The story
Jambay Lhakhang Drup in Jambay Lhakhang
Jambay Lhakhang, among the oldest temples in the Himalayas and traditionally dated to the seventh century, hosts a five-day autumn festival built around a fire ritual and a midnight tercham dance performed nude for ritual purity, believed to bless fertility and drive away evil. It is one of Bhutan's most documented and visited festivals, drawing crowds who stay through the cold night hours specifically for the midnight ceremony.
Jambay Lhakhang is traditionally counted among the oldest temples in the Himalayas, said to have been built in the seventh century by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo as one of 108 temples constructed in a single day to pin down a demoness obstructing the spread of Buddhism across the region.