Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Thai-Chinese makes up Bangkok’s largest diaspora.
Nai Ek Roll Noodle
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
7 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
8 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
9 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
10 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Bhutan Jakar Jambay Lhakhang

Jambay Lhakhang

According to legend, this temple was built to pin down the body of a demoness who lay across the Himalayas.

Jakar, Bhutan

Added By
Tony Dunnell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Jambay Lhakhang temple   Arian Zwegers
Jambay Lhakhang temple   Arian Zwegers
Interior courtyard   altoringer / Atlas Obscura User
Jambay Lhakhang temple   Juliette's
Jambay Lhakhang temple   Juliette's
A dancer at the Jambay Lhakhang Drup festival   Zachary Collier
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Jambay Lhakhang temple has a colorful past and an equally colorful present. Supposedly one of a series of temples built to tame a demoness, today it hosts the Jambay Lhakhang Drup festival, during which the sacred Tercham, or Naked Dance, takes place.

In 659 AD, the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo had a serious problem in his realm. A supine demoness lay across the Himalayas, causing the region to pour forth savagery and malign forces. The king’s attempts to introduce Buddhism to the country were sure to fail should this demoness remain, and the very prospect of civilization in Tibet was under threat.

To combat this evil, Songtsen Gampo built a series of temples throughout the Himalayas, each one helping to pin down the demoness. Four were built to pin down her shoulders and hips; four more on the elbows and knees; and four to hold down her hands and feet. Later histories expand this already colorful legend even further, telling of how the king built 108 temples to defeat the demoness, all of which were built in a single day.

According to these legends, the temple of Jambay Lhakhang in the Bumthang District of Bhutan was built to pin down the left knee of the demoness. And with Jambay Lhakhang and the other temples in place, the demoness was pinned to the earth forever, allowing the king to rid the land of evil and introduce Buddhism to Tibet.

Of the 108 temples supposedly built to defeat the demoness, only a handful remain. These include Jambay Lhakhang, one of the oldest and most sacred temples in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Today, the one-story temple complex, which sits on a plateau by the Bumthang Chhu River, is just as famous for its fanciful history as it is for its annual festival. The Jambay Lhakhang Drup festival is held each year to commemorate the building of the temple and to honor Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava), an 8th-century Buddhist master who consecrated the Jambay Lhakhang temple.

The four-day festival features many different dances, but two are considered particularly sacred. The first is the Mewang, or Fire Dance, which is held in the evening to bless infertile women in the hope that they may later bear children.

The second is the Tercham, or Naked Dance, during which sixteen men dance around the temple, all completely naked, on the stroke of midnight. Why? Well, it apparently dates back to the 8th century, when a band of devils was causing havoc in the area. To distract the devils, the local men performed a naked dance, their unclothed antics leaving the devils spellbound and rendering them harmless. Far less messy than an exorcism.

Know Before You Go

Jambay Lhakhang is located in Bumthang (also known as Jakar) in the central-eastern region of Bhutan, about 68 miles east of the capital Thimphu. You can visit the temple any time of the year. The Jambay Lhakhang Drup festival takes place every year, but the date varies. In 2018 it began on October 24, and is set to start on November 13 in 2019. And no, you’re not allowed to take photos of the naked dancers.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Festivals & Temples of Bhutan

Festivals, astrology, and epic landscapes in Bhutan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Tony Dunnell

Edited By

altoringer

  • altoringer

Published

December 18, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://books.google.com.pe/books?id=r1crDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT77&dq=108+temples+Songtsen+Gampo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirsbKd65rfAhXwqlkKHcT_ABsQ6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q=108%20temples%20Songtsen%20Gampo&f=false
  • https://books.google.com.pe/books?id=K9B0AW4Urs0C&pg=PA41&dq=108+temples+Songtsen+Gampo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirsbKd65rfAhXwqlkKHcT_ABsQ6AEILTAB#v=onepage&q=108%20temples%20Songtsen%20Gampo&f=false
  • http://www.ravenbhutan.com/bhutan-tourism-packages/bhutan-festival-tours/jambay-lhakhang-drub/
  • http://www.bhutanonlinevisa.com/jambay-lhakhang-festival-in-bumthang/
  • http://www.abto.org.bt/destinations/bumthang/jampey-lhakhang/
Jambay Lhakhang
Unnamed Road
Jakar
Bhutan
27.575356, 90.733531
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Burning Lake

Bhutan

miles away

Ogyen Choling Palace and Museum

Tang Valley, Bhutan

miles away

Trongsa Dzong

Trongsa, Bhutan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bhutan

Bhutan

Asia

Places 19
Stories 4

Nearby Places

The Burning Lake

Bhutan

miles away

Ogyen Choling Palace and Museum

Tang Valley, Bhutan

miles away

Trongsa Dzong

Trongsa, Bhutan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bhutan

Bhutan

Asia

Places 19
Stories 4

Related Stories and Lists

At a Festival in Bhutan, Some Dancers Bare All to Ward Off Evil Spirits

monks

By Erika Fatland
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.