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His Holiness Nyamkhai Nyngpo Rinpochhe visits UWICE


Rinpochhe Consecrating the lhakhang and Sertog
 His Holiness the Nyamkhai Nyngpo Rinpochhe visited Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment (UWICE) today (12-04-2012) upon the request offered by the management of the institute. Rinpochhe was invited to bless the Institute as well as to inaugurate the newly built small lhakhang (temple) in the courtyard of the dzong, where utse (four storied central tower) used to sit before it was brought down in 1994 or1996 due to safety issues as the timber in the building started to rot, since maintenance was out of question (the universal problem, budget issues).

Brief history of the dzong: 
Lamai Goempa Dzong
Lamai Goempa dzong, where UWICE is housed at present used to be the summer residence of first king of Bhutan, Sir Ugyen Wangchuck, one may rightly say the name of the Institute has been honored in the name of Bhutan's first king. With time the dzong was inherited by one of the princesses. There are some incomplete stories on how the dzong was handed over to Helvetas Project, who repaired the dzong and used the structure as training institute for forestry logging and cable crane activities. After the Helvetas project, the dzong used to be office of Central Machinery Unit (CMU) and Office of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO). The two offices were joined by UWICE in 2004 after the instruction came from Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup, the than Minister of Agriculture and forest, erstwhile Ministry of Agriculture. In the year 2007, CMU and DFO offices were shifted giving way for the Institute to take over the dzong. Since than, UWICE has been playing key role to maintain and repair the dzong along with the construction of new infrastructure.

Lhakhang in Lamai Goempa and Rinpochhe’s visit:  
Rinpochhe
 The lhakhang was constructed in the year 2011 but sertog (golden pinnacle) was not installed for the lhakhang. Ourlhakhang has five feet statue of Amitabha Buddha. Preparation to install sertog started months back and only today we were able to materialize our goal. Sertog was installed starting 6.00 AM today. Exactly at 9.00 AM His Holiness arrived in the dzong. I was fortunate enough to go and receive Rinpochhe in Kharchu Dratshang (Monastery where Rinpochhe reside).
After arriving in the dzong, Director, faculty and staff of UWICE received and ushered Rinpochhe to conference hall where he transmitted Nyundro lung to the people who have come to receive his blessings. Rinpoche has also purified our dzong and staff construction area.

For me it was surely a life time experience. My only prayer is may Rinpochhe be born again and again so that generations to come will get an opportunity to meet such a personality and get blessed.
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Comments

Pema Dendup said…
UWICE was blessed before and now with the inauguration of temple inside the courtyard of the dzong by His Holiness the Nyamkhai Nyngpo Rimpoche, it has further ushered all the faculties and staffs to salvation and nirvana.

(kuch zayada tho nahi boldeya? hahaha)
April 13, 2012 at 9:23 AM
thinley012 said…
Lucky of you all to receive HH blessings..and Lung for Ngondro...Peace
April 16, 2012 at 1:31 PM
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