The love story of Gasa Lamai Singye and Changyuel Bum Galem is Bhutan’s version of Romeo and Juliet. Almost everyone in the country has heard the tragic love story. One of the reasons the story is so popular is because of its real-life setting. Galem’s centuries-old house in Changyuel, Punakha is still standing and is one of the tourist attractions. However, the grand structure is now on the verge of collapse. Worried residents of Changyuel are pleading for urgent intervention before the house of tragedy cause more tragedies.
Changyuel is about a few minutes’ drive from the Punakha Dzong along the Punakha – Gasa highway. Galem’s ancestral home, a three-storeyed rammed earth house, is surrounded by many modern buildings today. The grand house with typical Bhutanese architectural designs remains one of the iconic structures in the community. It is believed to be more than four centuries old.
According to the Department of Culture, the house signifies both tangible and intangible values, as it remains one of the oldest typology and vernacular houses in the country. Vernacular architecture is a style of building that is specific to a region and period. It relies on the use of local materials and knowledge to construct buildings, and it’s usually done without the supervision of a professional architect.
The building is also considered the ‘Neykhang’ of the deity, ‘Goen Drakpa’. Kabesa Gewog’s Pazaps or the traditional warriors have to stop there and get blessings from the deity before proceeding to the Punakha Dzong during the annual Dromchoe.
Time, however, has not been kind to it. Inhabited by Galem’s descendants until more than a decade ago, the house is now falling apart.
Because of its cultural and architectural significance, the department of culture has stopped the owners from doing any major renovation.
According to the owner, Namgay Zam, they are awaiting clear direction from the department to carry out the renovation works. She said the decision needs to be taken at the earliest since the house might collapse anytime and endanger the lives of the people living in the area. The concern is shared by the residents too.
The owners have even proposed to renovate the house all by themselves. They proposed building a Neykhang of the Deity on the top floor, a museum on the second floor, and setting up a hotel of traditional cuisines on the ground floor.
The Department of Culture conducted a detailed structural assessment of the house and recommended necessary renovations. The recommendation also says the house can be used as a study model to learn about the methodology of heritage structure renovation after the renovation works. The department roughly estimated Nu 5.35 M for the renovation.
The dzongkhag administration has proposed one million ngultrum from the fiscal year 2022-2023 to begin the works, but they are yet to discuss with the owners the renovation works.
However, the department says full occupancy cannot be ensured and the structure cannot be turned into a commercial hub even after the renovation, as it will not be safe.
Just as Galem waited for Singye at the bank of the Mochhu centuries ago, people in Changyuel are waiting for the fate of the historical monument today. They can only hope that the wait is not too long. The last time the wait was long, it ended in a tragedy.
Changa Dorji, Punakha
Edited by Sonam
