Himalayan Companion's Bon Sanctuary Trek is the one of the most special trek that which immerse you in the Bon religion and Bon pilgrimage sites and landscape in depth
A short glimpse of Bon religion
Bon is an oldest and pre-buddhist religion. While classifying in recent days it is classified in three types are, prehistoric Bon, Yungdrung Bon and New Bon. The activities of prehistoric Bon are akin to central Asian shamanism. Secondly, Yungdrung Bon was founded by Buddha Tonpa Shenrab who lived on this earth many thousands of years before Buddha Shakyamuni in the land of zhang zhung.
The emergence of new bon took place, during the 8th century the king of Tibet, Trisong Detsen invited Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche, abbot Boddhisattva from India and Nepal. With the agreement of king and ministers, the abolishment of Yungdrung Bon was initiated and when the Yungdrung Bon was on the verge of declination, Bonpo lama and priests started to hide the crucial texts as treasures in secure caves and a few texts were modified with Indian Buddhism. In the meantime, some Bonpo adapted both the yungdrung Bon and some parts of Indian Buddhist rituals and emerged as a New Bon.
The Yungdrung Bon which was founded by the Budha Tonpa Shenrab is subdivided into Dho (the path of renunciation, Ngag (the path of transformation), and Dzogchen (the path of liberation). These practices have been kept intact from the times of Budha Tonpa Shenrab up until now and are still practiced by monks, nuns, yogis, and yogi. It is alive and unchanged in the Himalayan regions.
Till the 8th century Dolpo was a part of Zhang Zhung province. During the eighth Century, Tibet king Trisong Detsen (755–797 A.D) assassinated the last king of Zhang zhung -Ligmikya and Dolpo became a free zone. In10th century Dolpo was under the kingdom of Purang and later on it was under Los (Upper Mustang) and Jumlang (Jumla).
In the 18th century, King of Gorkha Prithivi Narayan Shah started the unification of Nepal and Dolpo also became a unified part of the country.
Bonpo community in Dunai
Starting from Dunai the district headquarter of Dolpa, there is a Bonpo community – Dolpo Bon School and a beautiful Bonpo Stupa. This community was established with the assembly of Bonpo lamas, prominent people from different Bonpo villages of Dolpa. Old local people used to say that this place was blessed by a Bonpo Lama by leaving a footprint on a rock and people named the place Lama Palio in Nepali which means the footprint of Lama
Bonpo village in Parle (Tichurong)
Parli village is the Bonpo follower community near Dunai.There is a main village monastery named Yungdrung Shuktsal Gonpa above the Parli village. The old monastery and some stupas are more than five hundred years old. The present head Lama of the monastery is Lama Namkha Wangden. There are also some holy relics of great yogis in the monastery. The pilgrimage site of the Holy mount Riwo Walber/Palwar was blessed by the deity Takla Meber and used to be the meditation and retreat center for many lamas and yogi in the past. So once in a year both many Bonpo and Buddhist peoples from different villages participate in the annual circumambulation of the holy mountain. There are customs to perform different rituals annually and seasonally.
Riwo Palwar-Bon Pilgrimage in Dolpo
The village of Parlä, formerly also called Panchali (the five villages), and also called Baijibara was made up of five sections (now seven). The inhabitants call themselves Bhote and speak a Tibetan dialect, but are called Magar by the people of the North. All the villagers of Parlä follow the Bön tradition, while the other villages above in Tichurong follow the Buddhist traditions.
To reach the village of Parlä from Dunai, you have to follow the Thuli Beri river then climb
on the right side of the valley for several hours; multiple paths criss-cross this side, providing links between the different villages. The most classic climb seems to be via Dharapani and Nakpo village.
Yungdrung Shugtshaling Gompa
The main village gompa is called Yungdrung Shugtshaling (gYung drung shug tshal gling)
or Seteng Yungdrung Shugtrö (Se sTengs gYung drung shug khrod) . It is located above the
village and is surrounded by trees. Yungdrung Shugtsaling is said to have been built around 500 years ago by the Treton lamas of Pugmo, but there is no historical evidence to support this claim.
In his biography, Treton Tsewang Tsultrim mentions Seteng Yungdrung Shugtro Monastery as one of the places where he met his masters and stayed the longest. He must therefore to have existed before his birth (at the end of the 16th century). About two generations ago, a lama renovated it and recently a local painter by the name of Dawa repainted it.
