Journal · Paro
Kyichu Lhakhang
One of the two oldest temples in Bhutan, said to have been founded in 659 by the Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo.
The story
Legend says a giant demoness lay across the whole Himalaya, and Songtsen Gampo built 108 temples to pin her down. Kyichu holds down her left foot. Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang pins her left knee.
The 25th Je Khenpo restored it in the 1830s. In 1971 Queen Ashi Kesang Choeden Wangchuck added the Guru Lhakhang beside it, consecrated by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
Look for
The main image, the Jowo Shakyamuni, and the two orange trees in the courtyard, said to bear fruit all year.
Before you go
Old people from the valley walk round it all day turning the prayer wheels. Join them, clockwise.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kyichu Lhakhang
- Himalayan Art Resources: Paro Kyichu (Ariana Maki)
- The Treasury of Lives: Kyichu Lhakhang
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.