Jambey Lhakhang Temple

    Jambey Lakhankg is located in an unusual aura of mystery and is surrounded by the Bumthang County of the Kingdom of Bhutan, a small country in the Himalayas. Immersed in the spirit of shamanism and the Tibetan Bon religion, this area will be a real find for those who want to learn a completely different side of the world. The area includes several stunning landscapes, green gardens, mountains, and picturesque fields with rice, buckwheat, and clear fresh air, leaving an indelible impression of a trip to Bumthang. In addition, in its vicinity, you can find many Buddhist temples, each of which has similar features for those who are looking for a kind of individuality and originality.

    In 659 AD, there was a king named Songtsen Gampo (The Tibetan King) who had a serious problem as there was a demoness that was lying across the Himalayas preventing the spread of Buddhism and causing Savagery and evil forces the thing that caused the king disturbance and anxiety during his realm. In order to suppress this evil, the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo had built several temples in the Himalayas, to help pin the demons down. They were divided as follows: four to pin down the demoness' shoulders and hips, the other four to pin her elbows and knees, and other four temples to pin her hands and feet. It was said later that the king had built 108 temples to defeat the demoness and all were built in one single day!

    Jambey Lhakhang, according to these legends, was one of the temples that were dedicated to her the demoness's knees, especially for her left knee. With the help of those temples, the demoness was pinned down to earth forever. Thanks to those temples the king was able to get rid of evil and spread Buddhism in Tibet. Later, only the most handful temples out of the 108 temples built remain and of course, they include Jambay Lhakhang temple which is one of the most sacred and ancient temples in the kingdom of Bhutan. The Temple of Jambey Lhakhang has been restored by Sandhu Raja. The temple was later repaired and rebuilt several times throughout the time till now.    

    There are three stone steps inside the main temple, and they represent three ages: the first symbolizes the past (age of historical Buddha). this step has fallen to the ground and is covered now by a wooden plank. The second step represents the present and it is at the same level as the floor. the third and the last one represents the new age. The legend says that when this step falls to the ground level the gods will turn into humans and that indicates the end of the world.

    The figure exiting in the middle of the inner sanctum is Jampa, The Buffha of the Future with elephant feet. This is the oldest Chapel in the history of Bhutan. The entry to this part is protected by a chain made of iron mail made by Pema  Lingpa. Inside the alcove, there is the statue of Guru Rinpoche. Moreover, the legend says that under the Lhakhang there is a sacred lake that contains texts and artifacts hidden by Guru Rinpoche.

    The Inner Path that is surrounding the chapel has ancient murals depicting a lot of Buddhas, around 1000 Buddhas. You can see on the right side of the wall an image for the goddess of Home, Kim- Iha. in the northern part of the courtyard is the Temple of Kalachakra added by Ugyen Wangchuck. Inside you can notice some animal-headed statues on the walls, which indicates demons that confront the dead during the time between the death and the rebirth. The Guru Lhakhang on the south side of the courtyard there was added by the Chimi Dorji, the administrators of Jakar Dzong. You can see behind the main temple two large stones and they are made in the memory of the king's younger brother and the other is in the memory of Lama Pentsen Khenpo who was the spirituals adviser to the first and second kings of Bhutanese. The complex contains four yellow, red, white, and blue- colored chortens. There is a mani Stones craved with the Buddhist mantra on it called "Thos" and representing the Guardians of the Four Directions.

- Generally speaking, Jambey Lhakhang is the oldest temple not only in the vicinity of Bumthang but across the country. At one point, the monastery was visited by Guru Padmasmapava, to refer to this place as the oldest temple. Here you can see the statue of Buddha Maitreya. In addition, the monastery has over a hundred Kalachakra statues, which in 1887 made the first king of Bhutan. In general, although the monastery is a rather ancient structure, it has survived to a very good condition, thanks to frequent restoration and reorganization.

- The Thing that makes Jambey Lhakhang interesting to most of the visitors is that Jambi Lakang is famous in the entire Buddhist world for its festival. Annually at the end of October, celebrations are arranged for five days. It is confined to two important events: one is the foundation of the temple, and another is held in honor of Guru Rinpoche, who is important to all Buddhism because he developed his tantric trend.

- Bhutanese take such holidays very seriously. Every inhabitant considers it his duty to wear traditional clothes and visit the temple. Here, people receive blessings from devotees, and can also enjoy watching and even participating in traditional dances and performances. By the way, you should bear in mind that during the festival in Gambay-Lakanga, photography and video are absolutely forbidden. Weaker interest in sex will be the fact that on the second day of the festivities the Mevank Fire Dance is performed, which is designed to treat women from diseases and infertility.

- In general, the festival in Jambey Lakang is the main attraction. If you are planning to visit this place then you should transfer your trip to the end of October. In this case, your flight is guaranteed to fill vivid impressions. In addition, only one kilometer from Gambay-Lakanga is another monastery, Corgi-Lakang, which serves as the burial place for the first three kings of Bhutan.

    In Bhutan, you can only travel by land or by air. Accordingly, you can only reach Bumthang by bus or car. To get to the temple itself, you will also have to rent a car and do some hiking.

    Jambey Lhakhang Temple or the Temple of Maitreya is located in Jakar, specifically in the central-eastern of Bhutan, about 68 miles from the eastern part of Thimphu. The Temple is open for visits at any time of the year. The Jambey Lhakhang Drup festival takes place every year with different dates. Note that you are not allowed to take photos with naked dancers.