Monks at the Ugyen Choeling Goenzin Dratshang and residents of Pungtenchhu Gewog in Tsirang will soon have a new temple. Their only existing temple was found unsafe for use, prompting the need for a new one. To begin the project, a groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday. If all goes as planned, the new lhakhang is expected to be completed within the next two to three years.
The two-storey temple will be constructed on the same site as the previous one.
A committee led by the Tsirang Lam Neten, along with representatives from Ugyen Choeling Goenzin Dratshang and Tsirang Rabdhey, will oversee the construction.
The new lhakhang will be equipped with modern facilities. The main temple will be on the upper floor, while the ground floor will have offices, guestrooms, a dining hall, and toilet facilities, among others.
The old temple, which served both the gewog and the dratshang since 2014, developed huge cracks and had limited space, raising safety concerns for monks and devotees.
“After the establishment of the Ugyen Choeling Goenzin Dratshang, the monk enrolment has increased over the years. The old temple could accommodate only about ten monks and left little space for visitors. Because of that, organising religious events in the old temple was very difficult,” said Kuenzang Wangchuk, Principal, Ugyen Choeling Goenzin Dratshang, Pungtenchhu Gewog, Tsirang.
The Central Monastic Body will construct the new lhakhang at an estimated cost of Nu 37 M. For the first phase, an initial budget of Nu 0.7 M has been approved. The Pungtenchhu Gewog Administration has also committed to support the project, as the new temple will benefit both monks and the local community.
“The Dratshang Lhentshog is funding the new lhakhang construction. If any support is required from the gewog administration, we are fully prepared to assist the project,” said Shiva Lal Karaiya, Pungtenchhu Gup, Tsirang.
“We need a new lhakhang because we don’t have lay monks in our community to perform rituals for the living and the deceased. We depend entirely on the temple. When we invite monks, they have to bring all the ritual items, as most households do not have them,” said Sonam Yuden, Resident, Pungtenchhu Gewog, Tsirang.
“We were left without a proper temple because the previous structure was poorly built. Thankfully, with the support of the current principal, construction of a new one has now begun. We are very happy,” said Norbu Samdrup, Resident, Pungtenchhu Gewog, Tsirang.
The Ugyen Choeling Goenzin Dratshang currently has more than 30 monks, led by a principal, a lam and two teachers.
Once completed, the new lhakhang will not only serve the dratshang but also hundreds of Pungtenchhu Gewog and other areas.