
Lost , discovered and forgotton - Bhanodi Gompa
While there is no recorded history of the place, folk lore has it that Bhikshus wandering in the Himalayas settled here finding the place conducive to their religious needs. Later 30 to 40 such families settled here and during winters they used to come down to Chamba and returned when the snow started melting. It is said that Raja Ram Singh of Chamba, who ascended the thrown in 1919 decided to visit Pangi and found the helmet of Bhanodi, where a good number of Khampa people used to perform Buddhist religious ceremonies. This aroused the interest of Raja Ram Singh and he acquired more information about them. The Guru of the monastery welcomed the Raja warmly and the Raja also took part in their religious ceremonies. At that time the temple was located in a small cave, and s new monastery was built on land granted by the king.
The Gompa was also visited by the first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Dr. Y.S. Parmar, whose photograph is still displayed proudly on the side walls of the Gompa, but the state government forgot the place after that. A study of the Gompa architecture, the wood work and the few wall paintings left reveals that the artisians who build this monastery hailed from Laddakh or Tibet. In the sanctum is installed a stucco figure of Padmasambhva. Placed on a high pedestal, the statue reaches almost to the ceiling. The style and face of Padmasambhva suggest that it is one of its kind in the world.
Recently a society named District Padma Chhokharling Bodh Tibitan Association, Bhanodi, was formed to preserve the Gompa, but the remoteness of the place is still proving a hindrance as the Gompa is eight kilometers’ climb from the nearest road. Perhaps, the wise Lama may have foreseen a better future for the Gompa and thus stayed back.
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