The wait was long but the people of Dorona Gewog in Dagana finally have a new Lhakhang. Following repeated requests from the villagers, the gewog administration started constructing the Lhakhang in 2016.
The Lhakhang was consecrated recently. The need for the lhakhang became crucial after people from other districts started resettling in the gewog in 2000. The gewog administration constructed the Lhakhang at a cost of more than Nu 6 M.
Yeshi Wangchuk, a resident of the gewog said he can now conduct religious rituals regularly. “Earlier, in absence of a Buddhist lhakhang, it was very difficult for us to get a place to conduct religious activities. And getting a monk was even more difficult in the gewog.”
Leki Dorji, another resident said they have requested the gewog administration time and again to include construction of a lhakhang in the plan. “We need at least a place to offer butter lamps and circumambulate on auspicious occasions. We are grateful to His Majesty The King and the Je Khenpo for the lhakhang.”
The Dagana Rabdhey appointed a gewog Lam in 2018 to lead religious and spiritual initiatives in the gewog.
“Earlier, without even a single lhakhang, the gewog experienced unusual natural disasters caused by windstorm and rain. There were even reports of the gewog office being blown away by windstorm. But after the gewog started constructing the lhakhang and with the arrival of the gewog lam, there were no reports of severe natural disasters,” said Dorona Gup Suk Raj Rai.
“When I first reached the gewog in 2018, there was no one to conduct any ritual except an elderly man. Except three statues and wall paintings, most works of the lhakhang were also incomplete. After reaching here, we bought stuffs worth over one million ngultrum for the lhakhang and constructed a kitchen and a dining place for public,” said Dorona Gewog Lam Dawa.
Dorona is one of the most remote gewogs in Dagana. It is over 80 kilometres away from Dagana Dzongkhag Administration.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
Edited by Phub Gyem
