Kurjey Lhakhang: A Spiritual Haven in the Heart of Bumthang
Discover the spiritual essence of Bhutan at Kurjey Lhakhang, a stunning Buddhist temple complex in Bumthang Valley.
Kurjey Lhakhang, a significant Buddhist temple complex located in the scenic Bumthang Valley, is a profound spiritual site that attracts visitors from around the globe. The temple is not only an architectural marvel but also a vibrant center of Buddhist culture and practices. Constructed in the 17th century, Kurjey Lhakhang is home to three temples, each with its own unique charm and historical significance. The main temple houses a stone that bears the imprint of Guru Rinpoche, a revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism, who is said to have meditated here in the 8th century. Visitors often find themselves captivated by the serene ambiance and the stunning views of the surrounding valleys that enhance the spiritual experience. As you wander through the temple grounds, you will be greeted by the vibrant colors of traditional Bhutanese architecture, intricate carvings, and sacred murals that depict various Buddhist teachings. The site is particularly popular for its peaceful surroundings, making it an ideal place for meditation and reflection. The temple complex is surrounded by lush landscapes, providing ample opportunities for photography and exploration. Many visitors recommend taking the time to hike the nearby trails, offering breathtaking vistas of the valleys and the mighty Himalayas in the distance. The temple is open every day from 8 AM to 5 PM, making it accessible for both early risers and those who prefer to visit later in the day. For those interested in learning more about the local culture and spirituality, guided tours are often available, providing insights into the rich history and significance of this sacred site. Whether you are a spiritual seeker or a cultural enthusiast, Kurjey Lhakhang promises an enriching experience that will leave a lasting impression during your travels in Bhutan.
Local tips
- Visit early in the morning for a quieter experience and better photo opportunities.
- Remember to dress modestly as this is an important religious site.
- Take time to explore the surrounding nature trails for breathtaking views.
- Consider hiring a local guide to learn about the temple's history and significance.
A brief summary to Kurjey Lhakhang སྐུ་རྗེས་ལྷ་ཁང་།
- HPPJ+R4R, Jakar, BT
- Monday 8 am-5 pm
- Tuesday 8 am-5 pm
- Wednesday 8 am-5 pm
- Thursday 8 am-5 pm
- Friday 8 am-5 pm
- Saturday 8 am-5 pm
- Sunday 8 am-5 pm
Getting There
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Car
If you are traveling by car, start from the town center of Mongar. Head south on the main road towards Jakar, which is approximately 80 kilometers away. The drive will take about 2 to 3 hours, depending on road conditions. Follow the signs and keep an eye out for local landmarks. Once you reach Jakar, look for the directions to Kurjey Lhakhang, which is located just outside of the town on the eastern side. The temple is marked on Google Maps as HPPJ+R4R, Jakar. There is ample parking available near the temple.
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Public Transportation
To reach Kurjey Lhakhang by public transport, you can take a bus from Mongar to Jakar. Buses leave from the Mongar bus station regularly throughout the day. The journey to Jakar will take approximately 3 to 4 hours. Once you arrive at the Jakar bus station, you can either walk or hire a local taxi to take you to Kurjey Lhakhang. It's about a 15-minute drive from the bus station to the temple. Make sure to confirm the taxi fare before starting your journey.
Attractions Nearby to Kurjey Lhakhang སྐུ་རྗེས་ལྷ་ཁང་།
- Kurjee Zangdopelri
- Tamshing Lhakhang གཏམ་ཞིང་ལྷ་ཁང་།
- Könchogsum Lhakhang དཀོན་མཆོག་གསུམ་ལྷ་ཁང་།
- Jamphel Lhakhang བྱམས་་པ་ལྷ་ཁང་།
- Airport Viewpoint A
- Airport viewpoint B
- Thangbi Lhakhang ཐངས་བི་ལྷ་ཁང་།
- Chokhor Chorten
- Bumthang Brewery Red Panda Beer
- Bumthang Valley
- Jakar Dzong བྱ་དཀར་རྫོང་།
- Padtselling Monastery
- Jakar Nagtshang
- Jakar Lhakhang
- Chamkhar Bridge ལྕམ་མཁར་ཟམ་པ།
Landmarks nearby to Kurjey Lhakhang སྐུ་རྗེས་ལྷ་ཁང་།
- Do Zam
- Six Senses Bumthang
- Rinchenling Lodge རིན་ཆེན་གླིང་སྐྱིད་གནས།
- Valley Cafe
- Bumthang Domestic Airport བུམ་ཐང་ནང་འཁོད་གནམ་གྲུ་ཐང་།
- Wangdicholing mortuary
- Hotel Ugyen Ling ཨོ་རྒྱན་གླིང་ཟ་ཁང་།
- Amankora, Bumthang
- Mountain Resort
- Bumthang Swiss Cheese
- Swiss Guest House Bumthang, Kharsumphe
- Chudzong
- Phuntsho Guest House
- Jakar Village Lodge