Sacred history of Chagri Monastery in Bhutan

Chagri Dorjeden Monastery also Called Cheri Monastery is a first Buddhist Monastery in Bhutan established in 1620 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal.

Cheri initiated a new chapter in the history of the Drukpa school.

This is the first monastery in Bhutan founded by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1620. Located at the south of the Iron Hill or Chagri, which looks like the shape of the Mahakala’s Palace, a Dharmapala or wrathful emanation of Chenrizig or God of Compassion. At this place, the buddhist monks after the graduates from the Tashithang Buddhist University as the base of Tango and Chagri, these central Monastic Body undergo meditation for three years, three months and three days.

It was from this monastery that Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal has introduced a monastic community of 30 monks. All these monks were taught by the first Thawing Lhodoe, who passed down the Drukpa teachings transmitted to him by Pema Karpo.

At the age of 33, he sent out edicts bearing his emblem of Ngachugdrukma, which declares that, ALL GODS, HUMANS AND SPIRITS OF THE LHOMONKHAZHI, FROM THIS DAY, FALLS UNDER THE DOMINION OF THE GREAT MAGICIAN NGAWANG NAMGYAL AND EVERYONE MUST HEED TO HIS WORD.

As soon as the temple was finished and the reliquary stupa installed, Zhabdrung introduced a monastic community of 30 monks according to the constitutional and procedural framework he had created for his first monastic community in Ralung. These monks and the lay devotees, who gathered in Cheri, were taught by Lhawang Lodoe, who passed down the Drukpa teachings transmitted to him by Pema Karpo.
At the age of 33, he sent out edicts bearing his emblem of Ngachudruma, declaring ‘all gods, humans and spirits of the Lhomonkhazhi, from this day, fall under the dominion of the great magician Nagwang Namgyal and everyone must heed to his words