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48-481: Trongsa Dzong, the largest dzong at a striking location, is an important administrative building, providing the headquarters of the government of Trongsa District . Trongsa provides a strategic central location to control Bhutan and for centuries it was the seat of the Wangchuck dynasty of penlops (governors) who effectively ruled over much of eastern and central Bhutan, and from 1907 have been Kings of Bhutan . It

96-565: A "mahapurisa" (great man) who could have chosen to become a wheel turning king, but instead became the spiritual counterpart to such a king, a wheel turning sage, that is, a Buddha . In his explanation of the term "turning the wheel of Dharma", the Theravada exegete Buddhaghosa explains that this "wheel" which the Buddha turned is primarily to be understood as wisdom, knowledge, and insight ( ñāṇa ). This wisdom has two aspects, paṭivedha-ñāṇa,

144-465: A 9 metres (30 ft) high statue of Chenresig. Arriving at the head of the valley, there is an extensive view of the large white Trashi Dzong. From Thimpu, the capital city on the west, the journey is by road, of about 7 hours, passing through mountain ranges on the east and west directions. The road is aligned above the Dzong, passes through a vegetable market and then through a small palace. This palace

192-564: A glorification of the Buddha’s preaching symbolised by the crowning wheel, but also through the cosmological implications of the whole pillar as a symbol of the universal extension of the power of the Buddha’s Law as typified by the sun that dominates all space and all time, and simultaneously an emblem of the universal extension of Mauryan imperialism through the Dharma. The whole structure is then

240-533: A pictorial map of Lhasa are retained. Ta Dzong, the watch tower, that was in the past a stronghold against internal insurgencies, towering over the east side of the dzong, has since been converted into a state-of-the Art Museum (National Museum) with technical and financial support provided by Austria. The tower also houses a chapel dedicated to the Jigme Namgyal who was penlop in the 19th century. It

288-586: A spur, a wild rocky area, above the ravines of the Mangde Chuu valley with the scenic backdrop of the Black Mountains on its southwest. The Dzong is located above the fast flowing Mandge Chu in a unique setting that has been described as "the most spectacularly sited dzong in Bhutan with a sheer drop to the south that often disappears into cloud and mist". Approach to Trongsa, till 1970, was only from

336-472: A translation of age-old Indian and Asiatic cosmology into artistic terms of essentially foreign origin and dedicated, like all Asoka’s monuments, to the glory of Buddhism and the royal house.” According to Harrison, the symbolism of "the wheel of the law" and the order of Nature is also visible in the Tibetan prayer wheels . The moving wheels symbolize the movement of cosmic order ( ṛta ). The dharmachakra

384-463: A village called Yuling and witnessed a light ("from a body of lamps") at the furthest point of the spur. He believed this to be an auspicious sign and erected a temple on the spot, on a mountain spur high above the gorges of the Mangde Chhu, at an altitude of 2,200 metres (7,200 ft). Note: the altitude is given as 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) by Dorje. Another version for building a temple here

432-533: A whole complex, including the Maitreya (Jampa) temple was added to provide for the monks. In 1853, the 10th Penlop of Trongsa, Jigme Namgyal, who was the father of the first king. erected the Demchog (Cakrasamvara) Lhakhang, in the central section of the dzong. Trongsa Dzong was heavily damaged following the 1897 Assam earthquake . It underwent major repair and was restored by both the 1st king, Ugyen Wangchuck and

480-525: A wider collection of "Bumthang languages." Nyenkha, also related to the Bumthang languages, is more divergent while 'Olekha is only distantly related. Trongsa covers a total area of 1807 sq km. It is bordered by Wangdue Phodrang District to the west and Bumthang District to the east. To the south it borders Tsirang , Sarpang , and Zhemgang Districts . Trongsa District is divided into five village blocks (or gewogs ): Most of Trongsa Districts

528-534: Is a major monastery and today houses around 200 monks. They are also affiliated Kurje Monastery in the Choekhor Valley of Bumthang and some of them often spend their summers at Kurje. An important printing house is also located at the dzong, where printing of religious texts is done by traditional woodblock printing . A five-day festival known as the Trongsa tsechu is held in the northern courtyard of

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576-538: Is a symbol in the sramana religion of Budhha Dhamma. Wheel symbolism was also used in Indian temples in places that underwent a religious transformation from Buddhism, such as Jagannath temple, whose deity is believed by some scholars to have a Buddhist origin . It also finds use in other ancient temples of Odisha, the most famous of which is the Konark Sun Temple . The 24 spoke Ashoka dharmachakra

