In the 8th century CE Guru Padmasambhava travelled to Bumthang on the invitation of King Sindhu Raja. While the entire route has not been traced on the ground, from the various hagiographic accounts of Guru meeting the forest dwellers and hunters, the valleys of Athang and Rukha present as good candidates where Guru travelled through.

According to Gangtey Rimpoche, the valley has sacred sites blessed by Guru, which attracted high lamas and meditators such as Lhalung Sungtrel Rimpoche as well as Thuksey Trulkus since medieval times. The valley has been referred from those days as Rukha Lingsum and hosts the Lho Tsendengang and the abode of Palden Lhamo.

It is, therefore, appropriate and auspicious to dedicate a temple to the mahaguru Padmasambhava, whose blessed the valley and the country and to whom the Bhutanese owe a lot for the spiritual gift. A temple was built in 2021 to honour the most important teacher in Vajrayana Buddhism.

The 5-feet Guru statue, made of bronze, was sourced from New Delhi and painted and stuffed with sacred scriptures and other divine objects in Paro. The work took one whole year because of the last lockdown and my own out-country travels.

However, all is well now. The main statue of Guru Nangsi Zillnon has been delivered. The plan is to do a complete set of Guru Tshengye (eight manifestations of Guru).

(The 8 manifestations are: Guru Tsokyé Dorje, Guru Shakya Sengé, Guru Nyima Özer, Guru Padmasambhava, Guru Loden Choksé, Guru Pema Gyalpo, Guru Sengé Dradrok, Guru Dorje Drolö. Anyone interested to any of the 8 gurus may contact me directly.)