(Haa, one of the most beautiful valleys in Bhutan, was only opened to tourists as late as 2001. The sacred worth of the valley is complemented by the two sacred temples – Lhakhang Karpo and the Lhakhang Nagpo. The local guardian deity, popularly referred to as Ap Tshungdu, is worshipped as the guardian of the people of Haa. The residents propitiate the local deity every year for protection, good health and success. It is believed that Haa has been blessed by the three Bodhisattvas – Manjushree, Avalokiteshvara, and Vajrapani as represented by the three sister hills known as ‘Meri Puensum’ and are believed to be the embodiment of Chana Dorji (representative of energy), Jampelyang (representative of wisdom) and Chenrezig (representative of Compassion).)
It is said that during the 7th century when Tibetan King Songtsen Gyembo was building the Samye Monastery in Tibet, evil forces never let the king complete the construction. Despite their best efforts, whatever they managed to accomplished during the day would be reduced to rubbles by night. One night, Guru Rinpoche appeared in Songtsen Gyapmo’s dream and prophesied that he must build 108 Lhakhangs in one day to avert the demonic forces at the Samye construction site. Following the prophecy, King Songtsen Gayembo built 108 Lhakhangs, of which four were built in Bhutan – Kichu Lhakhang in Paro, Jampa Lhakhang in Bumthang and Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo in Haa. But no literature is available that suggests the years in which the Lhakhangs were built. Nor is there any evidence of how and by whom the Lhakhangs were built. Only oral accounts remain.
It is believed that a white and a black pigeon flew from the north of the country towards Haa and landed at the place where the two Lhakhangs stand today. The pigeons signified the imminent construction of two sacred and religious sites in Bhutan. According to the prophecy in his dream, the king built the Lhakhangs in Tibet and in Bhutan for which he disguised himself as two pigeons using his supernatural power.
Another account has it that the Lhakhangs were built by people who appeared suddenly from Miri Puensum. Those people are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig).
Although the two Lhakhangs are owned by the state, the community of Haa has been taking care of them for ages. This has, in fact, helped in keeping the sanctity of the Lhakhangs intact, even in this era of modernization. The Haaps believe that they feel cleansed and blessed after visiting the Lhakhangs. So, they hold the Lhakhangs in high respect. The Lhakhangs have served as a place of faith and spiritual solace, especially for the Haaps.
Its aura and sacredness have attracted people from not just the far-flung places of Bhutan but also from outside the country. Hundreds of tourists frequent the place every year, driven by wish to treat themselves to the spiritual opulence of the Lakhangs. What is more attractive to the outsiders is the esoteric history of the Lhakhangs.
ORIGIN OF THE NAMES ‘KARPO’ AND ‘NAGPO’
The Lhakhangs are believed to have been built by miraculous powers without the involvement of human labour. This is testified by the irregular structures of the Lhakhangs. At a glance, one can see that the structures are built without any architectural design. It is built with stones that are haphazardly arranged. Just as their existence, the names and the colours are mythical. No source of any kind can be found on how and why the Lhakhangs were named Karpo and Nagpo or how the colours for them were chosen.
According to some locals, the two Lhakhangs have never been refurbished since they were first built. The names of the Lhakhangs could have been drawn from the colour of the paints or the colour of the pigeons that landed at the site. The black and white colours are still vivid today. It is the essence of spirituality that upholds the originality of the Lhakhangs.
According to another account, light rays emanated from the heart (Nying) of Songsen Gampo when Guru Rinpoche prophesied the construction of the Lhakhangs. Lhakhang Karpo was built where the white rays settled and Lhakhang Nagpo on the place where the black rays descended.
Earlier the Lhakhang was surrounded by buildings that housed the monastic body of Haa District with about 130 monks. But today the dratshang is undergoing extensive renovation works, which are all but completed.
Just as the Lhakhang was built by miraculous powers, myth has it that the main Nangten (the treasures – kuten, sung ten, thukten) the statues, paintings, scrolls and religious texts contained inside the Lhakhang are also said to be extraordinarily built. The main Nangten of Lhakhang Karpo is a large statue of Sangye Tsepamed placed at the centre of the shrine. Myths have it that while the statue was under construction, the head of the statue got damaged each time it was sculpted. One day, a man carrying a bamboo basket came to sell statue heads. A head from the basket perfectly fitted the headless statue of Tsepamed. Immediately after the head was fitted, the mysterious man disappeared. The man is believed to be Ap Chungdu, the local guardian deity of Haa. Today we see that the head of Tsepamed is slightly bigger and disproportionate to the body.
Another important Nangten of Lhakhang Karpo is the statue of Ap Chungdu. There are four statues of Ap Chungdu, each one standing in a position that looks fierce and protective. The deity is invoked during times of war, disasters or in times of any other chaotic situations that needs appeasement as the deity is known for its protective nature.
Lhakhang Nagpo is situated a kilometre away from Lhakhang Karpo. It is built amid tranquil woods. The sight of the Lhakhang itself is soothing to the mind and the eyes. No sound of any kind could be heard except for the chirping of the birds from the woods. This serenity has helped in upholding the originality and sanctity of the Lhakhang. No disaster or hostility of any kind has ever been confronted the Lhakhang. For that reason, the Lhakhang has never been renovated on any scale. The outer structure, the inner walls or the surroundings have remained the same since it was built.
The Lhakhang was amazingly built on a lake, a small part of which is still visible inside it. The Lu (naga) is believed to be protecting the Lhakhang from sinking into the lake.
The main Nangten of Lhakhang Nagpo is also believed to have been miraculously created. The one-storey high statue of Shakyamuni is the main Nangten. When a plague epidemic spread all over Bhutan in early 1980s and when people died in huge numbers, the Haaps survived the epidemic as the Jowo took on himself the disease and saved the people.
This is believed to have left marks on the abdomen of the Jowo which is still visible today. This is one reason why the Haaps still worship the Jowo with unshaken faith. It is also said that the Jowo is similar to that of the Lhasa Jowo Muni which is considered as one of the most sacred statues by all Buddhists. Similar sacred statues of Jowo can be found at Kichu Lhakhang in Paro and Jampa Lhakhang in Bumthang that were built among the 108 Lhakhangs by Gyalpo Songsen Gampo.)