Truncated history of Dobji Dzong

I never grew up listening to the myths and ancient histories relating my village because my parents were always on move. And, as I have not spent good deal of time with natives there, little do I know about the place and often feels humiliated for lacking nitty-gritty information regarding my own birth place. More so, I have never heard of my father making sufficient mentions of histories that my village is copious in. So, I always felt short of snippets concerning my little hamlet whenever someone intriguing posed me queries.

However, my father has a disposition to re-count tales whenever someone new enters as/into our family member. The last time I heard of him was when my brother brought in his wife.

He would share several pleasing chronicles of his own life and move us to tears when he narrate on privations he suffered as a tender boy. Of the many, I will be particularly thrilled by the stories that revolved around Dobji Dzong and feel wondered over the controversies that transmitted from our ancestors.

Few years’ back I ran into a close descendant of Dobji Penlop swapping several ancient conversations involving our village. It was considerate of him to shed detail lights on the history of the Dzong. But unfortunately my recording gear ran out of storing space and I could only take the abridged narrations.

It is no exaggeration that Dobji dzong was once a deadly dungeon for wrongdoers sometimes in the late 1970s. People of the time dreaded the fortress because of the brutality the convicts suffered inside the confinement. It sent a chill down the spine even at the mention of its name and the lethal criminals were compelled to serve their sentence term inside the castle. Once inside only god knew what happened.

Oral history has it that ever since it was put into use as solitary confinement, nothing set ahead well in that entire stretch of region. There was ill-timed downpour seizing all kinds of crops and fruits. Later it was dismissed and converted into seats of learning for monks. Thenceforth it was believed to have bettered the situation. Today it caters to some fifty monks as a Buddhist school.

What many are informed of the dzong is the fact that it was built by Lama Ngawang Chogyal in 1531 following a spring originating below the throne of a great saint Jetsun Milarepa in Tibet. But in my conversations with the close relative of Dobji Penlop, it was actually Jetsun Milarepa who dictated to build the dzong.

Legends say that Milarepa halted for a night there. Next day he was supposed to proceed to a place named Tsamda Goenpa. When people from Tsamda region beseeched him to move the following morning, lama flatly rejected and, in cross legged position, insisted on remaining there. When finally the plea failed to serve its purpose, they forcibly tried to pull out lama and vexed needlessly. But firm he stood thrusting his right leg into the earth and kept their collective forces away never moving an inch. Later on, lama prophesied to construct the dzong at the current location and the name came to be known as “Drobdrek” which in English translates to “resist”.

Quite afterwards Lama told the locals at Tsamda to carve an effigy as his substitute and fixed it in the monastery.

The other marvel is the Lama’s natural spring which is located precariously at the base of the hill on which the fortress is perched. Widely known and esteemed as the elixir, it has drawn a lot from around the country and never did it shake people’s faith in the healing power of the tiny rivulets. Subsequently, to make it accessible to wide range of audiences it was aired up on BBS. Today, around five cozy wooden tubs are installed to have laid back hot stone bath.

And to help the Dzong with monetary growth, a charge of Nu. 500 is levied per day inclusive of room fees, fire woods and stone gathering.

A fortress once operated as solitary confinement is now fascinating people from all walks of life. It has caught the attention, especially of old and the ailed.  

Historians believe Dobji to be the first model Dzong.

Landscape photography

Alike to the sundown and sunup, we all have one thing in common:

We all have one beginning- birth

And we all have one end- death

Reading companions

I don’t frequent Youth Centre much. As it is generally students that throng the center, I feel my presence would, needlessly, meddle their freedom and leave them malcontent. So, I shun being regular especially during school off hours.

But seldom I do and see if I can be of any help to the visitors.

It was around last week that I ran into three little girls whose unfeigned love for the books had me adore their bibliophile habit. One was second grader and the other two third. Only after several exchange of words did I discern the three were almost daily visitors to the center. Curious I felt and prudently maneuvered to spark up a discussion while strictly keeping the friendly composure.

Source- google

Soon realizing that they were dodging the interrogations, I stopped bothering any further. But to have them perpetuate the conversation, I sweet mouthed them and seemingly the thought of leaving me unattended, because I am a teacher, didn’t even orbit somewhere near their imagination. Thereafter, no sooner had I established good acquaintance by the dint of my ingenuity than they relished my noble intention. We became good friends.

All the three had one thing in common.

They have a strong penchant for Dzongkha books. All the three told they read mainly to acquire knowledge and keep themselves informed. Yes, their read was flawless, commendable and at par with many students two or three levels superior to them. But when asked on their liking towards English, they shied away a little and candidly whispered, “It is quite hard”. To check their competency, with my slapdash approach, I bumped into books of their standard and forcibly made them read aloud. The three of them looked nervous and fell behind hugely as compared to their Dzongkha counterpart.

Soon afterwards, knowing their plight in English, I made an attempt to kindle their interest. They appeared enthusiastic and flanked me from either sides to see what my influence have to offer them. Together we did chorus reading for almost an hour and took to solo reading quite some time later. It was fulfilling to see them at my disposal and unanimously agree with the idea of reading together.

