5 Haunted Places In Bhutan To Challenge Your Fears

Imagine you die, and your body is cut into 108 pieces to feed the scavengers. Isn’t it scary?

The Buddhist teachings and the views of life are quite different from what we practice. Death, for them, is an opportunity for liberation from the cycle of life, death and rebirth. The rituals are defined in Tibetan Buddhism as some protocols and rituals which should be followed at the time of death. If you are curious to know more stories like this, you must book your Bhutan Trip Packages because every paranormal activity is very regular for them.

Even the Haunted Places in Bhutan are considered spiritual sights by some Buddhist Monks. 

There is a famous story about a Buddhist farmer who used to live in the Towering peaks of the Himalayas. The farmer, Tashi, was very kind-hearted and humble. He was known for his generosity and compassion to help people. He believed that one’s life is still mortal after death; the soul’s journey continues. 

One fateful day, his beloved grandmother died. Concerning his beliefs, he offered Gold and food to symbolise wealth and sustenance for the soul in the afterlife. This was one of the Bhutanese traditions they followed.

Different cultures in Bhutan have different ways of dealing with a person’s body after passing. In one place called Lingzhi, they put the body on top of a mountain so that vultures and other scavengers can eat it. In another area called Merak and Sakteng, they chop the body into 108 little pieces and put them in a river. Among the Lhop community, they bury the body in the ground. These customs show how people have unique traditions for what happens to a person’s remains after death.

Generally, Buddhist teaching views life and death as a continuum, believing that consciousness (the spirit) continues after death and may be reborn. Few significant places are often even reported to be the most haunted places in Bhutan. Let’s try to uncover those spooky stories.

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Bhutan’s Paranormal Mysteries: Unveiling The Haunted Hotspots

1. Chorten Kora

Long Ago, there lived a beautiful young girl, Khandro and a guy named Pema, who were deeply in love. But their love was forbidden by their families. They used to meet by the banks of the river secretly. As they continued meeting secretly, they were caught by both families. Khandro’s brother killed Pema in a rage, while Pema’s father injured Khandro. The lovers died together in each other’s arms by the riverside. The tragic end to their love story didn’t give peace to their afterlife. 

Their love was so strong that they yearned to be together even in death. Their restless spirits are believed to haunt Chorten Kora, seeking to reunite. Locals claim to have heard whispering voices and seen ghostly apparitions of a young couple near the stupa, especially during the full moon nights. Chorten Kora is not considered a haunted place in Bhutan because it is beside the Trashiyangtse Stupa, a pilgrimage Monastery in Bhutan. 

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2. Tsento, The TV Ghost

His family came rushing to him and did his last riots, but that house was cursed. Villagers noticed some TV voices coming from afar even when the wire was unplugged. The TV turns on and off, and the villagers who pass by feel that whoever listens to that TV noise gets terrible luck. 

The story is passed down through separate families tormented by it before it was examined by a psychic who warned that the TV had to be Banished. The frightened villagers then took the cursed TV to perform some sort of exorcism, but the light of the whole place went, and it is believed to harbour evil spirits. Tsento is not one of the haunted places in Bhutan, but the TV curse is long-lived. Even years later, it is still in the same place, scaring the people away.  

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3. The Glorious Fort of Victory, Drugyel Dzong

Drugyel Dzong suffered extensive damage, including a fire in the mid-20th century. Numerous myths and legends believe that Dzongs are inhabited by the guardian spirits or deities who protect the land. These spirits harm none, but their presence gets scary for the people witnessing their movements and the whispers. 

The monks pray to the spirits if they feel paranormal activity in the Dzongs. Locals and tourists feel heavy energy in the places around the Dzong. The area is not restricted, but people are actually afraid to cross this fort of victory at night. 

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4. Gom Kora

The heart and entrance of the Gom Kora are dedicated to him, which is surrounded by lush greenery and intricate Bhutanese architectural elements. Pilgrims and devotees come here to seek blessings as it is believed that your wish is granted in this temple. 

The Gomphu is a meditative cave which has subdued Guru Rinpoche while he was meditating in this cave. 

It is said that his divine powers are tamed and trapped in this region. Locals believe that his presence can still be felt in the area. Some people who don’t think so in feel strange sensations and hear unexplained sounds near this cave and temple. 

5. Nyala Duem Forests

It is recorded as the biography of a 15th-century saint named Drukpa Kuenley. He was journeying towards eastern Bhutan. He declined to travel further when he reached Trongsa, stating that he would not visit where the Nyala Duem stayed. This is the oldest and most haunted place in Bhutan. 

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