People in Phobjikha say that when the black-necked cranes arrive in autumn they circle Gangtey Goenpa three times before landing in the marsh, and that they circle it again three times before leaving for Tibet in spring. The birds are thought of as heavenly visitors, and their coming is linked with good harvests.
The monastery itself was founded in 1613 by Gyalse Pema Thinley, a grandson of the 15th-century saint Pema Lingpa, and it remains the seat of a line of Nyingma lamas. It was restored between 2001 and 2008 using traditional methods.
Care for the cranes has shaped the valley. Electricity reached Phobjikha later than many places because overhead lines would endanger the birds, and the cables were finally laid underground. Each year on 11 November, the community holds a Black-necked Crane Festival in the monastery courtyard to welcome them.
Sources
- Phobjikha Valley (Wikipedia)
- Gangteng Monastery (Wikipedia)
- Told locally in Phobjikha
Legends are retold differently from village to village. Where a story is told locally rather than written down, we say so.