Its name is said to come from the juniper forest (shugpa) – growing in the shape of a swastika (g. yung drung) – which surrounds the monastery. Its middle name, Seteng (se stengs) , refers to a field of se bushes, a type of rosehip, which once grew beneath the monastery.
Originally two ordained monks were in charge of the monastery, but without successors, their line ended. She was followed by a line of "married priests" (sngags pa) belonging to a line called Mutsa (dMu tsha) .
The temple is decorated with many frescoes as well as clay statues, representing a large
part of the Bon deities.
Peaceful deities: Sherab Shamma, Nampar Gyalwa ,
Terrifying-looking yidams: Walse Ngampa, Trowo Tsochog Kagying, Lhago Töpa,
Khyung Mar, Namjon, Ganacakra and his entourage of four minor deities ( srid-rgyal, kings
of existence) , white, blue, red and black.
Protectors: Dzambhala, Sipe Gyalmo , Takla Mebar . The latter is the patron deity of the
monastery, the equivalent of Guru Dragpo (a form of Padmasambhava, honored by
Nyingmapa Buddhists) .
Siddhas: Drenpa Namkha and his two sons.
Drakgon Ritrö Hermitage
This hermitage is located half an hour east and above the village. It was founded on the site of an ancient cave by the lama of Parlä, Tsukphü Gyaltsen (also known as Parlä
rimpoche ) in 1962. It served as his regular retreat but on his death was no longer occupied and falls currently in ruins. Many stupas , tsa-tsa and matri stones are however still visible.
Riwo Palwar
The holy mountain: Riwo palbar (Ri bo dpal 'bar) and its pilgrimage.
Riwo Palwar, "Mountain of Blazing Glory" is the sacred mountain of the wrathful protector, the secret abode of the Bön tutelary deity: Takla Mebar (sTag la me'bar ) the "tiger-god, fiery fire". Later, a lama bönpo called Lama Melha , came here to meditate. He lived in a cave on top of Riwo Palwar Mountain. (The locals are convinced it is Namgyal Sherab Gyaltsen from Pugmo). According to another legend, Lama Melha came from the province of Kham in eastern Tibet. He spent many years practicing in a cave on the side of the mountain. It is said that he practiced very diligently, enduring all hardships until he attained final realization. Many gods appeared to him, he performed many amazing deeds, and marvelous signs accompanied his practice. He is best known for his fight against the Kagyupa Buddhist monk: Drikung Nagpo Dzumme, “the black man who never smiles”. At the same time, this Tibetan lama was indeed meditating in the valley below. He resided on a hill atop the villages of Sortara and Tarakot. These two great masters clashed in this place and showed as much talent in magic as in a debate. Their magical battle has left various traces inscribed in the landscape. The imprints of their bodies, remains of torma, traces left by their ritual daggers (phurba), etc. bear witness to extraordinary events and have transformed the area into a sacred place.
In the nineteenth century, a yogi from the village of Pugmo, Namgyal Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche , aided by his son Druptop Rimpoche "opened" the pilgrimage to this mountain and in his guidebook he details the following features
“The shape of Mount Riwo Walbar matches the dakini prophecy.
– The four sacred springs with the water of liberation (Tib. kha la rag chog – whoever tastes only a drop of this water will be liberated from samsara),
– the four great cemeteries, (Tib. thod pa bor chog gi dur khrod bzhi – if a body
is deposited in this place, this person will be freed from samsara).
– the four footprints, (Tib. gsol ba btab btab chog gi zhabs rjes bzhi – Anyone who prays before these footprints of enlightened beings will be freed from samsara).
– the four motives, (Tib. smon lam btab btab chog gi thang bzhi – if you make a prayer in this place it will come true).
– the three ladders leading to the three upper realms, (Tib. Mtho ris'dzegs pa'i skas gsum).
– and a footprint of Lama Melha can be found here.
Another pilgrimage guide was written later by Lama Tsukphü Gyaltsen. Once a year in summer, during the 7th Tibetan month, all the villagers of Parli, Chilpara, Bhanthara, Tuppatara and even the people living at the bottom of the valley: Khani and Tarakot come together to go around the mountain, which takes a day. The main sacred sites are described below in the order of their appearance during the circumambulation, starting from the village.
