Devotion in Motion, Featuring a National Treasure of Bhutan

This miniature portable shrine is one of the rare examples of tashi gomang to be seen outside Bhutan (fig. 1), where until the mid-1980s this type of three-dimensional mandala was displayed during religious festivals or weekly markets as an instrument of worship (fig. 2).

An Indigenous Bhutanese Tradition with Tibetan Connections

In the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition, the term tashi gomang—literally meaning “many auspicious doors”—designates the third of the eight types of stupas that present the most important events in the life of the Buddha. Also known as the “one hundred thousand images” (kumbum), it commemorates the Buddha’s first discourse in Sarnath. It is characterized by a distinctive design: a square structure featuring a three-dimensional mandala with many tiers and multilayered niches crowded with deities. The most significant examples can be found in Tibet, such as the Gyantse Kumbum. Some are relevant to the religious history of Bhutan, as shown by the stupa built in Ralung on the relics of the founder of the Drukpa Kagyu, the dominant Buddhist tradition in Bhutan, which probably inspired Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (1594–1651) (fig. 3), the Tibetan Buddhist master who unified Bhutan as a nation-state and who is credited with the fatherhood of the tashi gomang tradition in the country. Also relevant to the Bhutanese tradition is the Chung Riwoche Kumbum near Lhatse, Tibet, constructed by Tangtong Gyelpo (1385–1464), a Buddhist master who had a prominent role in the development of this type of stupa and is highly revered in Bhutan.1

Tashi gomang stupas are rather rare in Bhutan, where the term designates portable shrines whose design is based on that of the eponymous stupa. These multitiered shrines feature dozens of small doors that open to reveal hundreds of painted images and niches containing statues of deities. They were once carried around by wandering bards, the manips, to confer the Buddhist teachings on the masses at public gatherings, especially in remote rural areas. Sometimes designated by other names,2 depending on the region in the Tibetan world, manips—literally, “those who chant prayers”—have roamed the countryside for centuries (fig. 4), but it is only in Bhutan that they carry portable shrines.3 Although accounts have attested to the presence of this tradition in ancient times in Tibet, it has been gradually replaced by the use of thangkas, as wood is particularly scarce there, while it flourished in Bhutan, where it is considered an indigenous tradition and a component of the local Drukpa Kagyu legacy.4

Oral Tradition

In the absence of known ancient written records, oral sources provide an alternative literature about the origin of the tashi gomang tradition in Bhutan. Its introduction is attributed to the First Zhabdrung and is related to the building of Punakha Dzong, the second-oldest monastery-fortress in Bhutan, which is considered the mother of all dzongs because it was built under his command around 1637 to house the precious relics he brought from Ralung. Also involved was a master carpenter known as Zow Balep, often presented as the incarnation of the divine craftsman Vishvakarma, a Hindu deity, believed to be the presiding god of all architects and craftsmen, who is also venerated by Buddhists, especially in Bhutan, where master builders feel associated with his tradition.

According to the most popular story, the Zhabdrung had started to build Punakha Dzong to fulfill a prediction made in the eighth century by the great Buddhist Indian master Padmasambhava, when several magical events happened. While protecting deities helped him to get wood and stones in large quantities, evil forces would demolish at night the structures built during the daytime. While the Zhabdrung was meditating to find a solution, a dakini (sky dancer) appeared to him and told him that using a tashi gomang was the solution to subdue these forces. He immediately summoned Zow Balep and had him sleep beside him (fig. 5). Through his spiritual powers he brought him into his dreams. On the second night he entrusted protecting deities to take the dreaming consciousness of Zow Balep to Ralung Monastery. On the third night he visited Zangdok Pelri, the Copper-Colored Mountain Palace of Padmasambhava, in order to see the architectural designs of the site. On the morning of the fourth day, the Zhabdrung asked Zow Balep to recount his dream. Based on his descriptions, the Zhabdrung asked the master carpenter to build a replica of the tashi gomang stupa he saw in Ralung in a miniature version. Zow Balep first made a prototype from a radish. As the Zhabdrung was satisfied with his skill, he told Zow Balep to carve it in wood. When the structure of the tashi gomang was built, the Zhabdrung added his touch. As he was capable of instantly carving Buddhist figures with his thumb, he imprinted several of them on clay molds (tsatsa), which were then installed in the miniature shrine. The following day, he summoned painters to decorate the wooden structure. Blacksmiths were also asked to make engravings. A dorje was put inside as its major sacred relic. The Zhabdrung personally presided over the consecration of the shrine, which was installed in the utse (tower) of Punakha Dzong. Upon completion of the tashi gomang, the building of the dzong resumed swiftly. Based on this experience, the Zhabdrung thought that tashi gomangs could be used as instruments for preaching the teachings of Buddha to the masses. Therefore, he and his successors are believed to have commissioned the making of several other miniature portable shrines.

Structure and Symbolism

A tashi gomang is a mandala involving a complex symbolism. It usually measures between twenty and twenty-four inches in height (fifty and sixty centimeters) and about twelve inches in width (thirty centimeters), and has a maximum of 108 doors. Since the demise of the Zhabdrung political system in 1907, only the king has the power to commission a tashi gomang.5 When not in use, the shrine is stored in a wood transportation box that is often painted and decorated with brass ornaments. It is wrapped in several layers of five-colored brocade. Only the manip can unfold the shrine (fig. 6).

He first pulls out its four corners, which causes the tashi gomang to open into the shape of a swastika (fig. 7). The shrine is then mounted on top of its box and can be rotated clockwise. With the help of a special stick, the manip opens the doors to expose the deities inhabiting the niches and chants the appropriate prayers. He usually raises his left hand to his ear in the classical attitude of divine inspiration, turning his prayer wheel with the other. According to popular belief, the tashi gomang is an amalgamation of sacred holy sites (ne), brought together by Buddha for the benefit of the people. Looking at a tashi gomang is believed to be equivalent to seeing all the ne.

Types of Tashi Gomang

There are four types of tashi gomangs6 (fig. 8). Each corresponds to a particular realm in the Buddhist cosmogony. The most popular is the Zangdok Pelri type. The roof of the tashi gomang is usually mounted with an ornamental pinnacle. When the shrine is displayed, a lotus flower appears on its top. When pulled with a thread, a figurine pops up in the center of the flower. It often represents Padmasambhava himself (fig. 9). Although tashi gomangs are all hardwood, nail-less objects, some are metal plated. They all include a central axis, but their structures may differ. In some cases, a chapel has been carved at the base to house deities. The number of folding panels, doors, clay images, statues, and paintings also varies. The pantheon represented in each type of tashi gomang is diverse. Ornamental features such as turquoise and coral beads, painted auspicious symbols, and engraved mantras also constitute elements of differentiation.

Reviving a Vanishing Tradition

The tradition of manips carrying tashi gomangs throughout the country to display them has declined. Until recently, there were only two surviving professional manips, and the number of tashi gomangs remaining in Bhutan, where they were kept in secluded places, was unknown. A project was initiated in 2015 to record, conserve, and revive the tradition.7 Thirty-five tashi gomangs were found and brought to Thimphu for restoration and a temporary exhibition. Four young gomchens (lay priests) have been trained as manips. Now designated as national treasures, tashi gomangs are sometimes used by the monastic body to perform rituals on exceptional occasions. Although the display of a tashi gomang has become a rarity, it is still considered highly auspicious to have the opportunity to see one. Making one involves no less than nine of the thirteen traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan (fig. 10). A new tashi gomang was manufactured in 2015 at the command of the king, signaling the state’s intention of reviving the tradition.