Fortress on fire

At 6 PM, Mr. Rudraman, a teacher, came running and yelling "Wandue Dzong is on fire," which startled all of us. He then attempted to confirm the news by fixing the BSS cable, but before it could be connected, an SMS arrived from my old friend Sangay Tshering from Zhemgang, which read "Let us pray to Guru Rinpoche not to let such tragedy happen in the future again. Wangduephodrang Dzong is on fire." Since I didn't have balance on my cell phone, I gave him a missed call, and he returned the call to confirm that the Dzong was completely burnt down to the ground level.

 

On Sunday, 24th June 2012 at 4 PM, a fire started radiating flames from the main gate door in Wangduephodrang. Nobody exactly knew the real cause of the fire, as stated by BBS correspondence from Wangduephodrang. According to the people at that vicinity, they suspect that the fire started from an electric short circuit.

 

According to the history of Bhutan, the Wangduephodrang Dzong was built in the 17th century by Lam Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel Rinpoche in 1638. It is the third oldest dzong in the country built by Zhabdrung among the five. As for how it came to be, there is a story behind it that was gathered by the media people gathered information as follow:

“When Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel was at Chimi lhakhang in Punakha he met a bedraggled old man, who described the ridge in present day Wangduephodrang as a ‘sleeping elephant’. He told Zhabdrung that his aspiration to unify the country would be realized if he built a dzong on the neck of the ridge. Divining the old man to be Yeshey Goenpo, one of the supreme guardian deities of the country, Zhabdrung took his suggestion seriously, and deputed a noble to scout the area.

As the emissary drew close to the place, he saw four ravens circling the air above the ridge. When he reached there, the birds flew away in the four directions, north, south, east and west. On returning to Chimi lhakhang, he related what he had seen. Taking this as a good omen, Zhabdrung immediately set forth to construct a dzong on the spur, overlooking the confluence of the Dangchu and the Punatshangchu rivers. The people of Wang and Shar Da Gye were believed to have been involved in the construction, along with the people of Rinchengang, who were skilled masons.

There is another legend on the building of Wangduephodrang dzong. It says that when Zhabdrung arrived at the confluence, he saw a little boy building a sandcastle. The boy’s name was Wangdue, and therefore he decided to name the dzong Wangduephodrang or Wangdue palace” ( kuensel, 26th June 2012) The natural fire calamity razed out all valuable things inside the dzong except for the few safe boxes containing the sacred relics that were dropped from the roof into the nearby cacti undergrowth. Nothing could be saved from fire that burnt away 374 years of history within five hours completely. Fortunately there wasn’t any life casualty and serious injury except few minor injuries while trying to save the sacred things"

The lack of rainfall in Wangduephodrang during the time of the disaster, while other places experienced heavy rainfall, was a peculiar sight that captured people's attention and caused them to reflect on Zhabdrung's superior power. The belief that Zhabdrung had the ability to control the elements and natural forces was reinforced by this event, as it seemed as though even the rain and sun could be stopped if he is displeased.

During the fire, despite the drizzle, the flames continued to spread and release thick black smoke and sparks, giving the impression that the sleeping elephant carrying the fortress had awakened and was shaking off the dzong that it had carried for centuries. This powerful imagery serves to underscore the devastating nature of the fire and the impact it had on the community.

Despite the destruction caused by the fire, the people's faith in Zhabdrung and their commitment to preserving the cultural and historical significance of the dzong remained strong. The rebuilding and restoration of the dzong is a testament to their resilience and determination to honor their past and preserve their heritage for future generations.

The tragic fire at Wangduephodrang dzong resulted in a significant loss for both the country and the people of Sha Dagay. The community was deeply affected by the tragedy, with many feeling disheartened and dismayed by the destruction of such an important cultural and historical site.

The impact of the fire was felt particularly strongly by those in Sha Dagay, as the dzong held great significance for the local community. The loss of the dzong was a heavy blow, and many people struggled to eat and sleep in the aftermath of the disaster.

Furthermore, the fire occurred during a period of renovation, with only about 40 percent of the work completed at the time of the disaster. This meant that the efforts of both the people and the government to preserve and restore the dzong were lost in an instant.

The tragedy underscores the importance of preserving and protecting cultural heritage sites, as they serve as a connection to the past and are an essential part of a community's identity and history. Despite the hardship caused by the fire, the government and the people of Sha Dagay have shown a commitment to rebuilding and restoring the dzong, ensuring that it will continue to be a symbol of their cultural heritage for generations to come.

The tragedy that occurred on June 24th, 2012, was not the first disaster to affect Wangduephodrang dzong. Records show that the dzong had previously experienced a similar tragedy in 1837, which led to its eventual rebuilding. In addition, the dzong had also been damaged by a severe earthquake in 1897, and again in the September 2011 earthquake.

Despite these previous disasters, the fire that occurred on June 24th, 2012, was the most horrifying and devastating of them all. The loss of such an important cultural and historical site was felt deeply by the community, and on June 25th, all government offices, institutions, and schools remained closed as a sign of mourning and respect for the dzong and its significance.

During this period of mourning, the community came together to pray for Zhabdrung Rinpoche's guidance and protection, to ensure that such a tragedy would not happen again in the future. The importance of preserving and protecting cultural heritage sites such as Wangduephodrang dzong was highlighted by the tragedy, and the commitment to rebuilding and restoring the dzong serves as a testament to the resilience and determination of the community to honor their past and preserve their cultural heritage.