A community Lhakhang plays a crucial role in the lives of devotees who follow Buddhism. It offers a place to worship and conduct rituals and religious activities. Residents of Doonglagang Gewog in Tsirang have been waiting for the reconstruction of the gewog Lhakhang for years. And their wait is finally over with the reconstruction of a single-storey Lhakhang expected to be complete towards the end of this year.
The Lhakhang is being built in the same place as the old Lhakhang. As of now, over 60 per cent of the work is complete. The old Lhakhang was damaged by the 2011 earthquake.
“When we first resettled here, there wasn’t any Lhakhang in the gewog. Later, we got a new Lhakhang and gewog Lam. We are grateful for it because it is difficult for us to conduct funerals. Some of us don’t own a spacious house,” said Jamtsho, a resident.
“Until the Lhakhang reconstruction is over, it is difficult for us to conduct rituals for the living and the deceased. But once complete, the Lhakhang will benefit us immensely in conducting any kind of religious activities,” said Tshering, another resident.
With the Lhakhang reconstruction complete, all 12 gewogs in the district will have a Lhakhang with a Lam each.
“Firstly, the old Lhakhang was damaged by the earthquake and secondly the previous lhakhang’s design was not suitable for conducting religious activities. Also, it wasn’t convenient for devotees because respective chiwogs take turns to conduct rituals at the Lhakhang on the auspicious days,” said Gewog Lam, Gyembo Dorji.
The gewog administration is spending about Nu 12 M for the Lhakhang reconstruction project.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Sonam Pem
