Tradition makes Bhutan a land of seventh-century border temples (Kyichu near Paro, Jambay in Bumthang, and others at Haa and Lhuntse, from the 108 temples ascribed to Songtsen Gampo), then of the visit of Padmasambhava to Bumthang at the invitation of the exiled Indian king Sindhu Raja (the page gives 746 for the mission and 810 for Padmasambhava; both are tradition) (en Wikipedia, History of Bhutan).
In 1200 these temples exist, if the tradition is right, as small village shrines served by Nyingma lamas and Mon communities. The 'Chakhar kings' and the treasure-revealer Pema Lingpa belong to later centuries. We give the keepers as not known and the dates as tradition.
Who holds it
- Title
- Keepers of the old border temples of Paro and Bumthang
- Since
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
En Wikipedia (History of Bhutan) names the temples by tradition only: Songtsen Gampo's 108 temples (including Kyichu near Paro, Bumthang, Haa and Lhuntse), Sindhu Raja in 746 and Padmasambhava in 810 at Bumthang. No keeper is named for any century.
Overlord
none: no one rules Tibet in 1200; the house answers to its own patrons and to the custom of the valleys
What it holds
- The temples and their congregations (Mon villages and Nyingma lamas)
- Pilgrim offerings
How it was acquired
Seventh to ninth century, by tradition.
Allies and rivals
The Lhapa mission of 1194 is the first Kagyu presence; no rivalry is recorded in 1200.
How things stand that morning
Village shrines of the Mon valleys under Nyingma lamas; not a political power.
Wealth
No source we could open gives figures; the usual base is estates and serfs, herds, pass tolls, trade in salt, wool, tea and barley, and the gifts of patrons.
Military
No standing army; the house or lord calls on retainers, tenants and kin. No troop numbers are given by any source we could open.
Places of note
- Kyichu Lhakhang (Paro): Temple near Paro, position approximate (within about 6 km)
- Jambay Lhakhang (Bumthang): Temple near Jakar, position approximate (within about 3 km)
Where the sources disagree
- The page's dates (746, 810) are given for Padmasambhava without the usual tradition hedge in one place; we treat them as tradition.
Evidence: Tradition only; no inscription or dated document. Treasury of Lives, the Blue Annals, the Red Annals, Petech, Sorensen and Hazod and Davidson could not be opened in this session (treasuryoflives.org and rigpawiki.org refused the fetch; the archive.org full texts were refused or cut off), so facts marked 'recalled' are from memory of those works and unchecked.
On the map: Points at the district seats; the temples are within a few kilometres of them.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.