624-480: Is also a major monastic complex, with around 200 monks. During the summer months, the monastic community often relocates to Kurje Monastery in the Bumthang Valley . It contains a notable printing house, responsible for the printing of many religious texts in Bhutan.). It is listed as a tentative site in Bhutan's Tentative List for UNESCO inclusion. The Dzong and the small town surrounding it are situated on

672-536: Is also stated that in the dungeon of the tower two British soldiers were imprisoned during the Duar War . The Ta Dzong tower originally was a highly fortified six-storied tower, with numerous galleries in the thick walls for defense. Further fortifications in the form of three independent towers were added at a higher elevation in close vicinity of the Ta Dzong. Aside from its central administrative offices, Trongsa

720-466: Is also the main attribute of Vishnu . Thus, a wheel symbol might also be associated with light and knowledge. In Buddhism, the Dharma Chakra is widely used to represent the Buddha's Dharma ( Buddha 's teaching and the universal moral order), Gautama Buddha himself and the walking of the path to enlightenment , since the time of Early Buddhism . The symbol is also sometimes connected to

768-546: Is environmentally protected. Wangchuck Centennial Park in the north (the gewog of Nubi ) and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park in central, western, and southern Trongsa (the gewogs of Langthil and Tangsibji ) are connected by biological corridors , all of which are protected areas of Bhutan . Biological corridors also occupy substantial portions of the southeast and northeast, leading to Thrumshingla National Park in neighboring districts. Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park preserves some of Bhutan's wildlife such as

816-611: Is its rim (or felly) because it terminates it. The remaining ten links [of Dependent Origination] are its spokes [i.e. saṅkhāra up to the process of becoming, bhava].” The earliest Indian monument featuring dharmachakras are the Ashokan Pillars , such as the lion pillar at Sanchi, built at the behest of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka . According to Benjamin Rowland: ”The Sārnāth column may be interpreted, therefore, not only as

864-587: Is present in the modern flag of India , representing the pan-Indian concept of Dharma . The modern State Emblem of India is a depiction of the Lion Capital of Ashoka (Sanchi), which includes the dharmachakra. An integral part of the emblem is the motto inscribed in Devanagari script: Satyameva Jayate (English: Truth Alone Triumphs ). This is a quote from the Mundaka Upanishad ,

912-477: Is that Ngagi Wangchuk saw self-manifest hoof prints of a horse that belonged to the Protector deity Palden Lhamo . He then decided to build a small meditation centre, a tshamkhang , at that location. One more version of the legend states that Ngagi Wangchuk after witnessing the lights from lamps, went into a cave nearby for meditation where he found a small spring. He also visioned that the spring had been used by

960-570: Is where the late king Jigme Dorji Wangchuk (the third king of Butan) was born in 1928. Trongsa means "the new village" in Bhutanese, which comprises retreats, temples and hermitages of monks. Its rich history is traced to the founding of a temple in the area by the Drukpa lama, Ngagi Wangchuk , ancestor of Shabdrung Namgyal, who came to this place from Ralung in 1541, and built a small meditation room in 1543. One day he had been meditating nearby in

1008-573: The Arhats and of the Buddha Akshobhya (Mitrugpa). The watchtower of the fortress, named Ta Dzong, towers above the gorge to the east side of the dzong. The watchtower is narrow and has two wings that project in a v-shape from the main part of the building. It also contains a temple, established in 1977 to honour the warrior god, King Gesar . In 2008, a museum was added to this complex, following Austrian donations. The interior decorations in

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1056-522: The Dholavira Signboard . Some historians associate the ancient chakra symbols with solar symbolism . In the Vedas , the god Surya is associated with the solar disc, which is said to be a chariot of one wheel (cakra). Mitra , a form of Surya, is described as "the eye of the world", and thus the sun is conceived of as an eye (cakṣu) which illuminates and perceives the world. Such a wheel

1104-667: The Four Noble Truths , the Noble Eightfold Path and Dependent Origination. The pre-Buddhist dharmachakra ( Pali : dhammacakka ) is considered one of the ashtamangala (auspicious signs) in Hinduism and Buddhism and often used as a symbol of both faiths. It is one of the oldest known Indian symbols found in Indian art , appearing with the first surviving post- Indus Valley Civilisation Indian iconography in

1152-458: The Mahakali (Peldon Lhamo) for sacred ablutions with other dakinis . He then built a small temple, which has now become the main temple Gunkhang . He also developed it into a small village with several houses and the place thus came to be known as drongsar ("new village") and popularly known in the local dialect as 'Trongsa'. He further inferred from the shape of the rocky hill, that it was in

1200-521: The Tantric deities of Yamāntaka , Hevajra , Cakrasaṃvara and Kālacakra . The Maitreya (Jampa) temple was erected in 1771 and today contains a clay statue of the Buddha of the Future, donated by King Ugyen Wangchuck in the early 20th century. The Temple of Chortens is located on the spot where the original 1543 temple had stood. It contains the funerary chorten of Ngagi Wangchuk and has 16 paintings of

