Katsho Gonpa is one of the major temples of Ha. Katsho village is located two kilometres from Baling Hospital. After travelling along the secondary road to the left Baling Hospital up to Katsho village, one then has to walk forty-five minutes to reach the temple.

Katsho temple is a very sacred temple which was founded by Lama Choying Gyatsho who , in turn , was the disciple of Tsang Khenchen . There is now a government school at the Gonpa. Annually there is a hundred million Mani recitation which is held in the temple for twenty-one days beginning on the thirtieth day of the twelfth month and continuing until the twentieth day of the first month.

According to the local astrologer, Ganglha , the first Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa visited this place in the eleventh century ( third Rabjung ) and enquired about name of the village from the locals. The people told Karmapa that the name of the village was called from the locals. The people told Karmapa that the name of the village was called "Atam" which evidently sounded hilarious to him. The Karmapa then ask them , what kind of crops grow here? " to which people replied Ka tsho meaning "wheat grows ." Karmapa instantly named the village as Katsho, which is the name that remains to this day. The same name was also used later in a letter to Lama Damcho Pelzang of Katsho Temple, recorded in the biography of Zhabdrung Jigme Norbu.

Source: Namthar of katsho Gonpa

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