The much revered Kurje Drupchhu (sacred water) in Bumthang is not only a source of blessing for the people of Bumthang but also for people all across the country.
People from every nook and corner of the country visit the holy site to fetch the sacred water due to its famed healing powers. Every day, visitors come in droves to fetch holy water at Kurje. For someone like Dema Tshering, who travelled all the way from Wangdue Phodrang, immersing his body in the sacred water gives him immense pleasure and helps relieve body aches.
“My legs are aching and I have difficulty in walking. I have heard so many stories about how holy Kurje Drupchhu is, so I came here and prayed to Guru Rinpoche for legs to get rid of all defilements and get his blessings,” added Dema.
Locals there also said, the holy water cures all kinds of diseases. “So lots of people come here to fetch the water. I always fill my jerkins with the Drupchhu to offer water in my altar ever morning, and my family uses it for drinking and cooking purposes,” said one of the residents in Jalikhar, Chimmi.
Trongsa Rabdey monks too visit Kurje once every two weeks to take the sacred water. “We take drupchhu from here to Trongsa to offer it in the dzong,” said Kuenga Dhendup, Kudrung of Jakar Rabdey.
Meanwhile, the nearby water bottling plant by the brand name ‘Kurje Drupchhu’ is also doing brisk business since its establishment in 2009. The plant bottles the water directly from Kurje Drupchhu source through sedimentation and filtration process.
“Let alone the demand from our domestic market, there is a huge demand from foreign countries for our product. The only problem is that the source is small for big market,” told the Proprietor of Kurje Drupchhu, Jigme Tobgay to BBS News.
He also said: “Taiwanese have great reverence for the holy water and there is lots of demand from them. Koreans have also place orders for the bottled holy water but we cannot meet the demand.”
The sacred water bottling plant plans to supply the bottled water to India starting this year as the demand for the product is increasing every year.
Historical significance of Kurje Drupchhu
The history of the sacred water dates back more than a millennium ago when Guru Rinpoche visited Bhutan in the 8th century. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche created the Drupchhu to cure the ailing Sindhu Raja, who invited him to Bhutan. Sindhu Raja, who was then ruling the valley was possessed by a local deity called Shelging Karpo. The king’s daughter, Monmo Tashi Kheudon first offered the water to the king who was then relieved of his illness.