Riwo Palwar Bon Pilgrimage Route
On the first large rocks encountered is the handprint of Lama Chakgi Wangpo (Phyag gi dbang po) , who lived here in a hermitage. Others say it is the footprint of Lama Melha .
A little further up, under a large cliff overhang, is a house with three separate rooms and a large tree to its left. This is the large meditation cave of Lama Melha, rebuilt by Parli Rinpoche. The place is surrounded by flowers and trees. Inside the house there is a fireplace and old clothes have been placed in the room. The relatives of the sick or the dead place them here, in this blessed place, to obtain the healing of the sick, or to obtain a favorable rebirth for the deceased.
In the beginning, Lama Melha 's adversary , the Kagyu Lama Nagpo Dzumme created a
sea of milk with his spiritual power. This flooded most of the Tichurong Valley. Only the hermitage where Lama Melha was meditating on his hill, remained emerged. Lama Melha, after several days of intense meditation during which his tormas began to shake and catch fire, transformed into a wrathful form and launched (like rockets) the tormas towards the residence of Lama Nagpo Dzummes below. Across the river, at the place known today as Trikun Gompa , above Tarakot.
Throwing the tormas, he took three steps, leaving his footprints on the rock. After throwing the tormas, the sea of milk dried up and the land turned into fertile fields.
Continuing the route we pass next to the imprint of a sacred ox. In the village of Namdak, a family-owned a large sacred ox. They used to take him up the mountain during the day and bring him home for the night. However, one night he escaped and slept in the Field of the Gods – a meadow on the side of Mount Riwo Palwar – and left the imprint of his body on a rock. The relics of this sacred animal are kept in the village by the descendants of the former owners and are only exhibited once a year.
Higher up, an imprint of the conch used by Lama Melha was very visible, but unfortunately, about six years ago it was destroyed and today it is barely recognizable. At some point during the clash of the two magicians, Lama Melha hid his pointy white hat in the rocks. He left an imprint there in the form of a rock with a large hole in the shape of a triangle pointing upwards. It is located near the Lama Meditation cave Melha, a small construction nestled under a rocky overhang. Above, in another small cave, countless small holes are drilled in the roof. These are the marks left by the tormas passage. . The method Lama Melha uses to charge his tormas with energy is called thu (mthu), powerful magic that can cause floods, drain them again, and bring down avalanches and landslides. It has been used until today in case of conflict to punish enemies.
Situated between two large boulders facing each other are the sacred imprints of the sun and the moon. On the left, the sun is surrounded by red lines, while on the right, the moon is surrounded by white lines. In some accounts, the sun and the moon are described as a pair of cymbals struck together by the great Bönpo master Drenpa Namkha .
In the middle of the plain called Yulung Dermai Thang, there was a small water spring, a
spiritual spring, created by Lama Melha with his extraordinary powers. Lama Nagpo Dzumme wanted revenge for his defeat Lama Melha knew that his competitor was up to something and he warned his servant not to talk to anyone and not to answer anyone while he went to fetch water at the source that day. In fact, when the servant went to fetch water, Lama Dzumme called him several times. The servant resisted, ignored him, and did not answer until, for a brief time, the `aaaaaa' sound escaped him. He heard a voice saying, "It's okay." At that moment, the source disappeared. This is how the fertile plains of Yulung Dermai Thang were transformed into an arid desert, strewn with rocks, by the spiritual power of Lama Nagpo Dzumme.
The imprint of a Dakini crushing a serpent with her foot is visible on a flat rock high up, with a magnificent view of the main valley. While Lama Melha was meditating, Lama Nagpo Dzumme turned into a poisonous snake and tried to disturb and harm him. The serpent approached the rock on which Lama Melha was meditating, leaving traces imprinted in the rock. A Dakini having seen the snake, killed it by crushing its head under her foot before it could hurt Lama Melha. You can still see an imprint of his big foot and the approaching serpent. In the written text, it is Lama Melha himself who crushes the serpent's head.
While Lama Nagpo Dzumme ate in his chapel at Trikun Gompa, Lama Melha used a mysterious power to steal Nagpo Dzumme's eyes. Their footprints are left on the rock: two large holes with a piece of quartz underneath representing his feet.
