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Bhutan's Culture |
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Bhutan Information |
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The
gold butter lamp (kom)
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The gold butter lamp (kom)
| On
May 7 2006, coinciding with Zhabdrung Kuchoe, Aum Tshering from Shengana,
Punakha, wanted to light a butter lamp with fresh butter churned at her
home.
She
came to Semtokha dzong in Thimphu and asked for a butter lamp (karme
kom) made of gold to make her offering on the sacred day.
Except
for a few karme koms made of silver there was not a single karme kom made
of gold in the oldest dzong built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1627.
Without
a second thought Aum Tshering donated her gold ring weighing about six
grammes and requested the nyip (store master) of the dzong to get
more donations and make a gold karme kom. |
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Six
months later, On November 20, 2006, Aum Tshering's wish was fulfilled
when a gold karme kom made from 54.5 tolas (about 600 grammes) was handed
over to the dzong.
"I
was touched by the generosity of the woman," recalls the nyip, Lopon Kuenzang.
"I wanted to fulfill her request and started looking for donors right away."
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| Semtokha Monastery
People
near and far heard about the initiative and started contributing. "In less
than six months we collected enough to make the karme kom," Lopon Kuenzang
said. Another set of offering cups (Serkem Phuechu) made from 15.6 tolas
(171 grammes) was also made. Lopon Kuenzang said that after he collected
about 88 grammes in the first two months he was worried that there may
not be enough contributions. "But all of a sudden people came forward with
gold chains, rings, earrings and cash," he said. "I was delighted." |
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A
retired dzongda donated 13.5 tolas of gold, the highest among the donors,
according to the Lopon. "People came to contribute even after the karme
kom was offered to the dzong," he said.
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Sertog
| A
village elder from Toebtsi contributed Nu.5,000 to be paid as charges for
making the kom.
The
gold karme koms and the Serkem Phuechu were handed over to the dzong on
November 20, when the Sertog (golden pinnacle) of the Semtokha dzong was installed and consecrated.
Aum
Tshering could not attend the ceremony. |
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Meanwhile,
dzong renovation project officials said that about 60 percent of the renovation
works were completed and the remaining would be completed by the end of
December 2007.
| This
article was contributed by Ugyen Penjore, KUENSEL, Bhutan's National Newspaper,
2006 |
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| Information on Bhutan |
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Punakha
dzong
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