By Matthew Peralta
Punakha Dzong has long been situated between the Pho and Mo Rivers (Chu) – the name Punakha is originally derived from the valley Chu Bug Nang, literally meaning “in the middle of two rivers.” The famous Zhabdrung Ngwang Namgyal arrived in Bhutan in the year 1616 and began his consolidation of power in the land to be called Bhutan. Zhabdrung himself was a Tibetan man exiled from his home at Ralung Monastery after not being recognized as the incarnation of the Drukpa scholar, Pema Karpo, passed over by the ruler of Tsang province for another man, Pagsam Wanpo. The importance of this story directly relates to the construction of Punakha Dzong, which Zhabdrung ordered to be built in the exact image and likeness of Ralung. It was this dzong, amongst others such as Semtokha and Trongsa, that would allow Zhabdrung to consolidate power in his new dual system of governance in Bhutan. This system established the Druk Desi (Zhabdrung was the first) as the temporal leader of Bhutan and the Je Khenpo as its spiritual leader (an institution still established today).
Zhabdrung found not only workers willing and able to build Punakha Dzong in the area fiercely devoted to his rule, but also recruited the skilled mason Balingpa to lead the project, who presented a bowl of milk to Zhabdrung, seen as a good omen. Zhandrung insisted upon having a structure with two doors from outside with 100 doors inside. Balingpa stated this was impossible, but, after sleeping next to Zhandrung that night, was shown a vision of Ralung in his sleep and presented his plan to the pleased Zhabdrung the next day. The structure created was a massive, imposing structure on the “trunk of a mountain” like that of an elephant, overlooking the aforementioned rivers, representing the combination of the male and female virtues of compassion and wisdom. The foundation stone was laid in 1637, and soon the fortress could hold at least 600 monks for meetings and prayers. The dzong’s strategic location on a high point between two rivers in the Punakha valley made it favorable for the defense of the region, particularly from Tibetan invaders, and weapons used in campaigns during the long period of civil war after the death of Zhabdrung are still displayed at the dzong today, reminding visitors of the time of uncertainty before the installation of hereditary kings in Bhutan.
The structure consists of several different lhakhangs (altars) worshipping a number of different Buddhist deities. The most important of these is Ranjung Lhakhang, the seat of Ranjung Kharsapani, the image of the Buddha of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara. This image is in the form of a gem from the cremated remains of Tsangpa Gyare, specifically that of his vertebrate. Zhabdrung took this relic with him during his flight from Ralung, and it, along with other relics, is the reason the Tibetans invaded Bhutan five times during Zhabdrung’s rule. Accompanying this lhakhang are several stupas made of other precious metals. The largest of the temples is the Machhen Lhakhang, with a massive image of a golden seated Buddha in the center, with a ball representing an offering in his hands. This lhakhang is also of particular importance in that it holds the embalmed remains of Zhabdrung in its relics. On either side of this image are golden images of Zhabdrung as well as Guru Padmasambhava, who is chiefly responsible for bringing Buddhism into the area now called Bhutan, as well as hiding several treasures to be found by later generations. Lining the walls of this temple are thousands of Buddhas, depicting different deities and wrathful forms of Buddha that protect the Punakha area. The main deities worshipped at this lhakhang are the Four Heavenly Kings, each representing one of the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west). Outside of the great hall is a depiction of the Buddhist Wheel of Life, depicting the six possible realms a being can be reborn into, those being positive (gods, demigods, humans) or negative (animals, hungry ghosts, hell). Many other images line the walls here, those being notable religious figures of Zhabdrung’s time. In the middle of this hall are special gold-plated seats where only the King (currently Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck) and the Je Khenpo can sit, as others gather around to hear them speak. Lucky signs hang from the ceiling, like in almost any other lhakhang in Bhuta, and thangkhas hang from the wall, with the largest depicting the female bodhisattva Tara. Also outside of the temple is a depiction of the universal cosmology of Buddhism. This represents reality as the four continents of desire, with a mountain in the middle of them representing the form realm, and above that, the formless realm, the highest plane of existence. One final object to note is the massive Bodhi tree that greets all visitors inside of the dzong, meant to depict the very tree under which the Buddha Siddhartha achieved enlightenment.
