His Holiness the Je Khenpo consecrated a tshokhang or a multipurpose hall at Serlung Pasakha Pekarchholing Buddhist Institute in Paro’s Dogar Gewog today. The four-storey tshokhang was constructed at a cost of over Nu 160 M. The money was contributed by the Zhung Dratshang’s Tshogi Lopon Sangay Khandu and Khenpo Karma Lotay.
“The old tshokhang could accommodate only about 60 of us and now that we have over 200 monks, a tshokhang has become more than required,” said Khenpo Tashi Dorji, the principal of the Serlung Pasakha Pekarchholing Buddhist Institute.
Meanwhile, hostels for monks around the tshokhang are under construction.
“The ground floor houses the Due-Sum-Sangay and the main statue is the lord Buddha, an exact replica of the Buddha statue in Bodh Gaya. The first floor has a library, study room and offices, the second floor has rooms for teachers and senior monks which can accommodate almost 80 monks. The third floor is a Dolma altar.”
The 14th-century monastery was handed over to the Zhung Dratshang by the public in 2005. There are 250 monks including teachers at the institute.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro.
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
