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Showing posts from February 5, 2017

Ten GK Questions for Today

1.        What was the name of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel’s biological son? 2.        Who built Duerong Chorten of Tashi Yangtse famously known as Chorten Kora? 3.        Name the Bhutanese Oxford alumni who wrote ‘The History of Bhutan’? 4.        Who was the man who asked the State Council to elect Sir Ugyen Wangchuck as the 1 st King of Bhutan? 5.        Who introduced potato to Bhutan? 6.        How many members are there in parliament of Bhutan 7.        What is maximum number of members can National Assemble of Bhutan have? 8.        Who was Dagana Penlop during enthronement of first king of Bhutan? 9.        Who is 56 th Je Khenpo of Bhutan 10.    Who was elected first Chairman of Council of Ministers of Bhutan in 1998?  Answers; 1.        Gyalsey Jampel Dorji 2.        Lam Ngawang Lodey 3.        Dr. Karma Phuntsho 4.        Gongzim Ugyen Dorji 5.        George Boggle 6.        73 7.        55 8.        Penlop Tshewang Dorj

Gon Tshephu-Mediation Place of Guru Rinpoche in Gasa

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In more than two years of my stay at Gasa, I have walked in the clouds of dusts in winter. I have waded across ponds of mud in summer. I have climbed uphill from Tshachu to Gasa following leech infested path. I have travelled to Laya with sweets in my mouth to avoid altitude sickness.   I have watched colorful dance of Goen-Zhey dedicated to arrival of Zhabdrung. I have participated in receiving invisible protective deity on living mount. I have made mistakes and gain experiences. I went to through emotions called happiness and sadness, peace and disturbance and contentment and discontentment. With all ingredients of life, time flew on its wings of unruliness. Today I have some memories so strong that that I try daily to suppress and memories so weak that I try daily to re-awaken them. But there are some forgotten moments, some uncharted destinations and some suppressed memories. One such uncharted destination of mine is     visit to Gon Tshephu which would have been one of the b

The Story of Gasa Tashi Thonmoen

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Pics of Gasa Tashi Thongmon (thank you whoever took the pics. It accidentally was saved in my phone) Some believe that Gasa was called Gangsel before it got re-named. In 1616 A.D, Zhabdrung turned his horse towards south. Zhabdrung entered Lhomon through Wakila in the Laya region. When he reached at the place called Bangdekha below Lepnathang, Zhabdrung was received by both human devotees and non-human spirits of Bhutan. Humans were Optsho Lam Druk Namgyal, students and some chugpos of Gasa while non-human spirits were Ap Genyen, Gomo and some other minor spirits. Among the non-human spirits, it was possible that deities of Tshachuphu and Remi were also there. Zhabdrung was received with offering of feasts and songs. The Gon-Zhey with 25 different types of dances originated from here. It was there Zhabdrung renamed Drak Nyerpa of Remi as Tashi Thongmon and Togleg Pakhab of Tshachuphu as Dendup Norzang. Nedha (Owner of Place) Dondrup Norzang is a protector of cattle esp