At the bottom of the large field is a hole and a small shrine. A spring forming a lake created by Lama Melha [and we find just like in Shey and Samling, the idea of a saint helped by the divinities of the place, creating a spring thanks to his magic power], occupies part of the field throughout the summer. Some say that it dries up for part of the year because people commit sins and then displease the lu (nagas) deities of the basement and springs, guardians of the place. At another end is the place where Lama Melha made his magic demonstrations. It is located on the outskirts of the plain on the edge which overlooks the valley of the Tarap. An altar in five parts is built there. . A beautiful yellow stone with special markings rests in the left niche. In the next niche, there is a stone with two footprints of an ancient master, and in the middle, there is a yak horn engraved with the letter A. The journey continues, to reach the site of the three sacred ritual daggers (phur pa) formed naturally on a rock.
Finally, the last crucial point of the circumambulation is the gathering place where all the pilgrims pray and make their ritual prostrations before starting the festivities. Drink
chang, sing and dance before returning home in the evening.
The Riwo palwar pilgrimage, therefore, commemorates the fierce struggle between two great masters, one Bon, and the other Buddhist. This obviously refers to the famous battle between the Kagyupa Buddhist monk and poet Milarepa and his adversary the sage Bonpo Naro Bonchung for the possession of Mount Tise (Kailash) and Lake Mapam (Manasarovar).
But while Milarepa emerges victorious from his confrontation, at Riwo Palbar, it is the wise Bon Lama Melha who emerges victorious from the first two confrontations (he crushes the serpent's head and he steals Nagpo Dzumme's eyes). During the third confrontation, he is first surprised by his adversary who floods the valley but by managing to drain the lake thus formed, he makes the valley fertile. and opens it to human settlement, also making it an important place of the Bon religion
Bonpo Landscape and Bon community in Dho Tarap
In Dho Tarap village there is a Bonpo monastery called Deden Phuntsok Ling. In ancient times, many Bonpo Dzogchen yogis spent their whole life in Tarap and attained Rainbow body. Around the monastery there are a great number of old stupas and prayer stones engraved with the three hearts mantras. The present head Lama of the monastery is Lama Yonten Pasang. There is another monastery called Riwo Bumpa Gonpa. This monastery is shared by both Bonpos and Buddhist and also the wall paintings in the main monastery contain both Bon and Buddhist divinities.
The stupa of Yungdrung Wobar is an important and old Bon stupa. In ancient times, Zhang Zhung yogi, Tonggung Thuchen, Debon Gyimtsa Machung and many Bonpo came to Tarap and blessed the sacred mountain Pawo Drungnga. There is a cave hermitage in the mountainside and footprint of yogi Tonggyung Thuchen.
Pawo Drunga Bon Pilgrimage in Dho Tarap
The name Pawo Drunga (dpa'bo' bru lnga) means the "five heroic grains". In the Bön tradition, they refer to the five seed syllables: A, om, hung, ram, dza' These syllables are the symbol of the "five wisdoms", the "five elements", the Buddhas of the five directions, the four cardinal directions and from the center, of the "five interior organs", of the "five senses", etc. By chanting these syllables, the Buddhas of the five directions can be invoked to aid and purify oneself. The "five heroic syllables" engraved on a swastika are also one of the attributes of Satrig Ersang (Sherab Chamma) , the principal female deity of the Bön religion; the first of the "four transcendent lords".
An ancient prophecy foretold that a Grand Master would come in a Year of the Horse and “open” the pilgrimage around the local mountain. So it was that in such a year (probably 1918), Namgyal Sherab Gvaltsen (1880 – 1949) of the Khyungpo Karu lineage from the village of Pugmo arrived in Do-Tarap, initiated the practice of Pawo Drunga pilgrimage, and thus fulfills the prophecy.
Although, the most auspicious year for circumambulation of Pawo Drunga mountain is the year of the horse, local adherents of Bön make a pilgrimage every year. The most opportune date for the pilgrimage is usually the 15th of the 7th month, but most pilgrimages are not fixed on a specific date: pilgrims go when they can manage to be absent from work, preferably in the 5th , 6th or 7th Tibetan month on the full moon (15th day ), 10th or 30th day of the month.
The circuit, starting from Do passes in front of the small village of Doro (Dhoro), then, the ruins of two old gompas called Tabshi, and Trakang. To the east, the Tsakö valley (Tahari khola on the Nepalese map) leads to the village of Tsharka (Chharka Bhot) via the Tsakö Ting La (Jhyarkoï La) pass. This valley is guarded by a local deity, "the Minister of the Mighty Red River Valley": Lonpo Tshalung Marpo ( blon po po gtsang lung dmar po ), who was originally worshiped on a rock in the valley before the construction of a sanctuary near the village.