They retreated with an assignment to commit few hours of the day to read English and display considerable progress. While I could not help myself wait for the next round of meet, I firmly kept my fingers crossed for their endeavor and watched them pull away homewards with smiles crossing their lovely lips.  

Little did I know that I will walk into curious mind like theirs and feel please myself? 

It was a lesson which came unannounced because of our common interest- a lesson where no classroom was required, the subject was reading and the outcome, inspiration. 

Monastic education to Modern education- A tribute to beloved K4

Since time immemorial,   Bhutan was cooped  up  in   thickets    of isolation and had remained anonymous to the rest of the world.    It ain’t until 1960 that Bhutan woke up from its   long   slumber     of seclusion to the dawn of modernization, and set out on   embracing the outside world.

Source- google

Although with the crowning of Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck came the inception of modern education, it was predominantly monastic education that thrived prodigiously to flourish language, arts, philosophy and literature. Riveting details of Sindu Raja and Nawachhe, the Bhutanese Jog yig by Demang Tsemang in seventh and eighth centuries were the products of the monastic education in the country.

The Monastic education was institutionalized in the Dzongs under different Je Khenpos, private temples and a separate Shedra in Tharpaling around 1914 by first King inviting His Eminence Tongden Shacha. His Eminence sent Atsara Rimpochhe to Bhutan. Many young people were sent to study under His Eminence Tongden Shacha. The Second King patronized the Shedras further. Many Shedras like Phajo Ding, Tangu, etc. were constructed by the successive monarchs. Monastic education flourished symbiotically and it complemented modern education.

Bhutanese monks were continually sent to Tibet to learn from revered lamas only to return years later to develop monastic centres or to teach dharma in their own ways, steadily paving the trail for the advent of modern education.

"Despite the late start of education in formal and organized sense of term, there were already awakened minds and enlightened initiatives which lit the lamp of learning, albeit in the most modest surroundings, right from the beginning" concludes the then education minister, Thakur Singh

History has it that 46 boys from Bhutan were enrolled in Dr. Grahams Homes, a Scottish mission school in what is known as today's Kalimpong.

Bhutan’s first school was also inaugurated in 1914 at Haa with a Bhutanese teacher called Lopon Karp. The following year another school was founded at first king’s palace in Bumthang, especially for the crown prince Jigme Wangchuck and some children of people attending at the royal court. They were mainly drilled in English with teachers from Scotland mission and Tibetan dialect.

By 1919-1920, there were about 21 students at Bumthang and 28 students studying in Haa. The education system slowly took to its pace and number of schools augmented to 11 schools and 400 students were enrolled by 1961.

Further, with the introduction of first five year plan in 1961, modern education was promoted to address basic educational needs and to develop human resources. The subjects taught then were English, arithmetic, Hindi and Buddhist scriptures.

 Since our primitive ancestors were ignorant on the importance of education, a good number of parents shunned their children’ from sending to schools dreading their helping hands would be at bay when required. Oral history unearths the fact that instances of education officials setting out in disguised form to have students enrolled in schools also prevailed. Gradually, in the course of evolution as they deciphered the scopes of education in near future, our parents didn’t hesitate to dispatch them. Moreover, with the mapping of network with outside world, Bhutan witnessed burgeoning number of schools with students from different walks of life being taught by expatriate teachers. That was how the lamp of modern learning was lit.

 Today, we have schools close to 504 across the country. Realizing that modern education can play an irreplaceable role in snowballing self-growth, socio-economic development and progress in Bhutan, we, now, see hordes of students thronging for admission which is a sufficient testimony that the nation has long before exited the most cherished state of isolation and checked into world of no more desolation.

However, there is a subtle difference in the education system in Bhutan compared to elsewhere in the world. In Bhutan, the education system pays particular attention to imparting to the students a sense of belongingness and respect for the culture and tradition of their country. In addition, ever since the birth of globally celebrated paradigm philosophy GNH by our very soul, JSW, Bhutanese education has never failed to incorporate it and transmit through curriculum to our learners. It is because of this unique philosophy pronounced by K4 that, we pride over the education system in Bhutan.

His majesty the fourth king believed, as did his predecessors, that every citizens must be educated in order to create an enlightened and productive Bhutanese society. Therefore, the education sector became invincible one.  Till date, we enjoy free access to primary, secondary and even tertiary education. Further under the unparalleled reign of our charismatic kings, schools spanned throughout the nation has been blessed with myriads of facilities that comes without having to pay. (Books, dress, geometry box etc). Of all, extra precedence was set purposefully over the education sector as it was inevitable in producing future architects of the nation that serve as the engine for development.

 Ultimately, my words here would not suffice to match the timeless deeds and noble contribution but as I reluctantly put end to my speech here, we, your subjects, remain firmly indebted and pray for your longevity and commit selflessly to contribute in the building of the nation- Palden Drukpa.

Ours is a journey of myths and legends to the quest of modern education. It is a journey that has come a long way and stood the test of time under the benevolent leadership of Wangchuck dynasty.

Thank you for installing education right at our disposal.

May you perpetuate to bless us with your unfathomable wisdom for all times to come?

Note- I extend my acknowledgement to all the references i have made