Some good news for pilgrims visiting the Passa Tumdra Ami Ney in Chhukha. The sacred site, increasingly popular among both Bhutanese and Indian pilgrims, is set to become more accessible. Construction has begun on the long-awaited road to the sacred site.
An inauguration ceremony was held yesterday in Darla Gewog to mark the start of the 11 km road project.
The road will connect Kharpani, near Kalzangri to the sacred site.
Currently, pilgrims must walk four hours to reach Tumdra Ami Ney or travel via India—a route often inaccessible during the monsoon.
The commencement of the road construction project comes as a relief for all the devotees and Lam Jigme Dorji who has served at the site for over a decade.
The road construction is also expected to revive Shachaphu village, located near the sacred site. Decades ago, residents abandoned the village due to a lack of basic facilities, including a road.
Darla Gup Rinchen Dorji said, “People left the village some 40 years ago because the place did not have basic facilities such as road and water supply. They have settled in Sinchula and other places. So now, we want to bring them back to their ancient village and for this, road accessibility is a must.”
More than 30 individuals still own land at Shachaphu. According to the gup, these people have agreed to move back to the village once it is connected to a road network.
However, funding remains a challenge for now. The Gewog Administration and Phuentshogling Dungkhag Administration are exploring ways to secure the required budget to complete the project.
If successful, the road will not only make the sacred site easily accessible for devotees but also breathe a new life into the abandoned Shachaphu village.
Kinley Dem, Chhukha
Edited by Phub Gyem
