Right at the heart of a village in Trashigang’s Kanglung Gewog sits a sacred lake deeply revered by locals. They believe worshipping the lake brings them timely rainfall and a bountiful harvest. But today, the lake is drying up. Worried about losing its spiritual and religious significance, locals have started reviving it with support from the gewog administration.
The lake is located in Thragom village.
Although there is no written record documenting the lake’s history, village elders say Cheje Lama Sangdag, the youngest son of Terton Pema Lingpa and the founder of Yonphu Lhakhang, discovered a sacred statue from the lake, which is now housed as the main relic of the Lhakhang.
“The lama noticed a shining object in the lake while he was in the Yonphu area. He travelled down to the lake to discover a statue of Trulku Garab Dorji. He then retrieved the statue and placed it in the present Yonphu Lhakhang. That is why the lake is also known as Tertsho,” said Ugyen Dorji, a resident of Kanglung.
Thragom Tshogpa Samdrup said, “When we were young, our elders used to gather near this lake and perform dances to bring rainfall, and we used to get rainfall right in time for farming, and we also made offerings to ensure a good harvest. In the past, during the monsoon, the lake even overflowed, but it gradually dried up, and the water level declined significantly over the years.”
But today, the lake is almost disappearing. Encroachment from the nearby farms and a lack of maintenance have left the waters dry.
To restore and protect the lake, Kanglung Gewog initially constructed a concrete retaining wall and fencing around the site, investing around Nu 600,000.
This time, locals came together to clear the overgrown vegetation and beautify the surroundings.
A Luubum, smoke offering ceremony, and other religious rituals were also performed to sanctify the lake.
The project goes beyond restoration as villagers share plans to build stupas around the lake in the future and pass its rich cultural legacy down to the younger generation.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
Edited by Phub Gyem
