Punakha Dzong, Bhutan

Punakha Dzong


Punakha Dzong or by its full name, Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong, is a monastic fortress in the town of Punakha, the old capital of Bhutan. Today it is the administrative center of Punakha town.

Punakha Dzong is the second largest as well as second oldest dzong in Bhutan. It was built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the ruler who unified Bhutan, between 1637 and 1638. It houses sacred relics of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, as well as those of Rangjung Kasarpani and Terton Padma Lingpa, a famous saint of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

The seat of the Bhutan government was located at Punakha Dzong until 1955, when the capital was moved to Thimphu.

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