Membartsho
A sacred pool in a river gorge of Bumthang, where Pema Lingpa, Bhutan's greatest treasure revealer, recovered terma of Guru Rinpoche in the 15th century. Its name means Burning Lake, after the legend that he dived in holding a lit butter lamp and came out with it still burning.
- Where
- Jakar, Bumthang, Bhutan
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 27.5395, 90.8123
Get the Membartsho stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Membartsho. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Bumthang volume with your photos and a note.
Near Membartsho
Jakar Dzong 6.9 km
The dzong of Bumthang District, on a ridge above Jakar town in the Chamkhar valley. It stands on the site of a temple founded by Yongzin Ngagi Wangchuk in the 16th century, and with walls more than 1,500 metres round it is one of the largest dzongs in Bhutan.
Jambay Lhakhang 8.7 km
One of Bhutan's oldest temples, in the Bumthang valley near Jakar, said to be one of 108 temples built by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in 659 in a single day. It is dedicated to Maitreya, the future Buddha, and was raised to pin an ogress to the earth forever.
Könchogsum Lhakhang 8.8 km
A small, old Buddhist temple in the Bumthang valley of central Bhutan, also known as Tsilung, a short walk from Tamshing Monastery. It is one of the cluster of ancient temples around Jakar visited by pilgrims on the valley's temple circuit.
Tamshing Lhakhang 9.1 km
A Nyingma monastery in Bumthang founded by Pema Lingpa, Bhutan's great treasure revealer, and still closely tied to him and his line of incarnations. It is the seat of Sungtrul Rinpoche, the speech incarnation of Pema Lingpa, and keeps some of the oldest wall paintings in Bhutan.
Kurjey Lhakhang 14 km
A temple complex in the Bumthang valley built around a rock said to bear the body imprint of Guru Rinpoche, which gives it its name. It is the final resting place of the first three kings of Bhutan, and a great tree behind one temple is believed to be a terma left by Padmasambhava.
Thrumshing La 24 km
The second highest pass in Bhutan, carrying the Lateral Road over the Donga range between Bumthang and Mongar. The range long kept the central and eastern regions apart, and the pass now lies inside the national park named after it.
Trongsa Dzong 31 km
The largest dzong in Bhutan, spread along a spur above the gorge of the Mangde River in the centre of the country. A temple stood here from 1543, and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal built the first dzong in 1647, enlarged again and again through the 18th century.
Phrumsengla National Park 33 km
A national park of just over 905 square kilometres in central Bhutan, spread over four districts but mostly in Mongar. The Lateral Road runs through its forests and over the Thrumshing La pass, which gave the park its former name.
More hidden gems in Bumthang
Questions
Where is Membartsho?
Membartsho is in Jakar, Bumthang, Bhutan. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Jakar Dzong (6.9 km), Jambay Lhakhang (8.7 km), Könchogsum Lhakhang (8.8 km).
How do I get the Membartsho stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Membartsho and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Bumthang volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Membartsho before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Bumthang volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.