Journal · Thimphu
Changangkha Lhakhang
A 13th-century temple on a ridge above Thimphu, where parents bring newborn babies to be blessed and named.
The story
It was founded in the 13th century by Nyima, a son of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo, the lama who brought the Drukpa school to western Bhutan. The main image is an eleven-headed Chenrezig, the Buddha of compassion.
Why babies come here
Its protector, Genyen Domtsangpa, is the birth deity of children born in Thimphu. So parents bring their babies here for a blessing, and often to ask the lama for a name.
Before you go
Walk the prayer wheel circuit, then look out over the whole valley from the courtyard.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Where sources disagree, we say so or leave the detail out. Opening times and rules change, so your guide confirms on the day.