Ogyen Choling Foundation

Home
Bhutan
Bumtang Tang
Ogyen Choling Foundation

Museum located in Ogyen Choling, Central Bhutan Ogyen Choling was never so much a seat of political power as a center for religion.

Throughout its history it was referred to by terms which alluded to its religious nature as being a monastery or hermitage, gompa. In fact the history of Ogyen Choling begins with the visit of the great Tibetan master of Buddhism, Longchen Rabjam (1308-63). He is the most celebrated writer and philosopher of the Nyingmapa School (Ancients) of Tibetan Buddhism and is regarded as the synthesizer of

the doctrine and methods of Dzogchen, 'School of Great Perfection'. Oral tradition explains why the great master chose the location for his centre. Looking up from the valley towards Ogyen Choling with the Kanyai mountain to the east, the panoramic view is that of the shape of an elephant's head. The elephant in Buddhist iconography is auspicious and it has many meanings; it is the vehicle of some Vajarayana Buddhist deities and because an elephant can live up to a hundred years it also symbolizes posterity. A few hundred meters above the village, climbing towards the crown of the elephant's head is a cave which is to this day revered as the meditation cave of Longchen Rabjam.

19/06/2026

We were honoured to host H.E Ambassador of Switzerland to the Republic of India and the Kingdom of Bhutan and her team in Ogyen Choling.

18/06/2026

We are happy to annouce that we’ve improved the display of our collection of swords and historic fi****ms in the Armoury Exhibit of the museum. Among the artefacts is a double-barrel shotgun gifted by the first Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Her Majesty Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck in 1954. It was later gifted by His Majesty the third king Jigme Dorji Wangchuck to Dasho Kunzang Dorji (1922-1962). Ogyen Choling always had a large collection of swords, however, many have been lost over the years. Those that remain are of lower quality but still allow for a closer look at the intricate lamination forging that combined hard and mild metals to give these historic weapons both flexibility and immense strength.

30/05/2026

Today, the Ogyen Choling Foundation celebrated the 25th anniversary of its museum's establishment. To honour this milestone, the foundation commenced the celebrations with a lhapsang (cleansing ritual) conducted by Lopen Tsampa Rinchen Needup, followed by a marchang ceremony presided over by the Bumthang Dzongdag Dasho Ratna Bahadur Gurung. The event also featured the inauguration of a new thangka exhibition and the launch of a new booklet, Temples and Hiking Trails Near Ogyen Choling. The celebration was well attended by members of the local community and officials.

25/05/2026

The Foundation is delighted to announce the completed booklet, 'A Guide to Temples and Hiking Trails near Ogyen Choling'. It will be useful to all who visit Ogyen Choling and are interested in exploring the upper Tang valley.

21/05/2026

Our guests strung up prayer flags near the chorten and the helped to press p**a buckwheat noodles for their lunch.

15/05/2026

Ogyen Choling Heritage House with the community celebrated the wedding anniversary of our honoured guests from the USA in the courtyard in front of the temple.

01/05/2026

We are happy to share that the Ogyen Choling Foundation recently hosted Mr. Joseph Duane alias Choki Gyatsho and his team for a vital photographic documentation project. A book will be published subsequently.

Mr. Duane has meticulously captured the 21 Tara statues and our principal Tara statue, providing high-resolution images and raw files that will serve as a cornerstone of our digital archive. As we look toward the future, these records ensure that the artistic and spiritual heritage of Ogyen Choling is preserved with the highest technical standards for generations to come.
A huge thank you to Mr. Duane and photographer, Mr Kinley.

18/04/2026

Despite the cold, dark and rainy days, our lives are brightened by the colors of spring.

01/04/2026

The Ogyen Choling Foundation and Heritage House thanked Chador Tshering and Pema Yangdon for their dedication and hardwork for the last ten years.

24/03/2026

Ogyen Choling Foundation and Heritage house was honored to host His Excellency Dr Thierry Mathou, the ambassador of France to India with his wife. They spent a night with us and visited the museum.

Address

Ogyen Choling Village, Tang, Bumthang
Bumtang Tang
32004

Website

http://www.oling.bt/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ogyen Choling Foundation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Ogyen Choling Foundation:

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Bumtang Tang?