1248-432: The thongdrel . A fire blessing in the form of people running through "an archway of blazing straw" is also witnessed. Trongsa District 27°20′N 90°25′E  /  27.333°N 90.417°E  / 27.333; 90.417 Trongsa District ( Dzongkha : ཀྲོང་གསར་རྫོང་ཁག་; Wylie transliteration : Krong-gsar rdzong-khag ) is one of the districts of Bhutan . It is the most central district of Bhutan and

1296-621: The 2nd king, Jigme Wangchuck in 1927, who renovated the Chenrezig Lhakhang in particular. In 1999, funding from Austria led to extensive restoration works and was reconsecrated in October 2004, coinciding with the enthronement of the Crown Prince. The old village of Trongsar is located below, but there is a new village of Trongsar, which has been under construction on the mountainside since 1982. Tibetan immigrants settled in

1344-581: The Himalayan Bear and White Langur. Dharma wheel The dharmachakra ( Sanskrit : धर्मचक्र, Pali : dhammacakka ) or wheel of dharma is a symbol used in the Dharmic religions . It has a widespread use in Buddhism. In Hinduism , the symbol is particularly used in places that underwent religious transformation. The symbol also finds its usage in modern India. Historically,

1392-460: The Mangde Chu valley. The vegetation seen along the route consists of shrubs of edgeworthia (high altitude dwarf bamboo ), which are used for making paper. Fauna encountered on this route are mainly brown monkeys - the rhesus macaques . En route at Tashiling, a new Potala Lhakhang could be seen alongside a wrathful statue of Guru Rinpoche . The Potala Lhakhang was built in 2005 and is housing

1440-693: The building of several other prominent buildings in Bhutan, began constructing a dzong in Trongsa, given its strategical importance. He named it the Chökhor Rabtentse Dzong and it was the seat of power of the Wangchuck dynasty before they became rulers of Bhutan in 1907. The rulers of Trongsa , the penlops of the Wangchuck dynasty, who resided at Trongsa Dzong were very powerful, exerting influence over all of eastern and central Bhutan, controlling east-west trade for centuries. The only road connecting eastern and western Bhutan (the precursor to

1488-618: The dharmachakra was often used as a decoration in East Asian statues and inscriptions , beginning with the earliest period of East Asian culture to the present. It remains a major symbol of the Buddhist religion today. The Sanskrit noun dharma ( धर्म ) is a derivation from the root dhṛ 'to hold, maintain, keep', and means 'what is established or firm'. The word derives from the Vedic Sanskrit n -stem dharman- with

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1536-470: The dharmachakra was often used as a symbol of Gautama Buddha himself. The symbol is often paired with the triratna (triple jewel) or trishula (trident) symbolizing the triple gem , umbrellas ( chatra ), symbols of sovereignty and royal power, gems and garlands. It is also sometimes depicted alongside animals such as lions, or deer. There are different designs of the Buddhist dharmachakra with 8, 12, 24 or more spokes . In different Buddhist traditions,

1584-495: The different number of spokes may represent different aspects of the Buddha's Dharma (teaching). In the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition for example, the 8 spoked wheel represents the noble eightfold path , and the hub, rim and spokes are also said to represent the three trainings ( sila , prajña and samadhi ). In Buddhism, the cyclical movement of a wheel is also used to symbolize the cyclical nature of life in

1632-468: The extreme south, the national language Dzongkha is spoken. Across the mid-south, tiny communities of autochthonous 'Olekha (Black Mountain Monpa) speakers have all but disappeared. Historically, Bumthangkha and its speakers have had close contact with speakers of Kurtöpkha , Mangduepikha and Khengkha , nearby languages of central and eastern Bhutan, to the extent that they may be considered part of

1680-647: The first ruler of Bhutan was the Penlop at Trongsa before he was crowned the King of Bhutan in 1907. However, he retained the position of Penlop as well. In 1652, Minjur Tempa , the then Penlop of Trongsa, had the dzong enlarged. In 1715, the Penlop Druk Dendrup built the Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara) Lhakang and in 1765, Penlop Zhidar established a monastic community of around 50 monks at the dzong. In 1771,

1728-487: The form a conch shell with concentric rings (in clockwise direction) and hence named the monastery as Choe-Khor-Rab-Ten-Tse or by a shorter version as Chotse that represents " the temple fixed firmly at the tip of the dharma wheel -the conchshell". The original temple site is today located at the end of the dzong, at the Temple of Chortens. In 1647, the great-grandson of Ngagi Wangchuk, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, noted for

