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'Punakha' (སྤུ་ན་ཁ་) is the administrative center of Punakha dzongkhag, one of the 20 districts of Bhutan. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan and the seat of government until 1955, when the capital was moved to Thimphu.

Contents

Punakha Dzong

See also

Notes and references

External links

Punakha Dzong

The 'Punakha Dzong' was constructed by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1637-38. It is the winter home of Bhutan's Central Monk Body led by the Je Khenpo.
In 1907, Punakha Dzong was the site of the coronation of Ugyen Wangchuck (or Deb Nagpo) as the first King of Bhutan. Three years later, a treaty was signed at Punankha whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs.
In 1987, the dzong was partially destroyed by fire.
Due to its location at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers in the Punakha-Wangdue valley, the dzong is vulnerable to flash flooding caused by glacier lakes (GLOF). According to a recent report, flash flood damage to Punakha Dzong occurred in 1957, 1960 and 1994.^[1]

See also

★ Dzong architecture

★ Driglam Namzha

★ Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal

Notes and references

1.

External links

★ Photo gallery of Punakha Dzong (Nov 2005)

★ Photos of Punakha Dzong

★ Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal at the Dharma Dictionary