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.

03/09/2026

As in previous years, Khangrab Primary School visited Ogyen Choling as part of their Reading Week celebrations.
The children were introduced to Kamishibai, the traditional Japanese art of storytelling, and enjoyed a visit to the museum.
The day was made even more special by the warmth and generosity of the village parents, who prepared and shared a delicious lunch with the children. In return, the children delighted everyone with traditional dances as a heartfelt expression of their appreciation.

26/08/2026

The Ogyen Choling Foundation was privileged to join fellow civil society organisations and the CSO Authority in making an offering to Project 108.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this historic and momentous national endeavour, envisioned by His Majesty The King. It is an honour to be part of an initiative that embodies His Majesty’s vision and spirit of service to the nation.

Civil Society Organisation of Bhutan

19/08/2026

A productive day of learning and collaboration with Mr. Kamal Pokwal, Chief Conservator at the National Museum in Paro.
Mr. Pokwal spent an entire day with us, sharing his expertise and working alongside our team to identify the most practical approach to conserving our woodblock prints, which have unfortunately been affected by woodworm infestation.
He also provided valuable guidance on the general conservation, care, and display of our artefacts.
We are deeply grateful for his time, expertise, and generous guidance. We will carefully follow his recommendations as we continue our efforts to preserve these important pieces of our cultural heritage for future generations.

11/08/2026

The community and the Ogyen Choling Heritage House came together to repair a section of the road damaged by recent heavy rain. It was a rewarding community effort, and now travellers to Ogyen Choling can enjoy the newly repaired road!

07/08/2026

We're hoping that the saying that ‘lightning doesn't strike twice’ is true. Recently, a direct strike took out our newly installed Starlink dish. Mounting it atop the Utse, the tallest building at Ogyen Choling, most likely contributed to its damage. We’ve now relocated our replacement dish to the roof of the two-storey Chamkhang. As the oldest structure in our complex, the Chamkhang now gets renewed purpose by supporting the latest technology. This blend makes available high-speed and reliable internet for our guests and staff.

22/07/2026

Peak monsoon brings some of nature's finest gifts.

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 sh***un 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.

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: