Kurjey Lhakhang: A Sacred Sanctuary in Bhutan
Discover the spiritual heart of Bhutan at Kurjey Lhakhang, a breathtaking temple complex steeped in history and tranquility.
Kurjey Lhakhang is a sacred Buddhist temple complex located in the enchanting Bumthang Valley, known for its unique architectural beauty and spiritual significance. Established in the 17th century, this revered site honors Guru Rinpoche, who is credited with introducing Buddhism to Bhutan. The temple complex comprises three main temples, with the oldest housing the body imprint of the Guru. Visitors will be captivated by the intricate woodwork, vibrant murals, and the tranquil atmosphere that permeates the grounds. As you explore Kurjey Lhakhang, take a moment to wander around the beautiful surrounding gardens and the sacred burial grounds of Bhutanese kings. The peaceful ambiance invites reflection and spiritual connection, making it an ideal spot for meditation and quiet contemplation. The site is also known for its annual festivals, where vibrant traditional dances and rituals showcase the rich cultural tapestry of Bhutanese heritage. For those seeking a deeper understanding of Bhutan's history and religion, Kurjey Lhakhang serves as an essential stop on your journey. The temple complex is easily accessible from Jakar and offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a spiritual seeker, or simply a traveler looking to immerse yourself in the beauty of Bhutan, Kurjey Lhakhang promises an unforgettable experience steeped in culture and tranquility.
Local tips
- Visit early in the morning to enjoy the tranquility and stunning sunrise views.
- Dress respectfully, as this is a sacred site; traditional attire is encouraged.
- Take time to explore the surrounding area, including the sacred burial grounds.
- Don't miss the opportunity to witness local festivals if visiting during the season.
- Engage with local monks to gain insights into 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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Walking
Start at the Mongar Dzong, the central landmark in Mongar. From the Dzong, head east on the main road. You will pass a few small shops and local cafes. Continue walking for about 15-20 minutes until you reach the junction at the entrance of the town. Here, look for signs pointing towards Jakar. Take the road leading to Jakar, which is a gradual uphill trek. Follow this road for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. As you walk, enjoy the beautiful scenery of the surrounding hills and valleys. After reaching a small village, you will notice the signs indicating that Kurjey Lhakhang is nearby. Walk for another 10-15 minutes, and you will arrive at Kurjey Lhakhang, located at HPPJ+R4R, Jakar.
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Bicycle
Rent a bicycle from one of the rental shops in Mongar. Starting from Mongar Dzong, ride east on the main road. You will pass through a few local neighborhoods and shops. Continue on this road for about 30-40 minutes, enjoying the fresh air and scenic views. Keep an eye out for the signs directing you towards Jakar. When you reach the junction leading to Jakar, take that road and keep cycling uphill for another 30-40 minutes. You will pass through a small village, and after 10-15 more minutes of cycling, you will see Kurjey Lhakhang on your right at HPPJ+R4R, Jakar.
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Hiking
If you are up for a hike, begin your journey at Mongar Dzong. Take the path heading east through the town and follow the main road. After about 20 minutes, you will see a trail leading off the main road towards the hills. This trail will take you through some beautiful forested areas and local villages. Continue on this trail for about 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on your pace. Look for signs for Kurjey Lhakhang along the way. Eventually, the trail will lead you directly to Kurjey Lhakhang, situated at HPPJ+R4R, Jakar.
Attractions Nearby to Kurjey Lhakhang སྐུ་རྗེས་ལྷ་ཁང་།
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Kurjee Zangdopelri
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Tamshing Lhakhang གཏམ་ཞིང་ལྷ་ཁང་།
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Könchogsum Lhakhang དཀོན་མཆོག་གསུམ་ལྷ་ཁང་།
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Jamphel Lhakhang བྱམས་་པ་ལྷ་ཁང་།
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Airport Viewpoint A
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Airport viewpoint B
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Thangbi Lhakhang ཐངས་བི་ལྷ་ཁང་།
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Chokhor Chorten
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Bumthang Brewery Red Panda Beer
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Bumthang Valley
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Jakar Dzong བྱ་དཀར་རྫོང་།
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Padtselling Monastery
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Jakar Nagtshang
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Jakar Lhakhang
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Chamkhar Bridge ལྕམ་མཁར་ཟམ་པ།
Landmarks nearby to Kurjey Lhakhang སྐུ་རྗེས་ལྷ་ཁང་།
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Do Zam
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Six Senses Bumthang
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Rinchenling Lodge རིན་ཆེན་གླིང་སྐྱིད་གནས།
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Valley Cafe
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Bumthang Domestic Airport བུམ་ཐང་ནང་འཁོད་གནམ་གྲུ་ཐང་།
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Wangdicholing mortuary
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Hotel Ugyen Ling ཨོ་རྒྱན་གླིང་ཟ་ཁང་།
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Amankora, Bumthang
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Mountain Resort
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Bumthang Swiss Cheese
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Swiss Guest House Bumthang, Kharsumphe
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Chudzong
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Phuntsho Guest House
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Jakar Village Lodge