Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) has been organising week-long familiarisation tour to Aja Ney in Monggar and some other sacred sites in Lhuentse Dzongkhag.
The purpose is to familiarise tour operators and guides about these pilgrimage destinations and promote domestic tourism. Aja Ney, one of the most religious sites in the country is located about six hours walk from the nearest road point of Shermuhoong Gewog in Monggar. TCB officials, tour operators and guides will also visit Takila, Dungkar Nagtshang and Khoma Gewog in Lhuentse. The week-long tour started from 22 January and ends next week.
“When tour guides and operators know about these beautiful pilgrimage destinations, they can easily encourage local people and tourists to have a must visit there,” said Damcho Rinzin, the Media Spokesperson of TCB.
Some tour operators and tourist guides said, facilities such as stable power supply, reliable mobile network, proper restrooms and good road conditions must be in place to promote tourism in these holy places. “Especially in Aja Ney, there is no mobile network coverage nor guest houses and trash bins. These certain facilities must be in place to attract visitors,” said one of the tour operators, Kesang Jamtsho.
However, Shermuhoong Gup Ugyen said, the proposal for the need of having mobile network services in Aja Ney was discussed during the recent Dzongkhag Tshogdu meeting. He added, Bhutan Telecom Office in Monggar has been approached to look into the matter.
Shermuhoong Gup also said if there is a probability of road expansion and maintenance from gewog centre till Yarab Chiwog, then it would ease the traveling woes of visitors. “If government approves road widening, all tourist buses can travel until the last road point and it will attract domestic as well as international tourists.”
That aside, Gup Ugyen said, Bhutan Power Corporation has done the survey and electrification works in Aja Ney might began soon.
The entire pilgrimage to Aja Ney would take a week to complete. The spiritual place holds a host of religious sites and symbols including Guru Rinpoche’s Zhab (foot) and body prints, Khando Dowa Zangmo’s footprint, 108 retreat caves of Guru Rinpoche and the footprint of Lam Karma Jamyang who discovered the hidden sacred site among others. Locals say it is believed that hundred numbers of Dzongkha alphabet ‘A’ is found written on the sacred cave. So the name ‘Aja’ has been widespread due to that reason.
