Jakar Dzong

The Jakar Dzong (the Fortress of the White Bird) is located in the Chhoekhor valley, which is the capital of the Bumthang region. It was founded in 1549 by Zhabdrung’s great-grandfather, the Drukpa lama Ngagi Wangchuk, who saw a white bird landing there when he was looking for a place to build a temple. He considered it a good omen and built the Dzong there and he named it ‘the fortress of the white bird’. Located on a strategic point, it is one of the most exquisite architecture in Bhutan.

The central tower of the Dzong contains a temple to Maitreya. A second temple, dedicated to the lineage of the Drukpa lamas, has as its principal statue a representation of Tenpe Nyima, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel’s father. A passage then leads to the courtyard formerly reserved for monks. The part on the right was the Kunre, the monks’ assembly hall, containing a statue of the deity Phurpa (dagger).