conservation and repair works receives foreign assistance

 

Chencho Dema THIMPHU.

 

Phajoding in World Monument Fund list

The government’s efforts of getting Phajoding Monastery listed for international conservation programme has finally succeeded, with the World Monument Fund (WMF) including it in the 2010 Watch List of 93 cultur­al and heritage sites that are threatened by human ne­glect, vandalism or natural disasters.

The Watch List is not a grant programme and inclu­sion in it does not automati­cally guarantee funding. But WMF will work in coordina­tion with the government’s Ministry of Home and Cul­tural Affairs (MoHCA) and the Friends of Bhutan’s Cul­ture, USA, (who lobbied for getting the site nominated) to explore possible collaboration that might provide funding to execute the conservation project immediately.

The WMF will also provide assistance in developing a sustainable site management plan for Phajoding in coor­dination with local expertise from the Department of Cul­ture, officials told BHUTAN TODAY.

Despite its proximity to  the most developed city in the country, the Phajoding temple complex – three hours trek from Thimphu has re­mained untouched by mod­ernism and the design and construction materials are the traditional ones.

Besides, the temples and meditation centres were con­structed without compromis­ing the serene environment, which is ideal for meditation.

But the temples and the meditation centres (there are 10 Lhakhangs and many Thu­jidras. See Page 8 for the his­tory of Phajoding) are crum­bling. Ageing, the impact of harsh weather conditions and lack of maintenance, all have had their share in leading to this dilapidation.

Maintenance has been ne­glected because the monks here are of two groups: ei­ther they are too young or they are too old and much too immersed in meditation to bother about maintenance, officials explained. Lack of continued financial and tech­nical support is also among the factors behind the slow yet steady deterioration.

Being within a forested area and the main activity being meditation, so far the complex had remained un­disturbed. But now it falls along the trekking routes for tourists, and it has become very necessary to consider a protecting system to avoid disturbing the meditating monks, the official said.

Again, if development to­wards the western part of Thimphu is not checked, there is every possibility that the site would no longer be able to function as one of the most well known meditation centres in Bhutan.

In an email response to queries sent by BHUTAN TO­DAY, Nagtsho Dorji, Head of the Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites, MoHCA said: “The inclusion of the site in the list would play a pivotal role in alerting the local peo­ple on potential threats to the sustainability of the site due to developmental activity.

“It is possible that this list­ing will encourage individu­als and local private firms to take collaborative initiative to protect sites such as Phajod­ing and several other heritage sites from development pres­sures. Until today, the pro­tection and conservation of heritage sites is largely con­sidered to be the sole respon­sibility of the government,” she said.

“Besides, another impor­tant impact of being in the Watch List is the prospect of requesting financial assis­tance from WMF to execute immediate renovation and consolidation work at the site, which would definitely bring about several long-term benefits to the country,” she added.

The WMF is an indepen­dent organisation established in 1965 and dedicated to sav­ing architectural and cultural heritage sites. It created the Watch List in 1996, releasing it every two years.