THE MONGAR TOWN

Mongar is one of the six eastern districts of Bhutan. It is a two day journey by a car from Thimphu. The journey to Mongar passes through high passes, low valleys with various flora and fauna. After spending a night in Bumthang, the next day as we descend down the high hills, we feel the breath of pine trees and lemon grass. After crossing the Kurichhu River in Kurizampa, we ascend up to reach the Mongar town.

The Mongar town dates back to the construction of present Dzong in 1930s. The Dzong (Fortress) was built in a similar way as other old Dzongs of Bhutan have been built without using a nail or a drawing. The present Dzong site was later identified after the Zhongar Dzong located in Lingmethang few kilometers (30Km) drive from Mongar town has been demolished. The Zhongar Dzong has got its own story passed down from generation to generation. The Mongar town started with few settlements around Dzong and in around 1966s, a new public school (a present day YRC and Mongar High School) was also established. 

(Picture Source: social media:Facebook)

The picture aside shows Mongar which dates back to around 1970s wherein a Dzong and school have been shown. There was no motor able road and only settlements shown were few huts and most of lands were arable. The town seems little deserted yet it looks beautiful and could smell the peace and harmony in the society. People never imagined what modernization would bring into this quite place in the future. But as the time passed by, so many changes have taken place gradually.

   ( Picture Source: Internet)

This is the same picture shown above but here we could see so many changes brought in. This picture could be in late 1980s or early 1990s. More and more people have started to settle near Dzong and School building houses. All the houses are very traditional. Probably the town has been connected by a Thimphu and Trashigang highway. The Mani Chortens (Stupa) which are seen in the earlier picture have been demolished and the place has been converted to the present day public ground. The place still looks very beautiful with few houses and looks very green and happy.

Development is a boon to people on one hand but on the other, we lose most of our beautiful places. This town was soon developed into a concrete jungle with road connections to every nook and corner of the town and with so many concrete buildings. While many of these traditional houses, Dzongs and schools are still the same to this day, those small huts and other structures are completely changed into a different face.

  ( Picture Source: Internet)

As it has been proven from the picture aside, this is how it looks the present Mongar town. The public ground is still functional and most of the places are now filled with tall concrete buildings. The Mongar town stretches over a gentle slope along the Thimphu-Trashigang highway and covers few square kilometers. Currently there are 2 schools within Mongar town and also has eastern regional referral hospital. It has population of less than 10,000 and is classified as class B city in Bhutan. Mongar town is one the fastest growing town in the eastern region and also a trade center for most of the easterners.  

***All three pictures above were taken from the same view point: Helipad view*** 

 Zhongar Dzong

(Picture source: TCB)

The picture here shows the ruins of Zhongar Dzong which was once a majestic place for the Zhongar Dzongpon during the time when Bhutan was being ruled by different petty rulers. Although no written records have been found, an oral narrative states that, the ruler in the region brought a famous architect from west and told him to build fortress for him. The Architect in his vision saw vision of a hill marked by a rock resembling like Zhong (a bowl) and came to be known as Zhong ga (Zhong=bowl and ga=comfortable). Another oral narrative states that the architect while carrying out visual surveillance came across a white stone shaped like bowl and called that place as Zhongkar (Zhong=bowl and Kar=white).

The architect built Dzong which was so huge and magnificent and one story also tells that King has cut his hands thinking that one such fortress would be built for other rulers of the country too. It was also said that one Lama (Local abbot) built alter and the other built statues and although the two didn’t meet even once, later statues were perfectly fitted into an altar.  Different rulers came as one took over the other and later it was believed people offered the fortress to Zhabdrung. Later the Dzong was destroyed by fire and later by earthquake. It was said the destruction was blessing in disguise since the place has been infested with evils, rodents and diseases such as malaria. Following the destruction, the relics were then moved to the present Mongar Dzong. Even today it is believed that there are spirits and snakes guarding the place.