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Bhutan's Culture - Dzongs |
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Bhutan Information |
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Punakha
Dzong and Monastery
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Punakha
Dzong's time line |
The
construction of the Punakha Dzong greatly contributed to the revival
of the 13 traditional arts of the zorig chusum. Artisans from all
parts of the country were called on to hone their skills and a new generation
of Bhutanese craftsmen was trained in the traditional skills and arts of
the zorig chusum, under the supervision of the best craftsmen in the country. |
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Among
the most important sections of the dzong that were completely reconstructed
were the Machen Lhakhang where the sacred relics of Zhabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal rest in thudam (permanent retreat), the Kuenrey (congregation hall), the Tsen Chhorten which houses the eight sandalwood
chhortens, the Je Zimchung, and monks' living areas. Major restoration
work was done on the Utse (central tower), the Kuenreys of the
Drabi and Tshennyi divisions of the central monk body.
The entire environment
around the dzong was given a facelift and the banks of the rivers secured
against major floods in future.
The
three-storey Machen Lhakhang was built out of cyprus wood with four
entrance pillars intricately embossed with religious symbols in gold and
silver. The inside of the lhakhang has been decorated with intrinsic
and rich murals and frescos depicting the teachings of Lord Buddha.
The images of seven incarnations of the Zhabdrung were also installed
in the lhakhang. An ornate 15-foot Kudung Chhorten was installed,
made of sandalwood and encased in silver and gold and adorned with jewels
like corals, pearls, turquoise, and other precious stones. It was constructed
by 20 craftsmen over four years.
The
Kuenrey, which was on the verge of collapse, was reconstructed on a
grand scale. This great hall now features 12 30-foot cyprus pillars adorned
in gilded brass plates embossed with elaborate religious sculpture.
In
the Kuenrey sits the main 35-foot image of Buddha Shakyamuni,
crafted out of a mixture of five menjim (precious substances) and
medicinal clay.
The back wall carries images of the 16 arhats. The Buddha is flanked, on the right, by a 28-foot image of Guru Padmasambhava and, on his left, by a 28-foot image of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal.
Along the left wall of the Kuenrey sit 48 three-foot images of the spiritual
masters of the kagyu lineage. On the right side are 48 three-foot
images of dongyu zinpa (lineage holders).
| Punakha
Dzong |
| Time
and natural elements as well as human weaknesses had thus taken their toll
on this proud edifice. By the late 1980s
many lhakhangs were on the verge of collapse because the wooden structures
of the dzong had decayed. Precious images and manuscripts had been damaged
and destroyed with losses estimated at millions of Ngultrums.
It
was then that His Majesty the King commanded the reconstruction of the
dzong. Under His Majesty's personal supervision, Bhutan's centuries-old
building and artistic traditions came together and, over the past 12 years, |
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thousands
of carpenters and wood sculptors, metal and clay sculptors, masons, painters,
fresco experts, electricians, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, silversmiths, tailors,
and monk artisans re-lived history as they worked on the Punakha Dzong
Renovation Project.
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