CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Wangchuk, Pema |
|---|---|
| Title | Managing Living Religious Heritage: Tamzhing Monastery in Bumthang, Bhutan |
| Summary | The academic research on the cultural heritage of Tamzhing Monastery is very limited and focused on specific elements of the monastery. There is no critical study on the monastery’s heritage carried out yet. This thesis is an attempt to critical investigation into the current understanding of the Tamzhing Monastery’s heritage. The study is based on the literature review, field visits and semi-structured interviews conducted with the members of the local communities of Tamzhing Monastery as well as relevant heritage professionals and experts in Bhutan. An investigation is carried out employing the living heritage approach. Within this approach, particular attention is given to the interconnectedness and interdependency of the tangible and intangible elements, associated sacred sites, and most importantly the associated communities of Tamzhing Monastery. In addition, Bhutan’s current protection and management system employed by the central heritage institution is investigated to understand the applicability, shortcomings, and opportunities for Tamzhing Monastery. The central discussion in this study is the reconceptualization of the Tamzhing Monastery from a ‘heritage site’ to a ‘living religious heritage’ to present its cultural heritage in its entirety. The Phala Choedpa Festival and Tamzhing temple complex, the two significant elements of the monastery, are discussed in depth to make arguments in the thesis. Special emphasis is placed on the agency and the importance of the associated communities for the management of the monastery as a living religious heritage. Furthermore, the continuity of Tamzhing Monastery as a Buddhist monastery, connections between all the associated communities, and preservation of the Phala Choedpa Festival and temple complex are emphasized. The study ends with recommendations for formulating a contextualized management plan for Tamzhing Monastery. |
| Supervisor | Choyke, Alice |
| Department | Medieval Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/wangchuk_pema.pdf |
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