1776-416: The geographic centre of Bhutan is located within it at Trongsa Dzong . Trongsa is a linguistically diverse district. In the north and east inhabitants speak Bumthangkha , and in the extreme southeast Khengkha is spoken. Nyenkha is spoken in the western half of the district, straddling the border with Wangdue Phodrang District . To the north, along and across the same border, live speakers of Lakha . In

1824-476: The ideal king, called a chakravartin ("wheel-turner", or "universal monarch"), who was said to possess several mythical objects, including the ratana cakka (the ideal wheel). The Mahā Sudassana Sutta of the Digha Nikaya describes this wheel as having a nave (nābhi), a thousand spokes (sahassārāni) and a felly (nemi), all of which are perfect in every respect. Siddhartha Gautama was said to have been

1872-474: The many realms of rebirth in Buddhist cosmology . The spokes of a wheel are also often used as symbols of the Buddhist doctrine of dependent origination . According to the Theravada scholar Buddhaghosa : “It is the beginningless round of rebirths that is called the ’Wheel of the round of rebirths’ (saṃsāracakka). Ignorance (avijjā) is its hub (or nave) because it is its root. Ageing-and-death (jarā-maraṇa)

1920-467: The meaning "bearer, supporter". The historical Vedic religion apparently conceived of dharma as an aspect of Ṛta . Similar chakra (spoked-wheel) symbols are one of the most ancient in all Indian history. Madhavan and Parpola note that a wheel symbol appears frequently in Indus Valley civilization artifacts, particularly on several seals . Notably, it is present in a sequence of ten signs on

1968-461: The modern Lateral Road), passed through the courtyard of the dzong. By the 19th century, the penlops , ruling from Trongsa Dzong, had become so powerful that Trongsa had effectively become the capital of Bhutan, although never officially so. Its strategic location added to its importance on the east-west trade route and was a source of revenue to the Trongsa penlop . They later became the monarchs of Bhutan that rule to this day. Sir Ugyen Wangchuck ,

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2016-450: The temple during December or January. Every monastery in Bhutan observes this festival, which celebrates the arrival of Guru Rimpoche to Bhutan in the 8th century, a mark of triumph of Buddhism over evil. It is held in spring and autumn seasons according to the Bhutanese calendar and masked dances are a popular feature along with the exposition of a very large thanka (religious painting) on cloth of Guru Rimpoche and other figures called

2064-424: The temples are attributed to the time of the reign of the first ruler, king Ugyen Wangchuk . However, the Dzong has undergone renovations in recent years with assistance provided by an Austrian team. The original design of the northern assembly hall, an original court scene with mural paintings of the guardians of four directions, Phurba statue in the main hall, a mural replica of Swayambunath temple of Nepal and

2112-498: The time of the Buddhist king Ashoka . The Buddha is said to have set the "wheel of dharma" in motion when he delivered his first sermon, which is described in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta . This "turning of the wheel" signifies a great and revolutionary change with universal consequences, brought about by an exceptional human being. Buddhism adopted the wheel as a symbol from the Indian mythical idea of

2160-696: The upper reaches of the Mangde Chu valley, starting the descent to the Trongsa town and the dzong from the location of two small chortens at Chendebji (One built by Lama Shida in Nepali style in the 18th century and the other a new one built in Bhutanese style in 1982)), which is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) away along foot tracks, after crossing the Pela La pass (3,330 metres (10,930 ft)). This trackroute traverses through farms, deciduous forests, crosses side streams, raises to Tangsibji village before descending to

2208-464: The valley in late 1950s and early 1960. The shopkeepers are mainly of Bhutanese and Tibetan origin. Trongsa Dzong is a powerfully built fortress and is exemplary of dzong architecture. The Trongsa Dzong is an extensive complex; the largest in all of Bhutan, and is set on many different levels. It consists of a maze of courtyards, passageways and corridors and the complex contains as many as 25 temples. The most important temples are those dedicated to

2256-527: The wisdom of self-realisation of the Truth and desanā-ñāṇa, the wisdom of proclamation of the Truth. The dharmachakra symbol also points to the central Indian idea of " Dharma ", a complex and multivalent term which refers to the eternal cosmic law, universal moral order and in Buddhism, the very teaching and path expounded by the Buddha. In the Buddhist Art at early sites such as Bharhut and Sanchi ,

2304-480: The world (also referred to as the "wheel of samsara ", samsara-chakra or the "wheel of becoming" , bhava-cakra ). This wheel of suffering can be reversed or "turned" through the practice of the Buddhist path. The Buddhist terms for "suffering" ( dukkha ) and happiness ( sukha ) may also originally be related to the proper or improper fitting of wheels on a chariot's axle . The Indo-Tibetan tradition has developed elaborate depictions called Bhavacakras which depict

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