This small home in Danglo, just north of the Thimphu river, is readily visible from the Phutsholing-Thimphu highway. Its fame rests on the belief that it was the birthplace of Khandro Sonam Pelden, the consort of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo (1184-1251).

Around the year 1222, a vision of the Guru Rinpoche (c. 8th century), also known as Padmasambhava, prophesized the following to Phajo Drugom Zhigbo:

"The reincarnation of Ama Labkidron will be born in the lower part of Danglo village as your partner to perform enlightened actions" (Thinley, p .279.)

As the historian Karma Phuntsho notes, at the time of his vision, Phajo Drugom Zhigbo was traveling in Bhutan, just south of his native Tibet, where he hoped to propagate Drukpa teachings. In the Thimphu area, he met a woman from Wang Chudo village, named Achog, with whom he fathered a son. He named the child Dampa in homage to the Indian saint Dampa Sangye (d. 1117), as he considered the child his reincarnation.

Phajo Drugom Zhigbo's mission was a long-term endeavor, and he opted to remain in Bhutan for the rest of his life. In later years, he had several more children with Achog's sister, Sonam Peldon, who was 21 years old when they met. She was widely believed to be a dakini (a female deity) and a reincarnation of Ama Labkidron (Machig Labdrön), herself a reincarnation of Yeshe Tsogyal, an 8th-9th century princess and "Mother of Tibetan Buddhism." According to local tradition, they settled in the Danglo village, her natal home, where the present house now stands.

Another tradition asserts that when Phajo Drugom Zhigbo arrived in the area and saw his future consort, they could not meet as they stood on opposite banks of the Thimphu river, with no ferry to carry them across. However, at Lungtenzampa, they were finally able to cross where a footbridge spanned the river. Small stupas near the bridge, on opposite sides of the river, are attributed to the couple.

Architecture

The age of the present building is unknown, but it was likely last rebuilt no more than several hundred years ago and may even date to the early 20th century. Flooding is likely to be a serious concern, as it is located a mere fifty meter's from the water's edge in a lowland area dotted with rice paddies. The house was recently converted into a national monument, with a golden sertog finial raised upon the roof to underscore its significance.

As is true of most traditional Bhutanese homes, the house is strictly divided by vertical hierarchy. The ground floor is used as an animal pen and is surrounded by high walls of rammed earth, with windowless storerooms at the rear. Wooden handles inset into the courtyard walls allowed the occupants to leash livestock as needed. The single staircase leading to the upper floors is steeply angled—more like a ladder—and could be pulled up into the house in times of emergency. Traditionally, such staircases were fashioned from a single tree trunk split in half along its length, each step individually carved from the wood. However, the existing staircase is assembled from individual components.

The middle and upper levels were used as residential quarters and kitchen spaces, with the house temple likely on the top floor. Photography in the upper levels is not permitted apart from the front room on the intermediate level.Above the living quarters in an attic space open on all four sides. Typically, such attic spaces were used to store hay and other forage that required a cool, dry environment in the absence of refrigeration. Farmers might also use the area to dry out animal products such as cowhide.

Overhead, the roof is gently pitched and covered with layers of wooden shingles. As nails are not traditionally used in Bhutanese architecture, the shingles are weighted down with stones and set at a shallow angle (usually 11-13 degrees) to prevent them from sliding off. As the roof is neither wholly waterproof nor treated with preservatives, typically such shingles require replacement times each decade, with the debris repurposed as firewood.

The house's exterior is a blend of bare, rammed earth and timber framing. The finest elements are the south-facing bay windows built with interlocking wooden frames, aligned to take advantage of the sunlight in all seasons. Structural stability is provided by the heavy U-shaped outer walls which wrap around the west, north, and east facades. Apart from the very top, the outside walls are entirely windowless. Their mass helps moderate the interior temperature as heat absorbed during the day is slowly released in the nighttime hours. Additional insulation is provided by the layer of hay or other forage stored in the attic space.

Source:

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—Asian Historical Architecture