Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [152]
From Chazam, the road is level as it winds its way through sparse clumps of chir pine above the west bank of the Drangme Chhu to Gom Kora (13km, 30 minutes). A couple of kilometres before Gom Kora, by the side of the road, is a nye (holy spot), where a rock shrine is covered in tsha-tshas (small images moulded in clay) and brass images of the Rigsum Goempo.
Gom Kora
Gom Kora is an extraordinarily picturesque temple to the east of the road, 13km north of Chazam. The lush green of the fields, the red robes of the monks and the yellow roof of the temple combine with colourful painted Buddhist carvings and the rushing of the nearby river to create an idyllic atmosphere.
The correct name for the site is Gomphu Kora. Gomphu denotes a sacred meditation site of Guru Rinpoche and kora means ‘circumambulation’. The Guru meditated here and left a body impression on a rock, similar to that in Kurjey Lhakhang in Bumthang.
The central figure in the goemba is Guru Rinpoche. To the right is Chenresig in his 1000-armed aspect. To the far right is an image of the snake demon Gangan Yonga Choephel, who holds a golden mirror in his right hand. The murals on the walls of the goemba are believed to date from the 15th century.
On a shelf below Chenresig are numerous sacred objects that either miraculously appeared here or were brought by the Guru. The largest item is a garuda’s egg, which is a very heavy, perfectly shaped, stonelike egg. Other relics include the traditional bootprint of the Guru, the footprint of his consort Yeshe Tsogyal (aged eight), the hoofprint of Guru Rinpoche’s horse and a phallus-shaped rock belonging to Pema Lingpa.
Gom Kora’s celebrated old thondrol, unique because it is painted, not appliquéd, is now kept in Chorten Kora. Gom Kora has a new thondrol, which is displayed at the tsechu in the second lunar month (March/April). This festival is different from most other tsechus and pilgrims circumambulate the goemba and sacred rock throughout the night (one article in Kuensel salaciously suggests that the evening’s activities result in many marriages!).
Behind the goemba is a fantastical large black rock. It is said that Guru Rinpoche was meditating in a small cave near the bottom of the rock when a demon in the shape of a cobra suddenly appeared. The Guru, alarmed, stood up quickly (as you would), most likely swore and left the impression of his pointed hat at the top of the cave. The Guru then made an agreement with the demon to stay away until the end of his meditation. The contract was sealed with thumb prints, which are still visible on the rock. The serpent also left a print, with his hood at the top of the rock.
A small sin-testing passageway leads from the cave to an exit below the rock – one successful participant reported that you must indeed move like a snake to get through the cave. Visitors also test their sin levels and rock climbing skills by trying to climb up the side of the rock (the ‘stairway of the dakinis’); only the virtuous can make it. On certain auspicious days holy water, believed to be the Guru’s nectar of immortality, flows down from a crevice in the rock and pilgrims line up to spoon it into empty Sprite bottles. You may also see childless women carrying a holy stone around the kora path to boost their chances of conceiving.
The monastery is home to 25 student monks.
Gom Kora to Trashi Yangtse
28km / 1¼ hours
Two kilometres from Gom Kora is the sleepy village of Duksum (860m), the roadhead for many large villages higher in the valley. A couple of shops (try the ‘Shantimo Tsongkhag and Cum Bar Shop’) sell colourful patterned cloth and belts woven by the local women using back-strap looms. Duksum’s iron chain-link bridge, believed to be the last surviving example of those built by Thangtong Gyalpo (boxed text) was tragically washed away by flooding in 2004, but some links were recovered and used in the reconstructed bridge at Tamchhog Lhakhang (Click here). Duksum has had a difficult few years; a rockfall recently caused the villagers to abandon the upper section of the bazaar.