Unfortunately, Punakha Dzong has been partially or totally destroyed by both fire and flood multiple times over the course of its 500-year existence, with the most recent fire occurring in 1986, during the reign of the 4th King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Over N$ 300,000 worth of sacred objects were destroyed, but the locals and monks came together to put out the fire, demonstrating the importance of the dzong to the local population. The King immediately ordered repairs and created a task force for its reconstruction. After the most recent flood in 1994, Jigme Singye Wangchuck entrusted repairs to Dasho Dorje Tenzin, the country’s Secretary to the Department of Roads, who renovated the dzong with the help of the armed forces and a budget of N $43,000,000, offering restitution to victims of the flooded Pho River and preventing the large statue, Jowo Jampa, from collapsing.
Today, many rituals still occur at Punakha Dzong, in which locals and religious leaders alike take part. For example, the central monk body moves their residence from Thimphu to Punakha for the winter, and the Je Khenpo leads ceremonies, conducting rituals such as bathing in water, recitation of scripture, and burning of incense, all across the span of many days. Locals come to offer all sorts of ritual offerings to many deities, including money, food, and ritual cakes. Tourists are allowed to do so in the large Machhen Lhakhang, but are restricted from entering the lhakhang hosting the vertebrate gem, enforced by a police presence. Bhutanese believe doing so protects their special national identity as the people descended from Zhabdrung, as well as preventing theft of the country’s single most sacred relic, which is becoming an increasingly relevant issue as more tourists, mainly from India and China, come to visit the country.
Tourists and locals alike visit this dzong to gain the blessing of the Four Heavenly Kings, those being of harmony, growth, vision, and wealth. Doing so also generates merit for the pilgrims. By giving offerings and prostrating oneself to the images of deities found at the dzong, locals attempt to gain favor for their next lifetime, hoping to end up as a positive reincarnation on the wheel of life. Locals can also participate in a number of ritual song and dance performances, or could perhaps catch a glimpse of the King or Je Khenpo, who frequently visit one of the largest dzongs in the country. These rituals hope to invoke the protection of deities such as Mahakala, who took the form of a raven to inspire Zhabdrung to journey south to Bhutan in a vision. He also protected Zhandrung from Tibetan curses as he governed the country and consolidated power in numerous military campaigns to the east. In addition to religious work, today the government of Punakha, including the Governor and the district ministry, all conduct operations out of Punakha Dzong, making decisions for thousands of locals in all aspects of their life. These many functions of Punakha Dzong all coalesce into one beautiful structure serving as a political, religious, and military hub for the Punakha region, just as the Zhabdrung himself intended when he came to Punakha 500 years ago. For me, it is inspiring that the Bhutanese continue to passionately uphold his legacy and preserve his relics for people from all walks of life to see for themselves.
Works Cited:
- 2026. Encyclopediaofbuddhism.Org. 2026. https://www.encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Buddhist_cosmology.
- National Museum of Bhutan – Paro. n.d. Indigenous Facts of Bhutan. 2nd Edition. Thimphu, Bhutan: Yoez Graphics.
- Phuntsho, Karma. The History of Bhutan / Karma Phuntsho. London: Haus Publishing, 2013.
- Vose, Kevin. Zhabdrung and Models of Religious Leadership. Lecture, RELG367, College of William & Mary and Trongsa College of Heritage and Contemporary Studies. August 3rd, 2026.
- “Who Is Tara in Buddhism? The Female Buddha.” 2024. Bstcthanka.Com. 2024. https://bstcthanka.com/blogs/tara/tara-in-buddhism.
A special thank you to Singye Wangchuck for his assistance in my research at Punakha Dzong and for all his guidance across our journey in Bhutan.