A small side valley opens to the north and leads to a meditation cave called Mondö Tampa Gompa. Here, the great Yangton Tsukpü Gyaltsen of Tsharka, meditated for many years before he died.
Higher up is the cave called the “eternal tiger lair” (gYung drung sTag tsang phug). It is said that long ago a tiger was born in this cave. Because of this cave, the pilgrimage is often referred to as the "Tiger's Den Pilgrimage". Inside is a miraculously shaped stone representation of Namgyal Sherab Gyaltsen, the founder of the pilgrimage. The statue is covered in butter offerings that have made it unrecognizable over the years. Nearby is a sacred spring, miraculously produced by Namgyal Sherab Gyaltsen. Pilgrims fill water bottles to take home for friends and relatives who were unable to make the pilgrimage.
The next side valley rises to the northwest and reaches a small platform at the edge of a large cliff above the main valley. Footprints of the supreme founder of the Bon religion, Tonpa Shenrab Miwo are believed to be carved into the rock face, but they remain undetectable without a knowledgeable and initiated guide. Footprints of Takla Mebar ( sTag la me'bar ) are also said to be visible. Takla Mebar is the main deity of the pilgrimage. On the one hand he is a mythical figure, disciple of Tönpa Sherab , famous as a transmitter of tantras and slayer of demons; on the other, he is prayed to as a tutelary deity ( yidam). Having a single head and two hands, it has a fierce appearance.
His name can also be spelled slightly differently ( sTag lha me'bar ), meaning the "tiger-god, surrounded by flames", a name that comes into its own in the context of Pawo Drunga's kora , his tiger lair and its surrounding hills described as flames of fire.
Nearby is a sacred "cemetery". Sometimes, when the lamas have not been able to perform the appropriate death rituals ( bardo ) to the deceased, the relatives bring the corpse of the deceased here, where it will automatically receive the phowa blessing – the so-called phowa ceremony ( pho ba ) allows the transfer of consciousness and reincarnation -. Pilgrims lay pieces of cloth from their deceased relatives or horns from their dearest animals there as they pray for their happy rebirth.
The pilgrimage then passes close to rock formations called “Purification Rocks”. Between these boulders, detaches a narrow opening. If the believer manages to clear a path without problems, his sins will be erased and his karmic defilements will be purged, while a person who has committed too many sins will find himself stuck there.
After passing through an area strewn with offering stones ( madal ), the trail joins the pass of Jamma La, named after the bön goddess Sherab Shamma (shes rab byams ma) – Jamma.
Sherab Chamma (loving mother wisdom support) is another form of Satrig Ersang and acts as a meditation support. Its name associates the syllable cham (byams) “who loves tenderly” to which is added the feminine suffix ma. Sherab is formed by the syllable she , which means knowledge, and rab , which means excellent. It is the translation of wisdom (sk. prajna ). Peaceful in appearance, its body is yellow, orange or white. It has one face and two hands. The right hand usually holds a vase close to the heart or on its side and the left a mirror in his hand stretched upwards. She is often compared to Buddhist goddessesTara (Drolma) and Prajnaparamita (Yum Chenmo).
After laying a few white scarves (khata ) and prayer flags ( loungta ) at the cairn (lhabsa or laptse) marking the pass, pilgrims bow, sing and dance before descending the steep slope. The trail joins the bottom of a valley and an open area called the "dakini dance ground " where the Bon and Buddhist pilgrimage trails meet and where pilgrims of both faiths sing and dance together before reaching the main valley and their homes.
Samling monastery in Bhijer
Samling monastery was founded by the great Dzogchen yogi and zhangzhung nyengyud lineage holder Yangton Gyaltsen Rinchen in 1183AD. Since early times this monastery used to be the main educations centre of Bon monastery in Dolpo. Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen(great perfection) were taught in the monastery. There are many Holy Scriptures, statues, chortens and relics of several great Tantra and Dzogchen practitioners. Yangton Sherab Tenzin is the current lineage holder Lama of the monastery.
Phoksundo and Thasung Bon Monastery
Tsho village is in the lower part of the Dolpo in a small enclave called Phoksumdo ( Phug gsum mdo ), the place where three riverbeds meet.
