A new three-storey temple is nearing completion in Bjabchho Gewog, Chhukha, bringing the community closer to having a safer and more spacious centre for religious and social gatherings.
Built through a collective effort involving hundreds of households, the gewog administration and Chhukha Hydropower Corporation, the project has received an investment of more than Nu 40 million. Construction is now around 90 percent complete and is expected to finish within the next few months.
The new structure is being built beside the existing Bjabchho Community Temple, which has remained an important spiritual and cultural centre for generations. Age, repeated earthquake damage and inadequate space, however, have increasingly made the old structure unsuitable for large gatherings.
Cracks have developed along its walls over the years, raising concerns about the safety of worshippers as well as the sacred relics housed inside.
Bjabchho Gup Tashi said the community had long faced difficulties because of the temple’s limited capacity.
“In the past, it has been inconvenient because of the limited space. Moreover, the condition of the temple has deteriorated over the years. The earthquakes made the situation worse, and many cracks have developed on the walls,” he said.
The shortage of space was particularly felt during funeral rites and major religious occasions, when large numbers of residents gathered at the temple.
Resident Thinley Namgay said the new temple would address a longstanding need in the gewog.
“The old temple was small and congested, especially when funeral rites and other religious events were organised here. Since it is an old temple, its condition has also deteriorated over the years,” he said. “We are eagerly waiting and excited for the new temple to be completed because it is really going to benefit the people.”
Another resident, Penjor Dorji, said earthquake damage to the old structure had become a serious concern for the community.
“This posed serious risks not only to the relics but also to the people visiting the temple. Therefore, the construction of the new temple will greatly benefit the community,” he said.
Beyond serving the present-day needs of Bjabchho, the temple site carries centuries of history and local belief. The original temple is believed to date back to the 17th century, although local accounts suggest it once stood on a mountain opposite its present location.
According to oral history, the earlier structure was destroyed in a fire, resulting in the loss of many sacred scriptures. The temple’s principal relic, known locally as a “Phub”, is believed to have miraculously flown from the old site to the present location.
Gup Tashi said the relic was later discovered there by a hermit known as Tsam Meto Pelzang, following which a temple was established at the site.
Construction of the new temple began more than four years ago. The scale of the project has required substantial financial and community support, turning it into a shared undertaking for the people of the gewog.
With most of the work now completed, residents are looking forward to moving religious activities into the new structure.
Once complete, the temple will provide more room for prayers, religious ceremonies, funeral rites and community gatherings while offering improved safety for visitors and sacred relics.
For Bjabchho, the project is more than the replacement of an ageing building. It represents an effort to carry forward a centuries-old spiritual legacy in a structure designed to serve the community for generations to come.
