Tibetan and Himalayan Library - THL

General site characteristics

Dangra Khyung DzongDang ra khyung rdzong/Dangra Khyungchen DzongDwang ra khyung chen rdzong is located on the east shore of Dangra YutsoDang ra g.yu mtsho, the BönBon great sacred lake. The ancient fortress occupies two salient limestone outcrops at Dangra Khyung DzongDang ra khyung rdzong, while a network of defensive walls is found nearby on KhyunglaKhyung la. The existence of a stone irrigation channel (G-3) bringing water to this locale helps to underscore the site’s significance to ancient settlement at Dangra YutsoDang ra g.yu mtsho. On a number of earlier visits, the present author underestimated the scope of ruins located at Dangra Khyung DzongDang ra khyung rdzong. In the BönBon literary tradition, Dangra Khyung DzongDang ra khyung rdzong was the capital of the last king of Zhang ZhungZhang zhung, Likmi(k) GyaLig mi(g) rgya/Likmi(k)Lig mi(g) rhya.233 According to BönBon sources, King Likmi GyaLig mi rgya was ambushed and killed not far east of Dangra Khyung DzongDang ra khyung rdzong by a military detachment of Tri SongdetsenKhri srong lde btsan, the king of Tibet. According to popular BönBon conceptions, Dangra Khyung DzongDang ra khyung rdzong was one of the four great Zhang ZhungZhang zhung fortresses of the cardinal directions. It occupied the northern direction, while Rutok Senggé DzongRu thog seng ge rdzong was in the west, Serip Drukmo DzongSe rib ’brug mo rdzong in the south, and Mangyül Takmo DzongMang yul stag mo rdzong in the east.

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