Jigme Namgyal Museum opens in restored Bhutanese manor

The Jigme Namgyal Museum has opened in a restored 18th-century manor in Dungkar village, located approximately 45 kilometres north of Lhuentse in eastern Bhutan. The four-storey ancestral residence, formerly known as Dungkar Naktshang, served as the seat of Desi Jigme Namgyal, the Trongsa Penlop and father of Ugyen Wangchuck, who established Bhutan’s hereditary monarchy.

The museum preserves the legacy of the Wangchuck Dynasty and the lineage of the Buddhist treasure revealer Pema Lingpa. The structure functions as both a museum and a place of worship. The upper floors house several lhakhangs (shrines), including the Guru Tshokey Dorji shrine and the Kanjur Lhakhang, which preserves sacred Buddhist texts. The manor also contains Jigme Namgyal’s private chamber.

A newly established heritage gallery displays artifacts dating back over a century, including sacred relics, thangkas, royal edicts, traditional implements, weapons, and personal belongings. While the museum opened to the public in June of last year and is seeing a steady stream of domestic visitors, the ground floor remains undeveloped, allowing for future expansion.