Today, Phoksumdo is a political unit comprising the villages of Tsho (mTsho), Pugmo (sPung mo), Rianji (Ri' a'dzi), Rikyed (Ri sked)/Moro (Mo ro) and Tshepka (Tsheb ka or Cu’gar).
On the Nepa Map the names of the villages are respectively, Ringmo, Pugmo, Rechi, Rike/Maduwa and Chhepka.
Tsho, Pugmo and Rechi are the most important villages, while the other villages are only partially inhabited, as they are used as winter villages by the people of Tsho.
The inhabitants of Tsho moving between three or four different houses throughout the year.
The main village of Tsho (Ringmo) is located in the southern part of Dolpo at 3600 meters above sea level, bordering a deep blue lake, Phoksumdo Lake. The village is built on a natural plateau, surrounded by steep cliffs on three of its sides. In the south, the river throws itself from the top of a cliff, creating a spectacular waterfall about 150 meters high, the river then takes the name of Suli Gad.
In winter, the community of Tsho lives scattered along the Suli Gad in Palam (Polam), Jelas and other villages or localities.
Animals, mainly yaks, female yaks ( dri ), dzo and dzo mo, as well as the goats, are kept there and find something to graze on in cold weather. Around March and April, villagers move uphill and start plowing their fields in Rikyed and Moro. Towards the end of spring, they finally go to Tsho and start plowing and planting the cereals there. They will stay there until the following winter, but continue to go back and forth to Rikyed and Moro to cultivate their fields there, while the shepherds go up with the herds to pastures at higher altitudes. In autumn, the grass for the animals is cut in the low-lying areas and brought to Palam, where the villagers arrive with their animals in December.
Fields are cultivated only in Tsho, Rikyed and Moro, according to a rotation system depending on altitude and location. In Tsho, crops of buckwheat, potatoes, barley and mustard alternate from year to year. In Rikyed and Moro, chinu (a kind of local rice), beans and sometimes wheat are also planted. As no irrigation is possible, the productivity of the area is quite low.
The diet is supplemented with dairy products from livestock, mainly butter, milk, yogurt and churpe (local cheese) and rarely with meat; usually only if an animal has been attacked by a snow leopard or has fallen off a cliff. Other products are obtained by trade.
Trade with Tibet and the Nepalese valleys is an important part of the local economy. At least once in summer and once in autumn, traders from Tsho and Pugmo travel to Jumla or Hurikot, where they trade or sell grain for dishes, wool, and tea. At the end of the summer, traders go to the Tibetan border and barter crops for salt, wool, tea, and sometimes animals.
Due to the difficulties related to border controls and a fixed price policy the Chinese, the traditional salt trade has slowed down considerably. New goods such as clothing, shoes, technical goods, and alcohol (later sold to tourists) were included in the barter system.
Bonpo community in Tsarka
From Tarap through Jyagola la pass, there we get Tsarka village. There are old Phuntsok Ling and new Phuntsok Ling Bonpo monastery. The original or old monastery was isolated from village. So it was dangerous as bandits often attacked there. Therefore a new monastery was re-established near the village. Menri Ponlob Trinle Nyima Rinpoche who is the second most important leader of the Bonpo world is also from Tsarka village. Present head Lama of the monastery is Geshe Yangton Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche.
Bonpo community in Pugmo village
The entrance of the village is the holy Zijyi Wober stupa with a beautiful mural of Bon deity Kunsang Gyalwa Gyatso peaceful form of the very wrathful deity Walse Ngampa.
In the past, there used to be a shrine and many animals were regularly sacrificed to the local spirit. Treton Lama Tsewang Tsultrim subdued the spirit and built Namgyal Lhakhang to stop the sacrifice and started peaceful offerings taught by Budha Tonpa Shenrab. Near this village, there are also Pugmo Dechen Ling monastery, Thegchen Rabgye Ling monastery,and Shugri Nyishar a retreat and meditation center.
In a gist there are also few Bon monasteries in very lower parts of the Dolpo such as Tsalung Sridgyal monastery few hours far from Tripurakot, Monri Zursum monastery in Khalibo and Yungdrung Drodul Ling monastery in Hurikot.
With a complete anti clockwise (Way of Bonpo) circulation of Dolpo, we can visit holy Bonpo pilgrimage site and monasteries of Dolpo.
