Himalayan Art Resources

Bhutan: Third King Chorten Thimphu (A. Maki Archive)

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Third King Chorten Thimphu (site name: Memorial Chorten of King Jigme Dorje Wangchuck; location: Thimphu district). The Third King, Jigme Dorje Wangchuck ('jigs med rdo rje dbang phyug, 1928-1972; r. 1952-1972) died suddenly while abroad in Nairobi. The Memorial Chorten was built in Thimphu by his mother, Ashi Phuntsho Choedron, to fulfill one of his wishes to offer monuments to the Body, Speech and Mind of the Buddha. At the time of his death, the King had already completed an offering of the Tenjur (Speech) and Buddha statues (Body), yet had not yet made a chorten (Mind). The chorten was envisioned by Dungtse Rinpoche Thinley Norbu ('phrin las nor bu, 1931-2011), the son of Dudjom Rinpoche and built in 1974. Inside, the painting program is dedicated to deities related to the Nyingma tradition, including Lama Gongdue (the Sangay Lingpa terma tradition), the Kagye (revealed by Nyangral Nyima Odzer), Phurba (according to Trakthung Dudjom Lingpa) and other exoteric and esoteric deities.

Ariana Maki 3-2012