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Lhakhang
(temple)
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Community
lhakhang (temple) |
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It
is a norm in many parts of rural Bhutan for village households to take
turns to look after the community lhakhang (temple) by serving as the koenyer
(caretaker).
This
means making daily offerings of water and butter lamps, conducting ritual
ceremonies and looking after the lhakhang's antiques, sacred texts and
monuments. |
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This
system of households serving as koenyers is also followed in Ngala and
Goshing gewogs of Zhemgang dzongkhag. The only difference is that the term
of the koenyer is for a minimum of three years and three households together
take on the responsibility of looking after the community's place of worship.
Ngada,
49, is one of three caretakers of Ngala Trong Lhakhang. His home is a two-day
walk from the community lhakhang. He completes his term at the end of the
tenth month by Bhutanese calendar. "When I get back, I'll need to construct
a new house again," he said. "My old one may be in ruins because I've been
away for so long."
The
caretakers of the Goshing Trong Lhakhang are known as Khrep Dashog, Khrep
Burma and Khrep Chungwa and the caretakers of the Ngala Trong Lhakhang
are known as Lamarpa, Brala and Bjyarpa.
Besides
fulfilling their general duties, caretakers also attend to guests visiting
the village and are allowed to cultivate the three-acre land belonging
to the lhakhang.
However,
some people in the two gewogs said that the term to serve as koenyer was
way too long. It affected their houses, that land became uncultivable and
their children's education was affected.
Zhemgang
dzongda Kunzang N Tshering said that it was the choice of the people of
lower Kheng to either preserve their tradition or do away with it by replacing
it with a permanent koenyer.
The
cultural property record shows that there are 849 community lhakhangs in
the country.
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This
article was contributed by Tashi Dema KUENSEL, Bhutan's National
Newspaper, 2007 |
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