Karpo monastery, (near) Haa, Ha Dzongkhag, BT

Raw data

"Lhakhang Karpo (the White Temple) is located in the tiny village of Dumchoe which is three kilometers south of Haa town. The extended compound of the Lhakhang Karpo is almost adjoined to the Chuzom – Haa highway.
In his mission to built 108 temples, the Tibetan saint and King, Songtsen Gampo according to prophesy, selected the Haa valley as a site for two of the temples. These temples are Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo. The temples stand as the guardian sentinels keeping watch at the south entrance of the Haa valley. Built in the 7th century, Lhakhang Karpo with its sparkling white wall is situated at the foothills of the three towering (mountains) venerated as Rigsum Gonpo (Jampelyang: Manjushri, Chana Dorji: Vajrapani, Chenrizig: Avaloketeshvara).
According to a legend, a black and a white pigeon were released to select sites to build the temples. The white pigeon landed on the foothills of the mountain Chenrizig (Avaloketeshvara), one of the towering Rigsum. Lhakhang Karpo was thus built on the foothills of the mountain Chenrizig (Avaloketeshvara). The other temple stands a little north." [Possibly it is a typing/orientation error - the text most probably should read "a little south" or, better still "a little south-west" - tmciolek, 19 Sep 2012]
http://www.bhutan2008.bt/en/node/393

"Lhakhang Karpo, or the White Temple, in Üsu Gewog, is believed to have originally been established in the 7th century during the time of the Tibetan Emperor Songtsän Gampo. It is located near the main road less than a kilometre south of Wangchuck Lhodzong. This temple usually houses the monastic assembly of Haa.
Currently (2011), Lhakhang Karpo is undergoing extensive restoration and re-construction. The monks quarters surrounding the main temple are being completely rebuilt."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uesu_Gewog#Lhakhang_Karpo

Lhakhang Karpo (temple of the white dove), located at Dumchoe, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Ha village, is a monastery believed to have been built in the 8th century by the Tibetan King, Songtsen Goenpo, after he sent two doves (one black and one white) to find a sacred place to build a monastery. Lhakhang Karpo is the main seat of Ha’s guardian deity – Ap Chundu.[5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha_Chhu

Input by: tmciolek, Sep 19, 2012

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 29 Apr 2013

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Lhakhang Karpo monastery, BT.

General location of the Lhakhang Karpo monastery, BT.
Lat 27.36246 Long 89.29583
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2012.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=27.36246+89.29583+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Lhakhang%20Karpo%20monastery,%20BT)&ll=27.36246,89.29583&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name


2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • Buthan:Ha Dzongkhag

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names


4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx., Lat 27.36246 Long 89.29583 - based on visual identification of the site in satellite imagery (guided by the bulding's appearance and topographical context as indicated by a photo in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uesu_Gewog), maps.google.com - tmciolek, 19 Sep 2012.

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries


6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village


7. The settlement's alternative/historical names


8. The settlement's coordinates

  • Approx., Lat 27.3667 Long 89.2833 - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/BT/10/Ha.html
  • Approx., Lat 27.3876 Long 89.2798 - based on visual identification of the Ha settlement in satellite imagery, maps.google.com - tmciolek, 19 Sep 2012

9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • Vajrayana

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • [missing data]

11. Date-early

  • Established in the 7th century AD during the reign of the Tibetan Emperor Songtsän Gampo [who ruled 617-650; www.himalayanart.org/image.cfm/101501.html] - http://www.bhutan2008.bt/en/node/393
  • MBM chrono-tag 0600-32p 0633-66p - tmciolek 29 Apr 2013
  • 0600-32p 0633-66p 0667-99c 0700-32c 0733-66c 0767-99c 0800-32c 0833-66c 0867-99c 0900-32c 0933-66c 0967-99c 1000-32c 1033-66c 1067-99c 1100-32c 1133-66c 1167-99c 1200=> dated-el

12. Date-intermediate

  • [missing data]

13. Date-late

  • MBM chrono-tag 1200=> - tmciolek 29 Apr 2013

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • Architecture, oral tradition

16. Additional notes


17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by

  • [missing data]

18. Available Printed Literature

  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 1]
  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 2]
  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 3]

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